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Making Martha's Vineyard an Aging-Friendly Island
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Dear Healthy Aging Readers,
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Courtesy of the Martha's Vineyard Times
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We are pleased to send you this March Newsletter with the new Healthy Aging Martha's Vineyard banner. On February 11
th, the HA Oversight Committee decided to change our name from Healthy Aging Task Force to Healthy Aging MV, reinforcing our long-term commitment to making Martha's Vineyard an Aging-Friendly community.
We believe that older people can be a resource for their families, communities and economies, and - like the World Health Organization (WHO) -- we see active aging as "a lifelong process shaped by several factors that, alone and acting together, favor health, participation and security in older adult life." Later this year we will apply to join other communities across America and the world in the network of WHO communities.
We hope you share these ideas, and will join us in these efforts.
Paddy Moore, Chair Healthy Aging Martha's Vineyard
"Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be;
the last of life for which the first was made."
Robert Browning
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Are you caring for someone else?
Don't forget to take
care of YOU!
Powerful Tools for Caregivers
is a free series of six 'self-care education' sessions designed to help family caregivers handle the unique challenges of care-giving.
A new session starts soon!
Mondays
March 7 - April 11, 2016
2:00-4:30 pm
Up-Island Council On Aging - Howes House
All attendees must pre-register.
Please contact Mary Holmes @ 1-508-560-6012 or email her at
PowerfulToolsMV2016@gmail.com
"Powerful Tools for Caregivers" surprises most participants. A six week series of 2.5 hour classes is a time commitment most family caregivers think they cannot add to their already jammed schedules. It is often a hardship for everyone to attend. But the surprise is how important those hours can be for the family caregiver and then, ultimately, the care-receiver. The underlying premise
read more......
"Makes me step back to figure out what I am feeling and why I am feeling that way. It is not about finding blame but figuring out how to deal with the situation."
"I found more patience, more information and I felt less alone."
"From the readings and discussions I felt good about how I've been a caregiver thus far."
"It was great to meet people who were struggling with some of the things I have been dealing with every day."
This program is Sponsored by Healthy Aging of Martha's Vineyard.
This program has been generously funded by grants from
Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands & the Farm Neck Foundation.
Other donations toward the program are happily accepted.
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FirstStop MV
is your connection to the most comprehensive, up-to-date catalog of resources available to Island seniors.
Did you know that the
Center for Living can help arrange for medical transportation on and to the Cape - or that the
VTA offers a weekly "Medivan" shuttle service to medical appointments in Boston? Browse
more Medical Transportation resources here.
Select
Advanced Search
to browse resources spanning the alphabet from
Accessible Home Construction to Yoga.
For updates and more information, please Like Us on
Facebook and Follow Us on
Twitter.
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Healthy Aging Martha's Vineyard is proud to co-present the film,
The C Word, a film about changing the way we think about cancer. It promotes healthier living and prevention strategies, as opposed to investing in our massive drug industry to treat the disease. Following the screening, join us for a conversation with the film's director, Meghan O'Hara, and Dr. Don Berwick,
well-known pediatrician, international leader in health quality improvement, and former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The screening of The C Word is on Saturday, March 19 at 11am at the Chilmark School. This film is described as "a bold new film that will forever change the way we view cancer." You can find the synopsis and a trailer to the film here.
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The Massachusetts Association of Council's on Aging's website is a great resource. It is rich with useful reading material, references, consumer services, events, newsworthy items, advocacy issues and much more.
Its mission is to support the independence of adults 60 and older by advocating for programs and services to meet their needs, promote the growth and quality of Councils on Aging and senior centers and strengthen the professional skills of Council on Aging staff.
Martha's Vineyard's Councils on Aging
Joyce Stiles-Tucker
Phone: 508-696-4205
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It's not too early to sign up and learn about "Fall Prevention"
The YMCA of Martha's Vineyard, in collaboration with Healthy Aging Martha's Vineyard, is very pleased to announce our participation in the evidence-based Matter of Balance program. MOB is an 8-week structured group intervention that emphasizes practical strategies to reduce fear of falling and increase activity levels. Lead by Master Trainer Ray Whitaker, participants will learn to view falls - and the fear of falling - as controllable, set realistic goals to increase activity, change their environment to reduce fall risk factors, and exercise to increase strength and balance.
Each class is two hours, is held once per week at Alex's Place (The Teen Center) at the YMCA of Martha's Vineyard, and is Free !
(Limit: 10-12 Participants)
First MOB session begins on Thursday Morning, May 12th, ends Thursday, June 30th
"This Matter of Balance class integrates perfectly with my position as Elder Fitness & Services Coordinator and a Personal Trainer. It also is a great way for folks to patiently and methodically work themselves toward self-sufficiency. Ultimately I want all who come to Matter of Balance to work their way upstairs to the Wellness Center and take their physical and psychological fitness to the next level."
Ray Whitaker, MOB Director
Please visit www.ymcamv.org for class dates, or contact Ray Whitaker at (508) 696-7171 ext.121 or rwhitaker@ymcamv.org
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Our Facebook page is updated 3-5 times weekly
with current news, timely local events, resources
covering many topics and some fun thrown in.
"Like us" - just for fun and keep in the know
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Coming in the Next Newsletter
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The Brandeis Senior Survey Needs
Assessment Summary Results
In late 2015, the Healthy Aging Task Force (now known as Healthy Aging Martha's Vineyard) worked with the Heller School at Brandeis University to conduct a survey of all 4,762 island residents 65 years or older listed on the town census rolls, of whom 2,326 responded - an astonishing response rate of 49%! We decided to focus on the 2200 elders living on island six months or more yearly - though all other responses are available for further analysis in the future.
The summary of results focused on challenges, vulnerability factors and areas to prioritize.
Coming in the next newsletter will be the comprehensive summary results.
Stay tuned and please forward this email to interested friends.
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