Come meet some Whatcom County community members who lead work around Palliative Care, Advance Care Planning, End-of-life and After Death Care, locally, at the state level and nationally. This powerful panel of speakers live right here in Whatcom County! Learn what we are up to, get some valuable resources and have an opportunity to ask questions.

Advance Care Planning and End-of-Life Planning are essential processes that allow individuals to have a say in their medical care, reduce the burden on loved ones, improve the quality of care, and ensure that their values and preferences are respected throughout their healthcare journey. These planning processes promote a more compassionate and patient-centered approach to end-of-life care.

This event is a fundraiser for The Last Dance Caregiver Collective, a Whatcom county-based community caregiver collective supporting our community members facing end of life. Donations will be gathered at the door via cash or check made out to the Chuckunut Health Foundation with the memo “for Caregiver Collective.”

Panel includes:

Marie Eaton - Palliative Care Institute at WWU, Northwest Life Passages Coalition Founder and Board member for WA state Palliative Care and Hospice Organization.

Kate Massey - Northwest Regional Council (NWRC), Dementia Support Program.

Hilary Walker - PeaceHealth Advance Care Planning program, Co-chair WA Serious Illness Coalition and member of the WA state POLST task force and education committee.

Ashtyn Mott - PeaceHealth Inpatient/ED Palliative Care program

Mike Hilley - Whatcom EMS and state wide EMS trainer

Nancy Simmers - VSED Resources NW, Last Dance Caregiver Collaborative, End of Life Washington

Brain Flowers - Wildflower Funeral Concepts

Host: Lindsey Boldrin - PeaceHealth Advance Care Planning program and BSAC Program Concierge.

RSVP with the Bellingham Senior Activity Center: (360) 733-4030 x0.

or reply to this email.

Money Smart for Older Adults

Money Smart for Older Adults The Money Smart for Older Adults Program raises awareness among older adults and their caregivers on how to prevent fraud, scams, and other elder financial exploitation.

The curriculum encourages advanced planning and informed financial decision-making. Money Smart for Older Adults was developed jointly by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Money Smart for Older Adults is designed to provide you with information and tips to help prevent common frauds, scams and other types of elder financial exploitation.

The free instructor-led course meets Mondays, 9:00-10:00am for 5 weeks starting on October 30th.

Each participant will receive a "Money Smart for Older Adults Resource Guide".

Sign up at the front desk or reply to this email to join.

Household Emergency Preparedness

In this series we will share and discuss a different topic each month, including: an overview of our local hazards, the fundamentals of emergency preparedness, starting your 2-week kit, preparing in a year, creating your household plan, and more.

This series is based on the Prepare in a Year program developed by the WA Emergency Management Division. Each gathering will include a brief slideshow and one or more handouts for attendees, and these will vary according to the topic of the month.

Presented by Greg Hope, Education & Outreach Coordinator for the Office of Emergency Management for the City of Bellingham.

October 25th at 1:00pm: Drop, Cover, Hold On! When the ground starts to shake from an earthquake.

November 22nd at 1:00pm: Have you prepared your shelter in place room?

December 27th at 1:00pm: Is your home earthquake safe?

Sign up at the front desk to attend any or all of these presentations! Free for members & guests.

TED Talk Discussion

We invite you to join us to view and discuss selected TED Talks (or other similar talks & presentations) that will facilitate discourse on important subjects. The videos serve as a great jumping-off point for discussion and sharing of ideas, and we welcome suggestions for topics to explore together. Join us! Each gathering will feature two talks to be viewed and discussed. Second & fourth Friday of each month, 1:00-3:00pm. 

Friday, Oct. 27th at 1:00pm

A Trip to Infinity - Does infinity exist? Can we experience the Infinite? In an animated film (created by artists from 10 countries) the world's most cutting-edge scientists and mathematicians go in search of the infinite and its mindbending implications for the universe. How big is infinity? How small? How many infinities are there? Will there be an end or will time and space go on forever? What is our fate if the universe is infinite? And if finite, when will it all end?

PhotogrouP

You likely have a camera in your pocket or within reach, and many of us take and share photos regularly with our smartphones. We invite you to join with other members to have fun taking pictures and sharing them.

With each month’s meeting, a topic on photographic techniques will be explored (composition, light, subject, perspective, framing, etc.). During the subsequent month, Photogroup members will each take pictures of a selected subject matter to share at next month’s meeting. Subjects may include: nature, landscape, patterns, buildings, sunsets, portraits, creative photos, etc.

Wednesday, Oct. 25th at 11:00am: PhotogrouP will meet at BSAC; Our Topic this month is What to do with your photographs, so bring your ideas and examples to share; other topics will include: the photographs of Dorothea Lange; Fun Photos (photographs don’t always have to be serious); the well equipped photographer; and our next “assignment” which is to take photographs to share of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. PhotogrouP will not meet in November or December. 

Flu, RSV, Covid Vaccine Clinic

Monday, October 30th, 11:00am-1:00pm

Location: Bellingham Senior Activity Center

Open to all. Sign up at the front desk. No cost with Medicare. 

Taste Buddies: A Recipe Club for All

Discuss food and cooking with like-minded folks who have a wide range of cooking experience, from virtual novices to people who’d rather not cook at all anymore. All topics are of interest, but the conversation usually returns to our main focus—freezer-friendly meals and main dishes for everyday. Each meeting has a single focus.

Friday, October 27, 10:30am: Focus on Holiday Dishes. We're looking for both traditional and non-traditional holiday dishes. Preferably easy, quick, and not too expensive. Mains, sides, sauces, condiments, appetizers, snacks, desserts, and beverages. Please bring your favorite recipes and tips to share. Meetings on Fridays at 10:30 am through the remainder of the year will continue this focus on holiday meals.

Weekly Social Hour

Are you looking for an opportunity to get out and meet others for friendly conversation? Join other BSAC members at these gatherings to meet new friends, spark up conversations and enjoy some food and beverages. Hosted by member, Tom Horton.

Wednesdays at 4:00pm at the following locations:

Oct. 25: Twin Sisters Brewpub, 500 Carolina St.

This class is on break and will resume on Mondays & Wednesdays starting Oct. 30th

This class is on break and will resume on Mondays & Wednesdays starting Oct. 30th

Events & Resources

Election Forums

The League of Women Voters conducts election forums for both primary and general election races. Forums sponsored by the League of Women Voters provide opportunities to hear from candidates as they respond to questions from a moderator. All candidates in contested races are invited to attend our forums, which are guided by our board-approved Election Forum Policy.