Governor Christie’s budget increased funding by $90 million for the Senior Freeze property tax relief program.  Senior Freeze checks are in the mail and on their way, according to state officials. “Because of the priorities we funded in this budget, seniors and families will get the extra help they need to ease the strain on fixed incomes and family budgets,” said Governor Christie. "The property tax crisis in New Jersey has squeezed our seniors and middle-class families, and we have attacked the underlying root of the problem with a 2 percent cap on property tax increases and fundamental …

Seniors in the RiverDell area have a critical vehicle that will make shopping, visiting medical facilities and enjoying community activities around town much easier. Both the borough of River Edge and Oradell offer a Senior Bus to the senior citizens in each town. The River Edge Senior Bus is available to all residents 60 and older for shopping, doctors appointments, and for pick-up and return trips from S.C.O.R.E. Seniors are picked up outside their home 30 minutes before their appointment.  On Mondays the bus will transport seniors to SCORE meetings; Tuesdays to the New Milford ShopRite; …

Many seniors who may need assistance with preparing meals or have a hard time getting to the store to shop for food may not realize that Bergen County offers both the Meals on Wheels program for homebound seniors who do not have assistance with meal preparation and also a senior lunch program at 26 locations in the county. The county Meals on Wheels Program is designed for homebound seniors age 60 or older which allows them to maintain their health through good nutrition while also helping them remain in their community with some independence and dignity. The qualificiations for this program …

Earlier this week, Gov. Christie a five-year-old law that was signed by former Gov. Jon Corzine but never implemented, a "dumb idea" to help low-income senior citizens and disabled people pay their cable TV bills. The program was meant to assist those seniors and people with disabilities who enrolled in a low-cost prescription program. In a report to The Record, Christie questioned when "has cable TV become a constitutional right now we are going to pay for, in this time of budget constraints." Then on Wednesday, Mercer County Senator Shirley K. Turner announced that she will introduce …

Volunteers are welcome to sing with Fair Lawn group Agape Road Show at Maple Glen Center—12-15 Saddle River Road—on Saturday, Feb. 19 from 2-3:30 p.m. Come uplift the nursing home residents with a Valentine's Day and President's Day program that includes sing-along group songs, jokes, skits and quizzes. The performance will include an appearance by Abraham Lincoln as well as Agape's original character, “Miss Valentine.” Agape Road Show has been performing for four years, with a total of over 100 shows at Maple Glen, the Veterans Home of Paramus, and Maywood Nursing Home, as well as two years …

Welcome to Senior Patch, where we highlight items of interest to seniors. If you have an idea for something to include, send an e-mail to eamon.harbord@patch.com. The Mahwah Senior Center will host a free AARP tax program for all senior citizens in Bergen County who are concerned about filing their taxes this year. “Taxes are among the main concerns of a lot of our seniors,” said Susanne Small, the Center’s Coordinator. “Taxes and general expenses are going up while social security checks are basically staying the same. We try to provide help in navigating this problem,” she said. The tax-…

The burden would be back on seniors to cover the high costs of certain prescription drugs if Congress repeals the health care reform law, according to Sen. Frank Lautenberg. “A vote in favor of repealing the health reform law is a vote in favor of bringing back the donut hole that has emptied the pockets of our seniors,” Lautenberg said Tuesday. The House began debating the repeal of the health care law today and is expected to take a vote by the end of the week. When the Health Care Reform Act was passed into law last March, part of the legislation addressed what is commonly referred to as …