A couple of weeks ago, the power went out during one of our Maine summer storms and a younger friend of mine came over to use my phone – I still have a land line. Her cell phone had died, due, I guess, to not being charged enough. No electricity meant no phone for her. My old-time phone was still working. She brought her two small children with her, and I wondered then what people do if they depend on a cell phone – and it’s not working?

Many of my senior friends have cell phones and I can see where they’d be especially helpful when driving alone and an emergency comes up, but I understood that 911 calls could not be made on ordinary cell phones.

In the latest edition of Southern Maine Agency on Aging’s news, there’s an interesting article relating to phones. SMAA has teamed up with the 911 Cell Phone Bank to collect used cell phones for those who need easy access to dial 911 in case of an emergency.

S.O.S. Phones are cell phones equipped with 911 dialing capabilities, providing a Sense Of Security (hence S.O.S). If you are a senior or adult with a disability and interested in receiving a free S.O.S. phone, contact SMAA at 800-427-7411 or 396-6500. If you have a phone to donate, drop it at SMAA, 136 Route 1, Scarborough.

Plan ahead – that’s always a good idea, especially for us older folks. When your pocket calendar is handy, and all your doctor appointments, lab visits and reminders are in place, that little gap in your memory can be easier to handle.

AARP Driver Safety Classes are slated right through September. Register ahead of time as these classes fill up quickly. If you want to save a little on your car insurance and you are 55 or older, Maine law requires insurance companies to give discounts to those who complete the AARP course.

Upcoming Driver Safety Classes will be held in Portland on Aug. 9, call John Hammon, 655-4943; Sept. 12, call Dr. Ralph McClean, 829-4664; and in Windham at the library on Sept. 7, call 655-4943. There are other classes in other towns, as well. Check out www.DrivrSafetyME.weebly.com.

Have you discovered a program or resource that’s especially for seniors? If you’d like to share this information with others, just let me know. And if there’s a topic you’d like more information about, we can look into that.

Kay Soldier welcomes reader ideas for column topics of interest to seniors. She can be reached by email at kso48@aol.com, or write to 114 Tandberg Trail, Windham, ME 04062.