April 2025

With YOUR Donation... Together we will make a difference helping individuals remain safely at home, supporting caregivers & providing opportunities to stay healthy and engaged.

Mark your calendar to partner with us on May 7-8, 2025.

Join us for our Annual Art of Aging Exhibition

Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut is excited to host our annual Art of Aging free art exhibition beginning on Thursday, May 29, 2025, through Wednesday, June 25, 2025!

Artists aged 60 years and older are invited to submit their paintings, drawings or photography for display throughout the halls of AOASCC.

Click to learn more

Spotlight on VOLUNTEERING

We have always known that our medical chaperones are creative, quick-witted, and go beyond to remove any barrier that might come up when accompanying their client to a doctor’s appointment. Nevertheless, we never would have anticipated this scenario.

One of our chaperones accompanied her client on a routine follow-up dentist’s appointment where her stitches from an earlier procedure were to be removed. This client uses a wheelchair, so the chaperone and she traveled to the appointment in a wheelchair-accessible van. Upon arrival, they discovered that the access ramp into the building was blocked by a parked car. Fortunately, they arrived early at the appointment, allowing the chaperone and driver to drive around the block, thinking that the vehicle must be temporarily parked there for some unusual reason and would be leaving soon.

Click to read the full article and learn more about Volunteering

CHOICES Corner

If you are a veteran who receives healthcare services through the VA do you need to sign up for Medicare? The short answer is that no one must sign up for Medicare, but it is highly advised. Many veterans feel they are receiving care through the VA that meets all their needs, and they do not want to bother with the hassle of adding additional insurance to their health coverage. What they fail to consider is that in life, things can change and there may come a time when you wish you enrolled in Medicare.

Part A Medicare is insurance that you prepaid through most of your adult life and there is no monthly premium for having it. Part B Medicare has a monthly premium, but in CT some programs can reduce or eliminate the premium for many people. Maybe you!

Click to read the full article

This newsletter is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $577,233 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

CAREGIVER Corner:

As a family caregiver, you may be asked to make decisions that impact the life of the person you care for. It is not easy to make decisions for another adult. You want to do what is best, and you want to do what you think the person wants, and those factors do not necessarily result in the same decision. Increasingly, research demonstrates that people have better social and physical outcomes when they feel they have a say in decisions made about their lives. Supportive Decision Making is a method of making important life decisions in a way that the needs and wants of the person at the center of the situation have a say in the decisions that are made.

The information below was provided by the CT Supportive Decision-Making Coalition.

What is Supported Decision Making?

Supported Decision Making (SDM) is an alternative to guardianship and conservatorship that empowers people with disabilities and older adults to make their own decisions. When people use SDM, they work with family members, friends, or professionals who help them understand their situations and choices so they can make decisions that are best for them. Think about what you do when you need to make a tough choice or a decision about something you do not know much about or just want to “talk it out.” You may ask a friend or family member for advice or a professional for information. They help you think through the issues and the pros and cons of your choices. That way, you can understand your options and choose the one that is best for you. When you do that, you are using SDM!

Click to read the full article

Spring has arrived! Take advantage of the warmer weather and longer days by going for a walk. Walking offers many benefits like improved cardiovascular health, better balance and coordination, and even a boost to mental health and cognitive function!