Updates, Virtual Classes & Activities |
|
Call Senior Coastsiders at 650-726-9056 for further information on classes or upcoming events. To see regularly scheduled weekly classes, be sure to scroll down to the last section of this email. |
|
Peninsula Family Services introduces Got Wheels! Got Wheels provides affordable alternative transportation for Daly City, Colma, Brisbane, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, Hillsborough, Half Moon Bay, Montara, Moss Beach, and El Granada residents at least 70 years of age. Interested individuals may apply for no-cost membership. Members are provided up to six one-way rides a month for $5 each one-way ride. PFS subsidizes remainder of the fare. For more information, contact Cherie, Got Wheels! Program Coordinator: (650) 403-4300 Extension 4329 or cqmoreno@peninsulafamilyservice.org
|
Cooking Classes Join Anna, the registered dietitian at Leah’s Pantry, for a free virtual cooking class and learn how to eat well, waste less food, and save money! If you are a resident of San Mateo County, you earn $6 Farmers Market vouchers for every class you attend. Join us for a different topic every Wednesday at 10am-11am:
- February 10th: Save the Food
- February 17th: Food Storage and Safety
- February 24th: Composting
|
Healthy Aging and Gentle Exercise Class from Foothill College This free gentle exercise routine promotes physical and psychological well-being with a focus on healthy aging. The class includes: yoga stretches (all exercises are seated), conscious breathing, healthy aging discussions, and strength building exercises using weights. Wednesdays at 11:00am through March 28th. Zoom Link here or enter Meeting ID: 895 2108 4765 Passcode: Foothill Class taught by Sue Henkin-Haas, M.A., email: henkinhaassusan@fhda.edu
|
AARP Tax Services AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is the nation's largest, free, in-person tax preparation service.
Volunteers are trained and IRS certified each year and have provided free tax preparation at Senior Coastsiders for many years. Not surprisingly, the pandemic has required changes in the way tax returns are processed. We are working with the Tax-Aide team to finalize a strategy that will focus on safety while continuing to provide a free service that so many of our friends have enjoyed in the past. We hope to be ready to take appointments by the week of February 8th and ask that you have patience as procedures are finalized.
Please note that certain complex tax situations, such as taxpayers who own rental property or operate complex business, are not within the training of our Tax-Aide volunteers and cannot be completed.
|
Virtual Mystery Book Club This group meets the first Wednesday of each month (Wednesday, February 3rd this month) at 1:00pm. The group will be discussing A Talent for Murder by Andrew Wilson. For the Zoom link, please contact hatmore@seniorcoastsiders.org. Future books can be picked up at the Senior Coastsiders office at 925 Main Street.
|
Speaking of books, if you live on the Senior Campus, you can have your Half Moon Bay Library books delivered to the Senior Coastsiders office for pick up. To get your name on the list for this service, please call 1-833-YES-SMCL or email halfmoonbay@smcl.org.
|
|
Virtual Bingo Join neighbors from the Pacifica Senior Center for some friendly virtual bingo on Wednesdays from 3:00-4:00pm. Meeting ID is 996 6389 9575 and Passcode is 31ZrFs. You can get your electronic bingo card here .The bingo host will call the numbers. Only ONE playing card can be played per game. If the number is on your card, click the number on your digital card and it will mark it for you. Once you have a Bingo, unmute yourself and shout "Bingo" and follow up with your winning numbers. Sweet prizes will be given away to lucky winners!!
|
Computer Tutoring and Computer Donation and Loaner Program Limited computer tutoring has resumed and is available by appointment. Additionally, through the dedication of two high school students, we are ready to put laptops into the hands of those who need them! We also have loaner laptops provided by the Half Moon Bay Library. Please call our office for more details.
|
Headspace As you enter this new year, resolve to be kinder to your body and mind. Headspace is currently available for free through a partnership between #SanMateoCounty Behavioral Health & Recovery Services & @Headspace It provides free resources (meditations, sleep sounds, movement exercises & more) to help residents cope w/ stresses brought on by #COVID19 pandemic. This is a huge value - give it a try! Sign up here: https://www.headspace.com/san-mateo-county
|
Senior Coastsiders and CoastPride are partnering to host intergenerational gatherings (virtual during the pandemic, and hopefully soon in-person). These gatherings will afford you the opportunity to share your lived experience about LGBTQ history and learn from LGBTQ youth what their experience is today. We will host these virtual gatherings and guide the conversations with focus questions, which we will design with you and the youth. Some of the topics we would like to explore include: (1) fears about getting older; (2) coming out; (3) living with pandemics: AIDS and COVID-19; and (4) interest in future LGBTQ themed information or events. We hope to build bridges across generations, foster connection, and promote an inclusive and welcoming community here on the coast. If you are interested in participating, please contact Hope at hatmore@seniorcoastsiders.org.
|
Mission Hospice We miss hosting events with Mission Hospice and Home Care but while we can't be together in person, we don't want you to miss their many offerings. Check out their event calendar for virtual author events, Death Cafes, and support groups at https://www.missionhospice.org/events/
|
Home Repair Program Due to COVID, we are trying to address many needed home repair projects as they come up instead of waiting for our big day in June. If you are in need of repairs at your home and would like to apply, please contact hatmore@seniorcoastsiders.org or download the application here Or, if you are interested in volunteering to do some repairs, please reach out!
|
|
Building on the momentum of the climate change programming that was completed in 2020 through partnerships with the Office of Sustainability of San Mateo County and the City of Half Moon Bay, Senior Coastsiders is excited to offer a monthly program dedicated to climate change and environmental engagement. Look for the Evergreen Coastsiders logo and a new program each month.
To register for the February event, click here or click the flyer below for a pdf that will take you to the February or March event registrations.
|
|
Community News You Can Use! |
|
COVID TESTING In partnership with the City and County, Senior Coastsiders will continue to provide COVID-19 testing. This testing is available to anyone 55 and over and their caregivers. Registration is easy and the test is quick and efficient with results usually coming in 48-72 hours. Widespread testing is extremely important for curbing the spread of Covid and ensuring early treatment if infected. To learn more about the importance of testing, go to the NIH website at https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/why-covid-19-testing-key-getting-back-normal and to register for a test, call 650-726-9056 or go to https://curative.com/sites/10044. Walk-ins are also welcome.
|
|
|
|
Know when it is your turn to get vaccinated! Each health care provider is rolling out vaccinations differently so be sure to check in often. The San Mateo County Health website has up-to-date information as well as a notification system for different providers. Find more information here
|
|
The Master Plan for Aging
California's plan affirming the priority of the health and well-being of older Californians and the need for policies that promote healthy aging.
In June 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order calling for the creation of a Master Plan for Aging (Master Plan). The Master Plan for Aging outlines five bold goals and twenty-three strategies to build a California for All Ages by 2030. It also includes a Data Dashboard on Aging to measure our progress and a Local Playbook to drive partnerships that help us meet these goals together.
- Goal 1: Housing for All Stages & Ages: We will live where we choose as we age in communities that are age-, disability-, and dementia-friendly and climate- and disaster-ready.
- Target: Millions of new housing options to age well.
- Goal 2: Health Reimagined: We will have access to the services we need to live at home in our communities and to optimize our health and quality of life.
- Target: Close the equity gap in and increase life expectancy.
- Goal 3: Inclusion & Equity, Not Isolation: We will have lifelong opportunities for work, volunteering, engagement, and leadership and will be protected from isolation, discrimination, abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
- Target: Keep increasing life satisfaction as we age.
- Goal 4: Caregiving That Works: We will be prepared for and supported through the rewards and challenges of caring for aging loved ones.
- Target: One million high-quality caregiving jobs.
- Goal 5: Affording Aging: We will have economic security for as long as we live.
- Target: Close the equity gap in and increase elder economic sufficiency.
"An aging population will introduce new opportunities for economic and community growth, but also drive increased health and long-term care costs. We need a plan that brings everyone to the table – local communities, labor, private sector and philanthropy – to help us understand what’s coming and guide us toward taking better care of older Californians."
-Governor Gavin Newsom announcing the signing of Executive Order N-14-19, June 10, 2019
|
|
Supporting Senior Coastsiders |
|
A huge thank you to our year-end donors. We are so grateful for every dollar we receive and appreciate gifts large and small. Over half the donations we received in November and December were from individuals giving up to $100. Every gift counts and we put contributions of any amount to good use providing meals, services, and resources to the many older adults on the Coast who rely upon us.
|
|
Do you shop on Amazon? Did you know that every time you buy something through Amazon, you could be supporting Senior Coastsiders? Visit smile.amazon.com and sign in with your Amazon.com credentials. Search and choose Senior Coastsiders as your charitable organization and start shopping! Add a bookmark for smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile!
|
|
Nominate Senior Coastsiders!
The HMB Chamber of Commerce Pivot Pioneer Award recognizes businesses and organizations that have pivoted or re-engineered their products or services to face or overcome challenges during the Coronavirus crisis. Please vote for Senior Coastsiders to help recognize the many pivots our organization has made over the past 11 months including:
- Shifting to 100% home delivered meals and increasing from 141 weekly meals delivered in early March to over 1,200 in late April
- Transitioning classes to online and outdoors
- Switching to virtual fundraisers for Taste of the Coast and Pumpkin Run
- Increasing volunteer team to cover new needs including increased meal prep and delivery and shopping for seniors sheltering in place
- Keeping seniors engaged through fun meal inserts and outdoor concerts
To nominate us, please click here.
|
|
A Note from the Executive Director
|
|
This week I received the February 2021 edition of The Journal of Gerontology, so I thought I’d share with you some “hot off the press” research.
In a special section reporting on the COVID-19 crisis and its psychological implications for older adults, the findings were generally encouraging. The various studies report that older adults continued to experience similar levels of psychological well-being as before the pandemic. Compared to younger adults, older adults were found to have 1) fewer loneliness, depressive and anxiety symptoms, 2) stable life satisfaction and 3) increased self-rated health and financial satisfaction. One study found that, in the early weeks of the pandemic, older adults experienced similar exposure to COVID-19 stressors as younger adults but older adults reported better emotional well-being and less reactivity to these stressors. Another article suggests that experiencing life challenges and living through historical periods of population-wide stressors may provide psychosocial strengths for older adults who are dealing with adversity. The article suggests that during this period of sweeping change in the lives of individuals of all ages, older adults may act as valuable societal anchors. One article highlighted the resilient nature of older adults in terms of their psychological coping and adaptability during COVID-19. Effective coping strategies that were reported included staying busy, seeking social support, and having a positive mindset. This research reports studies done early in the pandemic and it will be interesting to see what transpires in the longer term. Prolonged exposure to stressors and on-going social isolation are likely to have a negative impact on physical and mental health.
Senior Coastsiders is partnering with a Stanford University student who is doing her Masters in Community Health and Prevention Research. She will be exploring resilience among older adults in our community so look out for an opportunity to be a part of this research that will involve the completion of a one-time survey. A select sub-set of individuals will be invited to participate in an interview about their own resilience.
In other studies, engaging in physical activity was found to improve the ability of older adults to engage in dual tasks such as talking while driving, navigating while walking, and writing while listening. A really cool study addressed two key questions: Can people have a high quality of life despite being cognitively impaired? And which is longer: happy life expectancy or cognitively intact life expectancy? The results indicate that happy life expectancy is approximately 25% longer than cognitively intact life expectancy at age 65 years, and by age 85, happy life expectancy is roughly double cognitively intact life expectancy, on average. Also, people can have a high quality of life despite being cognitively impaired. And finally, one study found that older adults with more positive expectations regarding aging reported greater levels of perceived social support and lower levels of loneliness when caring for and contributing to the well-being of others.
I certainly felt more informed after reading all this and hope you do too!
Keep safe and healthy.
Sandi
|
|
Unstoppable Seniors (US)
by Casey McClung
Although Anna Mary Robertson passed away in 1961 at the age of 101, she became famous only after devoting her life to art in her seventies. Born in 1860, Anna Mary Robertson grew up as one of ten children on her parents’ farm in New York. At the age of 17, she married and settled in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, where she and her husband ran a farm and raised five children. After moving back to New York, where she and her husband ran a farm in Eagle Bridge, she started dabbling in art in 1918. Although she occasionally painted, she didn’t devote herself to art until much later in life. In 1927, her husband passed away, and Anna Mary turned to art to help cope with her grief.
By the mid-1930’s, then in her seventies, Anna Mary was devoting most of her time to painting and in 1938 she got her first big break when an art collector bought all of the paintings she had displayed at a local store. At the age of 79, she had some of her paintings shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in an exhibition of unknown artists.
A self-taught artist, Anna Mary’s paintings were being reproduced on greeting cards, and in 1949 at the age of 89, she won the Women’s National Press Club Award for her artistic creations. While in Washington DC to collect the honor, she even met with President Harry Truman.
One hundred and sixty-one years after her birth, Anna Mary’s paintings are still famous for portraying captivating scenes of rural American life, which she often painted from her own memories. Have you ever heard of Anna Mary Robertson? Probably not, but that's because she was more commonly known as Grandma Moses! She was one unstoppable senior!
Facts provided by biography.com
Here’s to Unstoppable Seniors everywhere!
Do you know an Unstoppable Senior? Maybe someone local? Let us know! We would love to share their story! Email Casey at cmcclung@seniorcoastsiders.org
|
|
Outdoor Zumba Gold Join instructor Laurie Becker on Tuesday mornings in the back parking lot for a 10:30-11:15 am Zumba Gold class. This is perfect for older adults who are looking for a modified Zumba class that recreates the original moves you love at a lower intensity. Space is limited, please call the Senior Coastsiders office at 650-726-9056 for more information. Cost is $5.00 per class. Class will continue as long as weather permits.
Online Smart Phone Classes - Having difficulty hearing or seeing on your smart phone? Attend a free online training and make your smart phone work better for you! Learn how to make your phone louder and easier to hear, how to send text messages, how to turn your phone into a magnifier, how to connect Bluetooth devices, how to operate basic functions of your phone and much more! These two-part online trainings are presented by California Telephone Access Program. iPhone and Android sessions are ongoing. To participate, you will need a computer, internet service, a valid email address AND your smart phone! Please contact the Senior Coastsiders office at 650-726-9056 to register - space is limited.
Pilates Classes with Karen continue online from 9:00-10:00am every Tuesday and are free of charge. Email Karen at kpilates@sonic.net to get signed up. This class is currently only open to those who have taken Karen's classes in the past.
Art Every Day! Mary Kay Jolley offers painting class online through an email format as well as once weekly live class (and previous classes are available on Youtube). To get on the class mailing list, email jolleyart@comcast.net
Functional Mobility with Kimm Ronberg continues on Wednesdays 9:00-10:00am via Zoom. Email Kimm at kimm@beyourstrong.com for the link to the class.
|
|
Gentle Yoga LindaGrace is offering Gentle Yoga on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00am-12:15pm. Contact LindaGrace at lindagrace@wisewoman-yoga.com to sign up.
Jetta's Balance Class for Seniors - Jetta will take participants through a series of exercises focused on increasing balance and reducing falls. Join Jetta on Thursdays at 10:30 am by contacting hatmore@seniorcoastsiders.org
Rosen Classes continue on the regular schedule with Jetta and Kate. For Mondays at 9:30am, and Wednesdays at 10:30am, email hatmore@seniorcoastsiders.org to receive the invitation to the Zoom classes. For Kate's Friday class at 11:00, email Kate O'Shea at kate.oshea.pt@gmail.com. Class fee is based on a sliding scale and can be paid via Paypal or by check.
Qigong with Judy Pruzinsky - Tuesday afternoons 1:00-2:00pm and Thursday evenings 7:30-8:30pm. Please contact Judy for more information.
|
|
Other Resources & Activities |
|
RotaCare Coastside is open for phone visits. Patients can schedule phone visits by calling 650-388-2340. Please leave a message including your name, date of birth, and phone number, and the Clinic Manager will return your call to schedule a telephone encounter.
Friendship Line - California - Even in these challenging times, friendship is always a phone call away. Discover how the Friendship Line is growing to connect to more Californian seniors. Available 24 hours a day and ready to connect, call (888) 670-1360.
The California Peer-Run Warm Line is a free, non-judgmental, emotional, non-emergency support line that allows people with mental health challenges to talk to a peer who is trained to help. The phone number is (855) 845-7415. Chat is also available at https://www.mentalhealthsf.org/peer-run-warmline/.
|
|
If you need assistance with shopping, would like to sign up for meals on wheels, need a mask, or need other assistance, we are just a phone call away! Please call our office at 650-726-9056. |
|
Please forward to anyone you think might benefit from this information! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
