Scroll down for Previous Sessions
Sessions:
9th Session April 13th at 1PM
Exercise and You
8th Session April 6th at 1PM
Nutrition and Hydration
April 4th
Message from Maureen March 30th
Message from Maureen March 23rd
8th Session Mar 16th at 1PM (Suspended)
Healthy Eating and Nutrition
7th Session Mar 9nd at 1PM
This week's focus was on advance planning and it was led by Sharon Dornfeld, Attorney and Counsellor at Law. She reviewed several important legal papers with us and provided everyone with a physical copy of the forms below.
Healthy Relationships
Summary of Session 5:
3rd Session Feb 3rd at 1PM
1st Session Jan 20th at 1PM
Mastery Group
Sessions:
10th Session April 20th at 1PM
Financial Fitness
Session ten of the National Council on Aging
(NCOA) Aging Mastery Program was again conducted through Zoom and included
other members of the Hilltop Senior Center. Maureen Farrell, YMCA Director of
Community Wellness, introduced the meeting with an overview of Aging Mastery.
She then introduced today's expert speaker Karina Towne, AVP/ Future Track
Leader and Certified IRA Professional with Union Savings Bank, to discuss
financial fitness.
Just like your yearly physical, Karina suggests
you do a financial fitness check yearly to assess your financial situation. You
can use the Financial Inventory Worksheet on page 90 in your AMP book to
help you with this. It might help you cut/modify some necessities, plan your
savings, or make adjustments to your plan. Then ways to stay financially fit
were discussed, beginning with money management. The good money management tips
shared are below.
· Reconciling your bank statement monthly
· Use a spending log
· Keep receipts
· Pay fixed expenses with automatic bill payment
· Put aside some money monthly for savings
· Plan ahead for predictable future expenses
Ways to protect ourselves from scams were also
shared.
· Be aware that you are at risk.
· Do not isolate from your family, friends, and community.
· Tell salespeople you don't give money to anyone over the phone.
· Shred receipts with your credit card information.
· Sign up for the Do Not Call list.
· Use direct deposit for checks when possible.
· Do not give personal information (Medicare, banking, credit card, or
Social Security) over the phone unless you started the call.
· When seeking any type of service do your research first and get
references when possible.
There is also a quiz in the book to determine if
you are experiencing family financial interdependence on page 78. The last
strategy was to optimize your assets. The AMP Financial Resource Optimizer on
page 84 can help you with this activity as well.
The action steps from today's class were
completing the class, assess your financial situation, create your own weekly
spending diary and use it for two weeks (page 95), set a financial goal
this month, and optionally meet with a Certified Financial Planner. Don't
forget to take a look at all of the great vetted resources that are included in
your AMP book on financial health!
9th Session April 13th at 1PM
Exercise and You
Session nine of the National
Council on Aging (NCOA) Aging Mastery Program was also conducted through Zoom
and included other members of the Hilltop Senior Center. Maureen Farrell, YMCA
Director of Community Wellness, introduced the meeting with an overview of
Aging Mastery and facilitated a discussion about last week's topic of healthy
eating and hydration. Overall, it seems like many participants are trying to
drink more water! As one of the expert speakers, she also introduced the
two others- Heather Morey, Western Connecticut State University student intern,
and Aigoul Razhanskiy, Nuvance Health dietetic intern.
Maureen led a discussion about
what everyone currently does for exercise now. She then shared the CDC
guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity and two days of muscle
strength training that involve all large muscle groups. It is always
important to talk to your doctor before starting your exercise routine. Maureen
asked the participants why it is important to exercise and many of the answers
centered around the ability to do daily activities to maintain
independence as we age.
Heather then went through the
four types of exercise- endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. It can
be helpful to think of the four types as a MyPlate for exercise and how
you need to incorporate a little bit of each to stay fit. She used the Go4Life
website to share the importance of each type of exercise and what some examples
of each were. The following link will bring you to the Go4Life page where you
can find images with detailed instructions and pictures. The see workout videos
tab on that page will also show you many different workout videos that combine
the types of exercise. https://go4life.nia.nih.gov/exercises/ Heather
then led the group through the exercise excuse meter and people shared where
they were and where they are now.
Aigoul then went through how
meditation and mindfulness can benefit our mental and emotional health. In
addition they can be combined with physical exercise in activities such as yoga
or Tai Chi. Some features of these activities include open attitude,
comfortable posture, quiet location, and a point of focus. It can be beneficial
to incorporate ten minutes of mindfulness into your day, and it is ok to start
slowly and increase your time. She also walked us through the 4-7-8 breath in
which you inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7
seconds, and exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds.
The action steps from today's
class were completing the class, setting your mental and physical exercise
goals, participating in physical exercise and tracking your progress towards
your goals, and practicing mindfulness and meditation.
We look forward to seeing
everyone for week ten's session of financial fitness on Monday, 4/20 at 1:00 pm
on Zoom!
8th Session April 6th at 1PM
Nutrition and Hydration
Session eight of the National
Council on Aging (NCOA) Aging Mastery Program was tranistioned online and was
conducted through Zoom and included other members of the Hilltop Senior Center.
Maureen Farrell, YMCA Director of Community Wellness, introduced the meeting
with an overview of Aging Mastery. She then introduced Heather Morey, Western
Connecticut State University student intern, and Aigoul Razhanskiy, Nuvance
Health dietetic intern, as the two expert speakers for the
presentation on Healthy Eating and Hydration.
Aigoul discussed the
importance of good nutrition as it relates to aging because it
can increase energy, supports good health, help maintain a healthy weight,
reduce digestion problems, improves appearance, and helps you feel better. Six
tips to eat well as you age were then shared.
1. A healthy plate- MyPlate for Older Adults was used
to show what consists of a healthy plate. Half of the plate is fruits and
vegetables, a quarter is grains (preferably half whole grains), a quarter is
protein (preferably lean meats), a small portion is dairy (preferably
low-fat foods), and drinking lots of fluids. It also promotes limiting
saturated and trans fats, salt, and sugar. https://hnrca.tufts.edu/myplate/files/MPFOA2015.pdf
2. Read nutrition labels- The new 2020 nutrition
label was explained and compared to the previous label. The serving size and
calories are bolder and easier to see on the label. It is important to remember
that all of the values for the nutrients and their % Daily Value are related to
that specific serving size, so if you eat double the serving size you have to
double all the % Daily Values. The 5/20 rule can help you determine if a food
is low or high in a certain nutrient. Sodium, fat, and sugar are some of the
nutrients that are better to be on the lower side, so closer to 5%. The
vitamins, minerals, and fiber are preferred to be on the higher side, so closer
to 20%. https://www.fda.gov/media/99331/download
3. Stay hydrated- Some tips that were shared from the
curriculum and from our discussion were to: take sips between bites when
eating, when taking a pill drink a full glass of water, add liquid throughout
the day, drink before you exercise or do yard work, try seltzer, or add fruits
and vegetables to your water for more flavor. Staying hydrated reduces your
risk for dehydration. Some signs of dehydration are dark colored urine, odor to
urine, and dizziness upon standing.
4. Look for important nutrients- This was covered
with MyPlate. For those who do not consume dairy, this link tells what other
foods are rich in calcium. https://www.nof.org/patients/treatment/calciumvitamin-d/a-guide-to-calcium-rich-foods/
5. Use recommended servings- This was covered with
MyPlate and the label explanation.
6. Stretch your food budget- Aigoul mentioned that
frozen and canned fruits and vegetables taste as good as fresh and are cheaper
to purchase. It is important to drain vegetables to reduce the sodium content
and buy fruits in their own fruit juice to reduce the sugar content. If you
want to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, the handout below shows when these
foods are in season and therefore less expensive to buy.
Aigoul discussed malnutrition,
which is when you don't get enough nutrients to stay healthy. Some warning
signs include unplanned weight loss, loss of appetite, feeling tired, and weakened
muscles. Talk to your health care provider if you are experiencing these
symptoms.
The action steps from today's
class were completing the class, tracking your eating habits using the one-day
food diary on page 61, making a plan to improve your healthy eating and
hydration through goal setting on page 65, and sticking to that healthy eating
plan.
Using Zoom was a success and
fun for all of everyone! We look forward to seeing everyone on Zoom next week
to discuss week nine's topic of exercise!
This Monday, we will do the topic on Nutrition and Hydration.
Heather and Aigoul have already practiced that presentation as a simulation last week
The presentation is open for anyone who wishes to participate.
No restrictions and no sign ups. Keep it Open for All with Zoom.
The Program will be Scheduled for 1 pm.
To get all the kinks out of signing on, we Open the meeting at 12:45 pm and begin the program with a chat for those who get into the meeting early.
We do not have time restrictions for Zoom on my end.
Message from Maureen March 30th
March 30, 2020
Dear Hilltop Seniors,
This week’s message is to underscore the importance of
planning and preparedness. “A clear vision, backed by definite plans gives you
a tremendous feeling of confidence and personal power.” Brian Tracy
Right now our world has been shocked by the tremendous
burden of the coronavirus (Covid-19). It
has not only rocked our healthcare systems but also our financial systems. There is so much we don’t know about what the
future will be like. This can leave us
feeling grief stricken and having no control. Click this link for a great
article. Harvard
Business Review: That Discomfort Your Feeling is Grief
What is it in our lives right now that we can control? Let’s come up with our plans by going back to
some of our previous sessions and if we have not taken action yet and let’s
take the necessary steps to complete them.
We are lucky, Jerry Ronan has been providing us with notes from each of
our sessions, and in addition, you all have the books and materials that have
been used.
What should we do if we need medical help? This can be for any existing medical conditions
or if you are sick with the Covid-19 virus.
Most all primary care physician settings have set up Telehealth visits
where you can have a visit and discussion with your doctor through a virtual
computer visit or the telephone. Primary
Care Practices connected to the Nuvance Health System are using the link I have
provided below. If your physician is not
part of Nuvance Health, I encourage you to contact their office to find out
what are the steps are should you need medical attention. This will help you put together your plan of
action in the event you are sick.
We met with Joan Santucci, RN Bethel Visiting Nurses and she
shared with us important tips on how to manage our medications. If you have not
created you list of medications yet, now is a great time to do that. Below is a National Council on Aging video
that summarizes the importance of understanding the medicines we are taking and
making sure our primary care giver and family have a list of those medications.
Attorney Sharon Dornfeld, discussed with us the importance
of Advance Planning and provided to us all of the State of Connecticut
paperwork. While right now, having
things signed and notarized is not advised due to the social distancing we have
been asked to maintain, we can at least communicate our thoughts and ideas to
our families using these tools.
Have you identified a healthcare advocate? Someone who can speak for you if you are too
weak or sick?
Have you had conversations with your family about what you
would want in an end of life situation?
Each of you received a 5 Wishes booklet to help you think through what
your wishes would be. Review all the materials
we have provided and be sure to speak with your loved ones. The following video reviews some of the legal
terms you might want to familiarize yourself with again from the National
Council on Aging.
When we are able to meet again in person, we will have a
speaker on Financial Fitness, however, you can view the following National
Council on Aging video on Financial Fitness and use the tools provided in your
curriculum workbook to complete some budgeting and financial planning tools.
I’m hoping to join in on a Zoom meeting this week that Jerry
Ronan is organizing with you all. I miss
seeing all of you and the great discussions we had been having on the topic of
Aging Masterfully. I think you will
find the Zoom meeting enjoyable and a way to continue the connections and
friendships you all have. Wishing you
good health.
Maureen Farrell, Regional
YMCA of Western CT
Message from Maureen March 23rd
March 23, 2020
Dear Hilltop Seniors,
I’m looking out my large kitchen window right now and
watching large fluffy snowflakes quietly fall and define the woods behind my
house. There is so much beauty in this
moment. Beautiful moments is what I have
rediscovered this past week having to spend so much time in the house my
husband and I purchased 26 years ago. I feel very fortunate to live in a place
where I have plenty of space both inside and outside my home. Last week I took to daily walks, revisited
nature and really enjoyed the peace. I watched a bobcat track through my yard,
an eagle soar above me and felt the pure joy of sunshine.
While our typical routines have been disrupted and most of
us are away from our friends that keep us going, we still need to take care of
ourselves. We have been asked to
practice social isolation, this is hard for everyone, especially those living
alone. Pick up the phone and call your
friends. We are all in this together.
Since I know a lot of you enjoy music, I
thought you might enjoy this video.
This week’s session would have been about physical activity
and maintaining a level of fitness so that we can continue doing all the things
we love to do. The Aging Mastery Program
provided us a great video from Central Connecticut State University on fitness and
aging.
Since most of us are in the house, this is a great website
that provides videos of 10 minute, 15 minute and even 20 minute routines that
you can do. This website is packed with
information to benefit from. Take some time to go through it and then practice
some of the exercises that are included.
You will feel better for it.
All week I kept thinking about this video on Gratitude, and
although all of you have seen it, I’m not sure how many of you watched it again
at home. So here is the link: Simply enjoy!!! Play it often.
Yours for Health,
Maureen Farrell
Director of Community Wellness,
Regional YMCA of Western CT
8th Session Mar 16th at 1PM (Suspended)
Healthy Eating and Nutrition
The following are some good videos as it relates to nutrition and hydration for older adults
as well as some resources for food and cooking at home during this time of
sheltering.
Here is more information about emergency food resources
in Fairfield County and links to school food sites: Fairfield
County Emergency Food Resources Here are Cooking Basics and Food Resources
that may be of help now: Cooking
Basics for Sheltering at Home
Slainthe! (Good Health in Gaelic) ,
Maureen Farrell, MPH, RD Regional YMCA of
Western CT
7th Session Mar 9nd at 1PM
Medication Management
Summary of Session 7:
Week seven of the National Council on Aging (NCOA) Aging Mastery Program began with participants sharing how they reviewed their plan and how they spent time talking to their family, friends, and doctors about their wishes from last week's Advance Planning presentation.
This week's topic was Medication Management and it was led by a public health nurse from Bethel Visiting Nurse Association. She reviewed the best practices for managing medications and they are listed below.
- Manage your medications with your health care professional team
- Review all medications, prescription and non-prescription, and supplements with your doctor
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist about drug interactions, side effects, and sensitivity
- Use the same pharmacy for all of your prescriptions so they are aware of everything you are taking
- Keep an updated medical record on your fridge- the File of Life is a great resource to use and continually update with any changes!
We then discussed the story of Mrs. Susan Lloyd, an older adult who was not managing her medications properly in several ways. Further, it was recommended to go through your medicine cabinet and make three piles: current medications, not expired and not current medications, and expired medications. She advised putting the first two bunches of medications into separate containers. Then properly disposing of expired medications by bringing them to a local drug take back program, such as your police department, or mixing them up with coffee grounds or cat litter and putting them into a sealed container such as coffee container. When throwing out pill bottles make sure you either rip off the label or use a marker to black out your personal information.
Additionally, there are some helpful online resources that you can use to learn more.
- https://www.benefitscheckup.
org/ Is a NCOA website that allows you to put in your medications and helps you determine what medication program is best for you - https://www.mymedicarematters.
org/ Is a NCOA website that provides you with information about the different Medicare programs - https://www.medicare.gov/drug-
coverage-part-d Is a government website that details Medicare Part D - https://www.accessdata.fda.
gov/scripts/cder/daf/ Is a government website that provides information about many medications - https://healthtools.aarp.org/
drug-interactions Is an AARP website that provides information about drug interactions and comparisons
This week's action steps were attending this class, asking questions about your medications, proper storage and disposal of your medications, preparing a medication record (File for Life), taking your medications as prescribed, and getting help with Medicare Part D.
Thank you to everyone that shared their experiences from last week's Advance Planning and today's Medication Management topic, and we will see you next time for a discussion on Healthy Eating and Hydration!
6th Session Mar 2nd at 1PM
Advance Planning
Summary of Session 6:
Week six of the National Council on Aging (NCOA) Aging Mastery Program began with participants sharing their experiences with reconnecting with people from their past and getting out of their 'forest' from last week's Healthy Relationships presentation. This week's focus was on advance planning and it was led by Sharon Dornfeld, Attorney and Counsellor at Law. She reviewed several important legal papers with us and provided everyone with a physical copy of the forms below.
- Statutory Power of Attorney - Short Form
- Connecticut Document Concerning Health Care and Withholding or Withdrawal of Life Support Systems
- Document Concerning the Appointment of Health Care Representative
During her discussion she stressed the importance of these papers is that they give you control of your wishes and they are a kindness to your family so they do not have to make these decisions. It is important to have an official will so those without one should create one with an attorney and those with a will should review their current one and update it if necessary. When thinking of who to appoint as your representatives on these forms, ensure it is someone that you trust. Share with your family why you have made the decisions that you have. Some forms require notarization, and you can go to Bridgewater Town Hall for that service. You can bring your witnesses with you or use witnesses at the town hall.
This week's action steps were attending this class, making your plan official or reviewing and updating your plan, sharing your wishes with your friends and family, and sharing your wishes with your doctor.
Thank you to everyone that shared their experiences from last week's healthy relationships and today's advance planning topic, and we will see you next week for a discussion on medication management!
5th Session Feb 24th at 1PM
Healthy Relationships
Summary of Session 5:
Our guest speaker on Monday, February 24, 2020 was Kerry Reilly, LCSW with Nuvance Primary Care. Her practice currently exists within the primary care office setting. All of the primary care offices affiliated with Nuvance Health have practitioners like Kerry in the office.
Kerry led curriculum and discussions around Healthy Relationships. One of her favorite tools is the Relationship Bill of Rights:
I have the right to:
1. have and express my own feelings and opinions, whether or not others agree.
2. Make decisions about myself and have equal decision-making power in my relationships.
3. Choose my own friends and maintain relationships with those friends.
4. Participate in activities and spend time with people aside from my significant other
5. Control my own possessions.
6. Live free from fear and abuse.
7. End a relationship if it's not healthy for me.
8. Express my emotions in a healthy, constructive , and non-threatening manner.
9. Be understood and cared for
10. Be happy
Participants did group work and conducted role playing around many scenarios involving negotiation, being assertive, forgiveness and active listening.
Join us on Monday, March 2nd for Advance Planning with Attorney Sharon Dornfeld.
No Session on Feb 17th - Holiday
4th Session Feb 10th at 1PM
4th Session Feb 10th at 1PM
Sleep
Summary of Session 4:
Week four of the National Council on Aging (NCOA) Aging Mastery Program began with participants sharing their experiences with what action steps they performed from last week's lesson on Community Engagement such as small acts of kindness or how they planned to get involved with a community organization.
This week's focus was on sleep and it was led by Maureen Farrell, Certified Health Education Specialist, from the YMCA. One of the pages in the handout had a graph with how many hours of sleep correlate with potential hazards. Based off that chart and our discussion, older adults should be getting about 7.5-8 hours of sleep each night. If you are not getting enough sleep, a multitude of mental, emotional, and physical consequences are more likely to occur such as problems with memory, depression, and increased arthritis pain. When you do get enough sleep, your physical and emotional health is maintained, your concentration and memory formation is improved, and your immune system is refreshed so it will perform better. Then we watched several videos on sleep disorders that are linked below. Maureen then continued the discussion of sleep on common causes of those disorders and issues sleeping with older adults such as lack of social activity, lack of exercise, poor sleep habits and environment, and medications. The book lists more reasons on page 40 as well as the questions you should have answered if you want to talk to your doctor about your sleep problems.
Week four of the National Council on Aging (NCOA) Aging Mastery Program began with participants sharing their experiences with what action steps they performed from last week's lesson on Community Engagement such as small acts of kindness or how they planned to get involved with a community organization.
This week's focus was on sleep and it was led by Maureen Farrell, Certified Health Education Specialist, from the YMCA. One of the pages in the handout had a graph with how many hours of sleep correlate with potential hazards. Based off that chart and our discussion, older adults should be getting about 7.5-8 hours of sleep each night. If you are not getting enough sleep, a multitude of mental, emotional, and physical consequences are more likely to occur such as problems with memory, depression, and increased arthritis pain. When you do get enough sleep, your physical and emotional health is maintained, your concentration and memory formation is improved, and your immune system is refreshed so it will perform better. Then we watched several videos on sleep disorders that are linked below. Maureen then continued the discussion of sleep on common causes of those disorders and issues sleeping with older adults such as lack of social activity, lack of exercise, poor sleep habits and environment, and medications. The book lists more reasons on page 40 as well as the questions you should have answered if you want to talk to your doctor about your sleep problems.
Sleep Apnea: https://www.youtube.
Home Sleep Apnea Testing: https://www.youtube.
Lastly, we discussed tips for how to improve your sleep that you can do during the day and at night. Some daytime examples were to exercise, engage yourself in your community, expose yourself to sunlight, nap only for 15-45 min in the early afternoon in a comfortable place, and limit caffeine and alcohol to the early afternoon. Some night time examples were:
- Creating a cool, dark, and quiet sleep environment
- Following a bedtime routine that includes going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday
- Use your bedroom only for sleeping
- Try to put away electronic devices half an hour before bed
- Do a relaxing activity before bed like reading, mediating, or praying
- Find what time works best for you to limit your eating and drinking within 2 hours of bedtime
- If you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed and do a relaxing activity like reading until you are sleepy again
- Using white noise as background noise to help you sleep: https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=QlBqwyONm2M
The handout also had the titles of two interesting books about sleep, Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker and No More Sleepless Nights by Peter Hauri and Shirley Linde. If you do want to discuss your sleep with a sleep specialist, the link below is the contact information for the sleep specialists and pulmonologists in Nuvance Health.
This week's action steps were attending this class, filling out your sleep diary in your book (pg 50), making a plan for better sleep using the strategies above (pg 46), and following your sleep plan.
Thank you to everyone that shared their experiences from last week's community engagement and today's sleep topic, and we will see you in 2 weeks for a discussion on healthy relationships!
3rd Session Feb 3rd at 1PM
Community Engagement
Summary of Sessions 3:
This week's focus was on community engagement. It was led by expert speaker Laura Cordeira who is the Volunteer Director at Regional Hospice. She shared the various volunteer positions that she has available such as providing companionship, administrative tasks, cooking, gardening, and more. The time commitment is typically 1-2 hours a week every week. She also discussed the hospice philosophy of supporting people in home settings while managing their symptoms and keeping them comfortable to improve quality of life. Her contact information is below if you are interested in a tour of the Danbury facility or being a volunteer.
Laura Cordeira: 203-702-9558
Regional Hospice Address: 30 Milestone Road, Danbury, CT 06810
Maureen then continued the discussion of community engagement through discussing small acts of kindness and the benefit they can have on both the volunteer and the person receiving the act of kindness such as feeling good, increasing self esteem, making friends, and filling up time in your day. Next, we discussed some volunteer organizations that participants could volunteer with such as:
- Regional Hospice
- Bridgewater Library
- Bridgewater Senior Center
- Congregational Church Food Pantry
- Bridgewater Fair
- Auxiliary Fire Department
- RSVP of Northern Western County: 203-744-4700, ext. 124
- CT Food Bank
- Salvation Army
This week's action steps were attending this class, practicing small acts of kindness in our lives, and making a plan to get involved in the community.
Thank you to everyone that shared their experiences again and we will see you next week for a discussion on sleep!
2nd Session Jan 27th at 1PM
Falls Prevention
Summary of Session 2:
Week two of the National Council on Aging (NCOA) Aging Mastery Program began with participants sharing their experiences with the gratitude wheel, journaling, and the 24 hour time log from the first week's Navigating Longer Lives lesson.
This week's focus was on fall prevention. It was led by expert speakers Ruth Piehler, Nuvance Health Trauma Prevention Coordinator, and Blair Balmforth, Nuvance Health Regional EMS/Injury Prevention Coordinator. Ruth shared some surprising statistics that most trauma patients are 65 and older and experienced a fall. Her goal is promoting fall prevention rather than treatment because falls can be prevented and Blair shared several CDC resources on how to do so. Check for Safety provides a checklist to guide participants through a home safety check to identify fall hazards in their homes. Stay Independent has a self assessment tool to help participants determine their risk for falling. Postural Hypotension describes this condition and how it can be managed. What YOU Can Do to Prevent Falls details four steps participants can do to reduce their risk of falling. The link to the brochures he distributed is
This week's focus was on fall prevention. It was led by expert speakers Ruth Piehler, Nuvance Health Trauma Prevention Coordinator, and Blair Balmforth, Nuvance Health Regional EMS/Injury Prevention Coordinator. Ruth shared some surprising statistics that most trauma patients are 65 and older and experienced a fall. Her goal is promoting fall prevention rather than treatment because falls can be prevented and Blair shared several CDC resources on how to do so. Check for Safety provides a checklist to guide participants through a home safety check to identify fall hazards in their homes. Stay Independent has a self assessment tool to help participants determine their risk for falling. Postural Hypotension describes this condition and how it can be managed. What YOU Can Do to Prevent Falls details four steps participants can do to reduce their risk of falling. The link to the brochures he distributed is
https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/
The action steps to prevent falls include: attending a fall prevention class, doing a self assessment, yearly eye doctor appointments, performing a home safety check, talking about medications with your doctor, and attending a community fall prevention exercise program. Some additional community resources that participants can utilize to help them stay independent and prevent falls through exercise are below.
The action steps to prevent falls include: attending a fall prevention class, doing a self assessment, yearly eye doctor appointments, performing a home safety check, talking about medications with your doctor, and attending a community fall prevention exercise program. Some additional community resources that participants can utilize to help them stay independent and prevent falls through exercise are below.
- Community Caring in Bridgewater- Assist Bridgewater seniors by providing care and resources so they can remain living independently in their homes. Contact Information: https://www.
ccbridgewater.org/ & 860-350-2194 - Danbury Hospital Tai Chi- Free Tai Chi classes for seniors in the Robilotti Center at Danbury Hospital every third Thursday of the month from 4:15 PM - 5:00 PM. Contact Information: Blair Balmforth- blair.balmforth@
wchn.org & 203-739-7749 - Bridgewater Senior Center Activities- Line Dancing every Monday at 11:00 AM, Tai Chi every Wednesday at 10:30 AM, and Chair Yoga every Friday at 10:30 AM. Contact the Bridgewater Senior Center for more information.
- Regional YMCA- Silver Sneakers programs and a new 24-week session of Tai Chi Quan Moving For Better Balance will launch in April. Contact Information: Debbie Nichols- dnichols@regionalymca.org & 203-775-4444 ext. 136
We appreciate everyone that shared their experiences today and we look forward to seeing you next week to discuss community engagement!
1st Session Jan 20th at 1PM
Navigating Longer Lives
Summary of Session 1:
In Week one of the National Council on Aging (NCOA) Aging Mastery Program participants focused on the journey the program will take them on over the next ten weeks with all the wonderful topics and speakers that they will have an opportunity to share and discuss. In addition, Maureen Farrell, the program facilitator from the Regional YMCA of Western CT led a discussion on the impact gratitude can have on living life to our greatest potential.
A poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson was read out loud and a beautiful short film by Louie Schwartzberg was shown. Participants discussed together their reaction to the poem and video and shared among each other what life would be like without some of the obvious necessities in life like water, roads, eyesight, electricity, and so much more.
Many participants shared their insight as to the benefit of journaling and taking a deep look into the subject of Gratitude. The NCOA curriculum that has been provided has many activities included for participants to take a deep dive into the subject at home at their leisure. We are reminded to start each day with a grateful heart.
Top 10 Ways to Age Well Presentation <- Click
Presentation Video September 19th
Maureen Farrell <- Click
Director of Community Wellness
YMCA Brookfield, CT 06804
