COA November 2007 "Evergreen" newsletter
HARVEST TEA for Caregivers
Thursday, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.
November 1, 2007
Westport Senior Center
“The Grit and Grace of Being a Caregiver”
Sister Rosemary Laliberte will give an introduction on the Principles of Care Giving:
1) Caring for yourself; 2) By focusing on your feelings, you can focus beyond your feelings; 3) To be close, you must establish boundaries, 4) In accepting the helplessness of your helping, you become a better helper; 5) True care giving is also receiving care; 6) As a caregiver, your strength is your flexibility; and 7) In care giving lies something more: sacredness.
· A short film will follow, ending with a question and answer session. The public is invited. A tea will be served.
· Please contact the Outreach Program office,508-636-1026, if you have questions.
· Advance registration is appreciated, but not necessary.
November is National Family Caregiver’s Month. Are you a caregiver? According to recent studies, there are more than 50 million people who, in any given year, provide care for a chronically ill, disabled, or aged family member, or friend. Thirty percent of family caregivers who are caring for seniors are themselves 65 or over, while 15% are between the ages of 45 and 54. The monetary value of the “free” services that caregivers provide is estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars a year—twice as much as is spent on homecare and nursing home services.
1. Believe in yourself.
1. Believe in yourself.
2. Protect your health. 3. Reach for help.
VETERAN’S BREAKFAST
Friday
9:00 a.m.
November 9, 2007
Senior Center
· Calling all Westport veterans.
· Come for a S.O.S. breakfast.
· Call the COA by Friday, November 2nd for reservations, 508-636-1026.
T’AI CHI – BASICS
Space is available in the Friday afternoon Basics class which starts at 1:30 p.m. The T’ai Chi instructor, Niklos Ukleja, is a highly-qualified martial arts person who teaches in the New Bedford area. Experts report that "a little T’ai Chi seems to make the circulatory system work better. Regular light activity in the Chinese balance and flexibility exercises did virtually as much good as moderately intense brisk walks in lowering blood pressure, surprising researchers.” Call the Senior Center, or stop in to observe and see what you think!
S T R O K E
When a person suffers a stroke, minutes count. By remembering to act FAST
(Face-Arm-Speech-Time), you can help minimize the disabilities of a person showing the symptoms of stroke. Stroke occurs when something happens to interrupt the flow of blood to the brain.
FITNESS PROGRAMS -- COA classes are based on space availability.
MIND Computers Drawing Knitting
and Poetry Writing Quilting Watercolor
BODY Aerobics, Balance and Movement, Osteo, T’ai Chi
INFORMATION AND REFERRAL to the network of services available to Westport residents, 60 years of age and over. WCOA is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
SERVING HEALTH INFORMATION NEEDS OF ELDERS (S.H.I.N.E.)--information about Medicare, supplements, MassHealth. Phone consultations and one-on-one appointments.
TRANSPORTATION for Westport’s elders, and handicapped persons of all ages, Monday - Friday, to area appointments scheduled between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. When you make your doctor’s appointment, call us for a ride.
CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP – HARVEST TEA
Thursday, November 1st, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. -- Join us each month as we share information on understanding and coping with behavioral problems and learn about accessing local resources for caregivers. Transportation is available.
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT SUPPORT GROUP
Tuesday, November 20th, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. -- BOOKS ON TAPE--Wide selection available. VIDEO MAGNIFIER--To help read documents more easily.
CHAIR MASSAGE BY KAREN will be changed from the first Tuesday in November. In November, visit Karen on Monday, November 5th, 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.
This is a complimentary service—no charge.
FLU VACCINE The Westport Town Nurse, Kathleen Burns, RN, will be making appointments for administering the flu vaccine--508-636-1030-- Town Hall Annex, 856 Main Road.
RMV TO PRESENT SAFE DRIVING PROGRAM
The Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is committed to keeping drivers safe. In an effort to make our roads safer, the RMV will present “Shifting Gears”, a free, hour-long program designed to educate and encourage elder drivers to be the best drivers possible. The workshop will be presented at the Westport Senior Center, 75 Reed Road, on Thursday, December 6, 2007, at 12:30 p.m.
A representative from the RMV will present the program and highlight issues facing elder drivers and their families. The program includes safe driving tips; information on how age affects one’s driving, and identifies the most frequent collisions for elder drivers. A list of unsafe driving warning signs is provided, as well as information on how to obtain a disability placard. Also, ways to preserve one’s independence without a license will be discussed.
Portions of the program have been featured on WCVB TV’s Chronicle as well as in the Boston Globe, Patriot Ledger, and Springfield Union News. In July 2000, the program received the Outstanding Public Service Safety Award by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
For additional information call the Westport Council on Aging at 508-636-1026.
FUEL ASSISTANCE
Applications will be available after November 1st for Westport households who are eligible for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) (Fuel Assistance). If you would like to apply, please call the Westport Council on Aging for an appointment—proof of identity, income and utility bills are required. Special provisions are made for those households whose heat is included in their rent and those living in subsidized housing. Households with incomes up to 200% of the Federal Poverty level are eligible for the Fuel Assistance Program. Homeowners and renters are both eligible.
THANKSGIVING
As we take this time of year to celebrate the Pilgrims’ and Indians’ first Thanksgiving, remember to offer thanks for kindnesses that have been shown to you and “pay it forward” by helping someone else.
“There is no better exercise for your heart, than reaching down and helping to lift someone up.” --Bernard Meltzer
“Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.” --Kahil Gifran
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” --Aesop
“In every community there is work to be done. In every nation there are wounds to heal. In every heart there is power to do it.” --Marianne Williamson
“When you are kind to someone in trouble, you hope they’ll remember and be kind to someone else, and it’ll become a wildfire.” --Whoopie Goldberg
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” --Booker T. Washington
FOOD LABELING – IT’S GOOD TO KNOW
Did you know that the stickers on fruits and vegetables at the supermarket tell you how the produce was grown?
· A sticker with four (4) digits means the food was conventionally grown.
· A sticker with five (5) digits, starting with an 8, means it is a genetically-engineered piece of produce--the food’s genetic material has been altered.
· A sticker with five (5) digits, starting with a 9, means it was organically grown—grown without the use of most conventional pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.
Don’t worry if you cannot remove these stickers’ adhesive—it is required to be safe to eat! --Compliments of the Consumer Service Program.
HOW TO LIVE LONGER...BETTER...HAPPIER
Although genetics plays a role in how many years you have left, experts say how you age is mostly a matter of how you live. Here is how to maximize your “health span” as well as your life span.
· Nurture friendships.
· Keep moving.
· Build strength.
· Enjoy nature’s best.
· Get regular check-ups.
· Pursue pleasures.
· Laugh!
“How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?” --Satchell Paige --Compliments of Top Health.
Two Nineteenth Century Portraits
at the Westport Senior Center
Each time there is a fierce snow storm brewing in Westport I receive a call. A person asks if I need any help. Each time I am totally surprised that somebody in the community cares enough to pick up the phone and dial my number! Each time I feel my turn should come to show my appreciation to the people who work at the Council on Aging.
I have owned a house in Westport Point for over forty-six years. Being an artist, art consultant and writer, besides giving money to the Center it seemed difficult for me to find a way to better express my gratitude. The opportunity came up this month when I happened to buy two charming reproductions of oil paintings made in the nineteenth century representing two very young children dressed in their Sunday best. A boy holding a book stands frozen in place while his dog jumps on him to get his attention. A girl with her curly locks and lacy underwear is about to pick some flowers.
When I first saw these two little characters my mind floated away to the century before ours, I was totally charmed by the naive quality the artist used in representing the faces of two children and I found it interesting that the boy held a book and the girl the flowers, a sign which with the costumes they wore helped date the original works.
The reproductions came my way from a destruction company who had saved them from a home in Sandwich, Mass. I bought them thinking I would eventually find the person or the place to give it to. It did not take long for me to come up with the proper solution.
If you ever stop by the Westport Senior Center, go through the ground floor turn left and look up!
You will, I am sure, experience a feeling of nostalgia. Who knows these children might be two of our forgotten ancestors!
Svetlana Rockwell
Ludmila Svetlana Alexeieff-Rockwell
FRIENDS OF THE WESTPORT COUNCIL ON AGING, INC.
Supporting the Senior Center
P. O. Box N-192
Westport, MA 02790
The Friends had its first meeting of the year on Monday, September 17th (we do not meet in July or August). There was discussion about projects and events for the coming year. Our first event will be the annual Holiday Fair, November 5 through 9. The Fair is being held earlier this year so it does not run into the busyness of holiday preparations.
The Friends has many great items for sale and, of course, our usual unbelievable low prices. There will be a Bake Sale, Wednesday, November 7, as well. Come and get a jump on your holiday shopping. --Selena Howard, FWCOA
Friday
9:00 a.m.
November 9, 2007
Senior Center
· Come for a S.O.S. breakfast.
· Call the COA by Friday, November 2nd for reservations, 508-636-1026.
T’AI CHI – BASICS
Space is available in the Friday afternoon Basics class which starts at 1:30 p.m. The T’ai Chi instructor, Niklos Ukleja, is a highly-qualified martial arts person who teaches in the New Bedford area. Experts report that "a little T’ai Chi seems to make the circulatory system work better. Regular light activity in the Chinese balance and flexibility exercises did virtually as much good as moderately intense brisk walks in lowering blood pressure, surprising researchers.” Call the Senior Center, or stop in to observe and see what you think!
S T R O K E
When a person suffers a stroke, minutes count. By remembering to act FAST
(Face-Arm-Speech-Time), you can help minimize the disabilities of a person showing the symptoms of stroke. Stroke occurs when something happens to interrupt the flow of blood to the brain.
FITNESS PROGRAMS -- COA classes are based on space availability.
MIND Computers Drawing Knitting
and Poetry Writing Quilting Watercolor
BODY Aerobics, Balance and Movement, Osteo, T’ai Chi
INFORMATION AND REFERRAL to the network of services available to Westport residents, 60 years of age and over. WCOA is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
TRANSPORTATION for Westport’s elders, and handicapped persons of all ages, Monday - Friday, to area appointments scheduled between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. When you make your doctor’s appointment, call us for a ride.
CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP – HARVEST TEA
Thursday, November 1st, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. -- Join us each month as we share information on understanding and coping with behavioral problems and learn about accessing local resources for caregivers. Transportation is available.
Thursday, November 1st, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. -- Join us each month as we share information on understanding and coping with behavioral problems and learn about accessing local resources for caregivers. Transportation is available.
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT SUPPORT GROUP
Tuesday, November 20th, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. -- BOOKS ON TAPE--Wide selection available. VIDEO MAGNIFIER--To help read documents more easily.
CHAIR MASSAGE BY KAREN will be changed from the first Tuesday in November. In November, visit Karen on Monday, November 5th, 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.
This is a complimentary service—no charge.
FLU VACCINE The Westport Town Nurse, Kathleen Burns, RN, will be making appointments for administering the flu vaccine--508-636-1030-- Town Hall Annex, 856 Main Road.
RMV TO PRESENT SAFE DRIVING PROGRAM
The Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is committed to keeping drivers safe. In an effort to make our roads safer, the RMV will present “Shifting Gears”, a free, hour-long program designed to educate and encourage elder drivers to be the best drivers possible. The workshop will be presented at the Westport Senior Center, 75 Reed Road, on Thursday, December 6, 2007, at 12:30 p.m.
A representative from the RMV will present the program and highlight issues facing elder drivers and their families. The program includes safe driving tips; information on how age affects one’s driving, and identifies the most frequent collisions for elder drivers. A list of unsafe driving warning signs is provided, as well as information on how to obtain a disability placard. Also, ways to preserve one’s independence without a license will be discussed.
Portions of the program have been featured on WCVB TV’s Chronicle as well as in the Boston Globe, Patriot Ledger, and Springfield Union News. In July 2000, the program received the Outstanding Public Service Safety Award by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
For additional information call the Westport Council on Aging at 508-636-1026.
FUEL ASSISTANCE
Applications will be available after November 1st for Westport households who are eligible for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) (Fuel Assistance). If you would like to apply, please call the Westport Council on Aging for an appointment—proof of identity, income and utility bills are required. Special provisions are made for those households whose heat is included in their rent and those living in subsidized housing. Households with incomes up to 200% of the Federal Poverty level are eligible for the Fuel Assistance Program. Homeowners and renters are both eligible.
THANKSGIVING
As we take this time of year to celebrate the Pilgrims’ and Indians’ first Thanksgiving, remember to offer thanks for kindnesses that have been shown to you and “pay it forward” by helping someone else.
“There is no better exercise for your heart, than reaching down and helping to lift someone up.” --Bernard Meltzer
“Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.” --Kahil Gifran
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” --Aesop
“In every community there is work to be done. In every nation there are wounds to heal. In every heart there is power to do it.” --Marianne Williamson
“When you are kind to someone in trouble, you hope they’ll remember and be kind to someone else, and it’ll become a wildfire.” --Whoopie Goldberg
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” --Booker T. Washington
FOOD LABELING – IT’S GOOD TO KNOW
Did you know that the stickers on fruits and vegetables at the supermarket tell you how the produce was grown?
· A sticker with four (4) digits means the food was conventionally grown.
· A sticker with five (5) digits, starting with an 8, means it is a genetically-engineered piece of produce--the food’s genetic material has been altered.
· A sticker with five (5) digits, starting with a 9, means it was organically grown—grown without the use of most conventional pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.
Don’t worry if you cannot remove these stickers’ adhesive—it is required to be safe to eat! --Compliments of the Consumer Service Program.
HOW TO LIVE LONGER...BETTER...HAPPIER
Although genetics plays a role in how many years you have left, experts say how you age is mostly a matter of how you live. Here is how to maximize your “health span” as well as your life span.
· Nurture friendships.
· Keep moving.
· Build strength.
· Enjoy nature’s best.
· Get regular check-ups.
· Pursue pleasures.
· Laugh!
“How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?” --Satchell Paige --Compliments of Top Health.
Two Nineteenth Century Portraits
at the Westport Senior Center
Each time there is a fierce snow storm brewing in Westport I receive a call. A person asks if I need any help. Each time I am totally surprised that somebody in the community cares enough to pick up the phone and dial my number! Each time I feel my turn should come to show my appreciation to the people who work at the Council on Aging.
I have owned a house in Westport Point for over forty-six years. Being an artist, art consultant and writer, besides giving money to the Center it seemed difficult for me to find a way to better express my gratitude. The opportunity came up this month when I happened to buy two charming reproductions of oil paintings made in the nineteenth century representing two very young children dressed in their Sunday best. A boy holding a book stands frozen in place while his dog jumps on him to get his attention. A girl with her curly locks and lacy underwear is about to pick some flowers.
When I first saw these two little characters my mind floated away to the century before ours, I was totally charmed by the naive quality the artist used in representing the faces of two children and I found it interesting that the boy held a book and the girl the flowers, a sign which with the costumes they wore helped date the original works.
The reproductions came my way from a destruction company who had saved them from a home in Sandwich, Mass. I bought them thinking I would eventually find the person or the place to give it to. It did not take long for me to come up with the proper solution.
If you ever stop by the Westport Senior Center, go through the ground floor turn left and look up!
You will, I am sure, experience a feeling of nostalgia. Who knows these children might be two of our forgotten ancestors!
Svetlana Rockwell
Ludmila Svetlana Alexeieff-Rockwell
FRIENDS OF THE WESTPORT COUNCIL ON AGING, INC.
Supporting the Senior Center
P. O. Box N-192
Westport, MA 02790
The Friends had its first meeting of the year on Monday, September 17th (we do not meet in July or August). There was discussion about projects and events for the coming year. Our first event will be the annual Holiday Fair, November 5 through 9. The Fair is being held earlier this year so it does not run into the busyness of holiday preparations.
The Friends has many great items for sale and, of course, our usual unbelievable low prices. There will be a Bake Sale, Wednesday, November 7, as well. Come and get a jump on your holiday shopping. --Selena Howard, FWCOA
FUEL ASSISTANCE
Applications will be available after November 1st for Westport households who are eligible for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) (Fuel Assistance). If you would like to apply, please call the Westport Council on Aging for an appointment—proof of identity, income and utility bills are required. Special provisions are made for those households whose heat is included in their rent and those living in subsidized housing. Households with incomes up to 200% of the Federal Poverty level are eligible for the Fuel Assistance Program. Homeowners and renters are both eligible.
As we take this time of year to celebrate the Pilgrims’ and Indians’ first Thanksgiving, remember to offer thanks for kindnesses that have been shown to you and “pay it forward” by helping someone else.
“There is no better exercise for your heart, than reaching down and helping to lift someone up.” --Bernard Meltzer
“Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.” --Kahil Gifran
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” --Aesop
“In every community there is work to be done. In every nation there are wounds to heal. In every heart there is power to do it.” --Marianne Williamson
“When you are kind to someone in trouble, you hope they’ll remember and be kind to someone else, and it’ll become a wildfire.” --Whoopie Goldberg
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” --Booker T. Washington
Did you know that the stickers on fruits and vegetables at the supermarket tell you how the produce was grown?
· A sticker with five (5) digits, starting with an 8, means it is a genetically-engineered piece of produce--the food’s genetic material has been altered.
· A sticker with five (5) digits, starting with a 9, means it was organically grown—grown without the use of most conventional pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.
Don’t worry if you cannot remove these stickers’ adhesive—it is required to be safe to eat! --Compliments of the Consumer Service Program.
HOW TO LIVE LONGER...BETTER...HAPPIER
Although genetics plays a role in how many years you have left, experts say how you age is mostly a matter of how you live. Here is how to maximize your “health span” as well as your life span.
· Nurture friendships.
· Keep moving.
· Build strength.
· Enjoy nature’s best.
· Get regular check-ups.
· Pursue pleasures.
· Laugh!
“How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?” --Satchell Paige --Compliments of Top Health.
at the Westport Senior Center
Each time there is a fierce snow storm brewing in Westport I receive a call. A person asks if I need any help. Each time I am totally surprised that somebody in the community cares enough to pick up the phone and dial my number! Each time I feel my turn should come to show my appreciation to the people who work at the Council on Aging.
I have owned a house in Westport Point for over forty-six years. Being an artist, art consultant and writer, besides giving money to the Center it seemed difficult for me to find a way to better express my gratitude. The opportunity came up this month when I happened to buy two charming reproductions of oil paintings made in the nineteenth century representing two very young children dressed in their Sunday best. A boy holding a book stands frozen in place while his dog jumps on him to get his attention. A girl with her curly locks and lacy underwear is about to pick some flowers.
When I first saw these two little characters my mind floated away to the century before ours, I was totally charmed by the naive quality the artist used in representing the faces of two children and I found it interesting that the boy held a book and the girl the flowers, a sign which with the costumes they wore helped date the original works.
The reproductions came my way from a destruction company who had saved them from a home in Sandwich, Mass. I bought them thinking I would eventually find the person or the place to give it to. It did not take long for me to come up with the proper solution.
If you ever stop by the Westport Senior Center, go through the ground floor turn left and look up!
You will, I am sure, experience a feeling of nostalgia. Who knows these children might be two of our forgotten ancestors!
Svetlana Rockwell
Ludmila Svetlana Alexeieff-Rockwell
FRIENDS OF THE WESTPORT COUNCIL ON AGING, INC.
Supporting the Senior Center
P. O. Box N-192
Westport, MA 02790
The Friends had its first meeting of the year on Monday, September 17th (we do not meet in July or August). There was discussion about projects and events for the coming year. Our first event will be the annual Holiday Fair, November 5 through 9. The Fair is being held earlier this year so it does not run into the busyness of holiday preparations.
The Friends has many great items for sale and, of course, our usual unbelievable low prices. There will be a Bake Sale, Wednesday, November 7, as well. Come and get a jump on your holiday shopping. --Selena Howard, FWCOA
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