Town of Sturbridge, MA - Current Newsletter

I am writing this in the middle of a July heat wave. Remember the Senior Center has air conditioning and it is a pleasant place to spend a hot day. In addition to the programs and lunch available at the Center we have a TV, Wii, newspapers, magazines, books, puzzles, online computers, exercise equipment, and more that I can’t think of right now.

This is the true story of how, when and why these contemporaries came back to the area of their defining youth…The Brookfields. Cornelius McGillicuddy, or Connie Mack as he is so famously known, was born in East Brookfield, MA on Dec. 22, 1862. George M. Cohan, “the man who owned Broadway”, was born on July 3, 1878 in Providence, RI; however, boasting his adopted home town as North Brookfield, MA. They both achieved fame and fortune, but the real story here is about their attraction to the people in the Brookfields. Refreshments will be served. Please register at 508-347-7575.

Representatives from the Worcester Community Action Council will be at the Senior Center to process fuel assistance renewals only on the above days. If you received a mailing from fuel assistance to renew your application you may do it at one of these times. No appointment is necessary.

Attorney Nicholas G. Kaltsas of Elder and Disability Law Advocates will be at the Sturbridge Senior Center to address any legal concerns or questions you may have. Call to schedule a free ½ hour appointment at the Sturbridge Senior Center. During this private ½ hour appointment you have the ability to speak directly with the attorney. Space is limited so please call the Senior Center to reserve your time.

Elderbus has implemented a mid-day “shuttle” for out-of-town medical appointments. Elderbus will accommodate out-of-town medical appointments on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for Sturbridge seniors. You will arrive to your appointment by 10 a.m. and be picked up during the noon hour. If you have an afternoon appointment you will arrive by 12:30 p.m. and be picked up approximately 2 p.m. Feel free to call Elderbus if you have any special needs as they may (no promises) be able to accommodate other times and/or days.

The Council on Aging will again subsidize one-half of your fare for medical appointments, only, through December 2010. Confirm this with Elderbus when you call them.

Ice Cream Social – Wednesday, August 18. Sign up for lunch and enjoy a delicious Salmon Boat meal. After lunch have fun and enjoy making your own ice cream sundae.

Nutrition Annual Bake Sale – Saturday, September 18, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Senior Center. There will be pies, brownies, cookies, cakes and breads. Join us for a cup of coffee and conversation while you check out the baked items. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Nutrition Program funding for the year. The funds are used to support the many special Nutrition activities throughout the year, including ice cream for the birthday celebrations, special supplies and treats for holidays, and entertainment for special occasions.

Remember the Friends Annual Yard Sale on August 7^th. For those who want to sell items applications are available at the Senior Center. This event is a fundraiser - the main one of the year. Participation, either as a vendor or one who purchases items being sold, is important for the Friends to continue our mission to help fund the many needed items that the Town does not provide for in the Council on Aging budget. We also fund entertainment for all seniors throughout the year at our monthly meetings

Meetings will resume on September 15^th after which we will have with us Clyde Wheatley, an accomplished jazz musician often called “The British Kenny G., with a hint of Benny Goodman.” He bills himself as Clyde-Music Played with True Panache. See his flyer on the Friends bulletin board. Bring your friends!

The Friends are planning a Halloween Party on October 20^th. We welcome your ideas and ask that you call Josephine Kaitbenski at 508-347-3203 or Aline Girouard at 508-347-3247 to share them.

It is that time of the year to pay your annual Friends dues of $5. Our year runs from June of the current year through May of the following year. Of course, we welcome new members at any time. Make your check out to the Friends of Sturbridge Seniors and mail it to Friends of Sturbridge Seniors, PO Box 746, Sturbridge, MA 01566. Thank you for your support.

Profits from the Friends trips are used to support the activities of the Friends and seniors in Sturbridge. All trip inquiries should go to Tina at 508-347-9028 or Marie at 508-347-9173. Checks may be mailed to Friends, PO Box 746, Sturbridge, MA 01566 or left at the Senior Center. Most trips leave from the Sturbridge Plaza on Rte. 131. Flyers for trips are available at the Trip table in the Senior Center.

Aug. 24 Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA. Learn the history and facts about Lizzie. Will you think she was guilty or not? Sit-down luncheon at White’s prior to visit. Weather permitting, we will stop at the Carousel, also. $63.pp. Leave 10a.m/return 5p.m. Rte. 131, Sturbridge Plaza.

Sept. 2 Newport Play House, RI. After a plentiful, delicious buffet, enjoy the humorous confusion of the play “Don’t Dress for Dinner”. After the play, return to dining area for the always delightful cabaret showcase. Price: $75.pp; driver gratuity included. Depart time later.

Other trips planned: Sept. 30, Fall Festival at Wright’s Chicken Farm in Harrisville, RI; Oct. 14 Salem, Gloucester, Rockport, MA; Nov. 18 Cabaret Lulu at O.S.V.

Be a Volunteer Grocery Shopper –Please think about how your life would be different without the ability to jump in your car and go where ever you want to go. When a person gives up driving they give up things in life many of us take for granted - like grocery shopping. Even when using Elderbus to go to the grocery store a person is limited in what they can buy by what they can carry by themselves to the van and off the van. Often that is only a few bags.

In the Grocery Shopping Program volunteers ride on the Elderbus with a senior to the grocery store and back to the home. The volunteer will help the senior shop, carry groceries to the van, into the home, and help put them away. The senior will pay their bus fare. The volunteer rides for free. Volunteers will receive mileage from their home to the senior’s home and back. If you are interested in helping a senior in this way please call Barbara at 508-347-7575. Qualified seniors may do this as part of the senior volunteer tax work-off program.

The Maiden Heist - Wed. Aug. 4, 12:30 p.m. Over the years, museum security guards Roger (Christopher Walken), Charles (Morgan Freeman) and George (William H. Macy) each fall in love with a particular work of art in their care. But now, the new curator is shipping out all three works in an overhaul of the museum's collection. Desperate to save their favorite pieces, the men hatch a plan to steal them before they can be shipped away. Marcia Gay Harden co-stars.

Away We Go – Wed. Aug. 18, 12:30 p.m. Buoyed by the news that they are expecting their first baby, Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) embark on a journey to locate the perfect place on the planet to raise their child. But their quest inevitably yields many unexpected surprises. Sam Mendes directs this quirky comedy while Allison Janney, Catherine O'Hara, Josh Hamilton, Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jeff Daniels co-star.

In this Frank Capra classic, Tony (James Stewart) and Alice (Jean Arthur) meet and fall in love. But things are far from rosy: He's the son of a millionaire, and she and her wacky family live in a house that's in the way of the senior Kirby's construction project. Will an office building literally stand in the way of true love? The movie, adapted from a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, delivers the answer.

Tim Everett will expand into causal factors for wounds, types of wounds, etc. He will also talk about the type of care available to address wounds at Harrington Hospital. Please register at 508-347-7575.

Leslie has graciously agreed to reschedule her original April program for the fall so homeowners and gardeners may make plans for future landscaping. Many of our native trees and shrubs are overlooked when planning a garden. Shrubs can provide flowers, berries, color, winter interest, and habitat for many of our New England songbirds. Learn about some unknown species that are great for growing in New England. Please call 508-347-7575 to register.

The Senior Center is a distribution point for this agency that offers free and low-cost telephone equipment for people with hearing problems. If your income is below $50,000/yr. the equipment is free; above $50,000 the cost is approximately one-third the retail price. In order to receive a telephone call MEDP at 508-821-7205 to discuss your needs and arrange to have the equipment delivered to the Senior Center by a representative of MEDP, who will help you become familiar with how the unit works.

Deb came to the Senior Center in June with her very popular “Herbs for Your Kitchen” program which everyone enjoyed. She has agreed to come back with three special cooking programs that look to be as well received as the first program. Be sure to register at 508-347-7575 for each one individually because they are sure to fill up fast.

Mediterranean Cooking – Thursday, Sept. 23, 1 p.m. You have heard about the healthful benefits of Mediterranean cooking but how do you do it? This is an opportunity to learn how to make Mediterranean dishes and to sample the results for yourself.

Cooking With Herbs – Thursday, Sept. 30, 1 p.m. Herbs are the spice of your life when it comes to cooking. “A dash of this and a pinch of that.” Herbs provide an inexpensive way to make a big difference for your palette.

A lot has changed over your lifetime – including the way food is produced and distributed. It used to be that food was produced close to where people lived. Many people shopped daily, and prepared and ate their food at home. Eating in restaurants was saved for special occasions. Today, food in your local grocery store comes from all over the world. And nearly 50 percent of the money we spend on food goes to buy food that others prepare, like “carry out” and restaurant meals.

Everyone’s health is different, including his or her ability to fight off disease. But immune systems weaken as we age. In addition, stomach acid also decreases as we get older – and stomach acid plays an important role in reducing the number of bacteria in our intestinal tracts – and the risk of illness.

Food borne illness can be dangerous, but is often easy to prevent. By following the basic rules of food safety, you can help prevent food borne illness for yourself and others.

Just follow four basic rules - Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill – and you will Fight Bac!™ (bacteria that can cause food borne illness.) Fight BAC!™ is a national education campaign designed to teach everyone about food safety. Keep these Fight BAC!™ rules in mind. Tell your friends and family and grandchildren to join the team and get them to be “BAC-Fighters” too.

Cross-contamination is the scientific word for how bacteria can be spread from one food product to another. This is especially true when handling raw meat, poultry and seafood, so keep these foods and their juices away from foods that aren’t going to be cooked.

Food safety experts agree that foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause food borne illness.

At room temperature; bacteria in food can double every 20 minutes. The more bacteria there are, the greater the chance you could become sick. So, refrigerate foods quickly, because cold temperatures keep most harmful bacteria from multiplying. A lot of people think it will harm their refrigerator to put hot food inside – it’s not true. It won’t harm your refrigerator, and it will keep your food, and you, safe. Set your home refrigerator no higher than 40ºF and the freezer unit at 0ºF. Check the temperature occasionally with an appliance thermometer.

Visiting his parents' retirement village in Florida, my middle-aged friend, Tim, went for a swim in the community pool while his elderly father took a walk. Tim struck up a conversation with the only other person in the pool, a five-year-old boy. After a while, Tim's father returned from his walk and called out, "I'm ready to leave."

Tim then turned to his new friend and announced that he had to leave because his father was calling. Astonished, the wide-eyed little boy cried, "You're a kid?"

As a Social Worker, I frequently hear from family members that they struggle visiting their loved one in a facility. They feel guilty because they love this person, but really don’t enjoy visiting because they don’t know what to do or say. There are many different activities you can try to make the most of your time together. Based on their capabilities, most elders enjoy keeping busy, with both their minds and their hands. Try these ideas;

Most elders enjoy and benefit from music, art and touch. Explore art books and magazines. Different colors and images promote conversation, memories and emotions. Play music they love. If you aren’t sure, try Big Band, Gospel, Show tunes, and/or Children’s songs for starters. Many times, even those with dementia, can recall lyrics or tunes. If they have some range of motion…dance! Always ask the nurses first. If they are unable to get out of their wheelchair or bed, encourage movement like swaying arms. Always be aware of ability and when they need to rest.

Most people enjoy and benefit from touch. This is especially true for those at end of life. Giving a gentle massage, hugs, and holding hands often brings comfort (be aware of signs of pain…flinching, frowning, etc.) When you are in the quiet and cannot think of what to do or say, reach out to your loved one and simply put your hand on theirs.

You are responsible for making these visits worthwhile. Wouldn’t you rather do something fun, than dread going? Remember, you are there because you love them. Don’t give up, don’t stop going, especially if they are at the end of life. I always say, “I cannot change one’s terminal diagnosis, but I can change the way they live out their days.” So can you.

The Wound Care Center at Harrington, located in the brand new Harrington Healthcare at Charlton Medical Office Building, is providing care and treatment to patients with chronic or non-healing wounds. This outpatient comprehensive service will offer advanced healing therapies often unavailable in a physician’s office. These services use an interdisciplinary approach to treatment involving a variety of therapies and techniques, including debridement, dressing selection, and patient education.~ When wounds persist and resist conventional treatment, a specialized approach is required for healing.~ Plus, the Wound Care Center has the advantage of having Diagnostic Imagining and Laboratory Services within the same building providing the opportunity for patients to enjoy “Total Local Care”.

Another resource available to The Wound Care Center at Harrington is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.~ The Wound Care Center features two Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers, which can help speed the healing process. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a simple but effective treatment in which the patient breathes pure oxygen inside a pressurized chamber. The therapy quickly delivers a high concentration of oxygen to the bloodstream, which helps increase the body’s own natural wound-healing abilities.~ This is the only treatment center in the region with Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers.~ It should be noted that these chambers are for non-emergent, wound care treatments on an outpatient basis and are not available for emergency situations.

For patients with chronic or non-healing wounds, the Wound Care Center can make an enormous difference in their quality of life. For referring healthcare professionals, the Center offers a way to heal costly, problem wounds with the assurance that you will continue to manage the overall patient care while the wound is being healed.

I was getting ready for a tag sale one summer day. Since it was so humid out, I decided to stay inside my air-conditioned house and mark the special stickers I had bought for the sale. Then I slapped them on my blouse, ran outside, stuck them on the appropriate items and rushed back inside. I did this until every item was labeled. Later that day a UPS man came by the house with a delivery. I noticed that as I was signing for the package, he seemed ill at ease. It was only after he left that I noticed there was one sticker still attached to the front of my blouse. It read "Make me an offer."