Independence

April 2023

The Art of Aging is a celebration of creativity expressed by people over the age of 60 who have discovered the satisfaction of blending art and life. Some of our artists “discovered” their passion for creating art late in life, when, other responsibilities diminished and there was new-found time to pursue personal interests. Other artists have been creating art since childhood. Each has come to recognize the unique place art has in their lives.

Join Us for the Opening Reception!

May 18, 2023 from 2:00-6 p.m.

Click here for details

Artists - There is still time!

Artists aged 60 years and older are invited to submit their paintings or photography for display throughout the halls of the AOASCC building. Find out more & Register here

 With age, art and life become one. 

— Georges Braque

Spotlight on Volunteers

For many older adults, it can be hard to admit to needing help whether its physical, such as a ride to the grocery store or emotional, like needing someone to talk to. It’s a sense of vulnerability for many and in RSVP we do experience clients who are hesitant to have someone in their homes for various reasons.

For our Volunteer Ellen, this was the situation. She was just recently placed with a new 91-year-old woman, that although wonderful and pleasant to talk to, was hesitant about even needing any assistance let alone companionship. Cooking for herself and walking around like a spring chicken, what else more could she need? But when the two of them met it was like magic.

It was like two had known each other for years. They sat down in the apartment and immediately just started talking whether it was about the town or if they’ve seen each other somewhere before. There was a sense of uncanny familiarity that seemed to bond them like glue. Continuing to share laughs and stories, there was no more doubt that having Ellen visit was something that she would like.



Ellen continues to visit her, and this shows the importance of what our volunteers do. It also shows the importance of the work we do to support our seniors. Even if they are hesitant, if they’re willing to accept help it’s all the more important to try and meet them half way.

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 3-4.

Caregiver Corner - Enjoying Dementia

When was the last time you enjoyed the company of the person you care for? If you’re caring for someone with dementia, you may be hard pressed to come up with an answer. Sadly, caring for someone with dementia can be a long, sad journey in which you watch, helplessly as the person you love disappears before you. Each month there is less to recognize about the person who once was. Often, caregivers try desperately to hang onto the person who used to be, cuing them to recall past pleasurable memories. But more often than not, they don’t remember. They become agitated trying to remember. They recognize from your prompting that there’s something they should recall and they feel frustrated and powerless when they can’t recall and that doesn’t lead to an enjoyable moment.

You can still enjoy the company of someone with dementia, if you will allow yourself to accept the fact that things have changed. Your loved one can’t recall, on command, some event from the past, but they can still enjoy something in the here and now. Dementia forces you to live in the present. Much of the past is gone from memory and there is no capacity to envision the future. Life must happen in the moment.

The key to enjoying your loved one in the moment is to limit discussion to what is happening right now. The pleasure many of us derive from planning for a trip or an upcoming holiday isn’t enjoyable for a person with memory impairment. Instead of planning for an upcoming holiday feast, go into the kitchen with your Mom and cook something together that she likes. Serve it on a fancy dish and create a new holiday. It won’t be celebrated next year because she won’t remember it by then, but today she’ll enjoy being with you and cooking and not trying to remember something that is gone from her life.

It won’t make celebrating Thanksgiving, when she doesn’t understand why there’s a turkey on the table, any less sad, but it will provide you with new pleasant memories about the day the two of you were in the kitchen cooking a special treat for a new holiday you invented for her.

Program for Family Caregivers

This workshop series is designed to provide you with tools and strategies to better handle the unique challenges you face.

Next six week series begins May 10 - 11:30a -1:00pm

Find out more & register here.

Live Well Six-Week Workshop Series

Wednesdays, May 3–June 7, 2023, 10am—11am

Are you an adult with an ongoing health condition such as arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes or depression? Or do you care for someone who does This workshop can help you be in control and feel better!  Find out more & register here.

CHOICES Corner - Hospice Care

The purpose of Hospice care is to provide care to terminally ill people that maximizes comfort by reducing pain and addressing the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of the patient...  If you have Medicare A, the cost of hospice care and its many services are covered by Medicare. Read more.

Join the Team!

If you would like to make a positive difference in the lives of Connecticut’s Medicare beneficiaries, you can be trained and certified to provide education and enrollment assistance that individuals need to make informed choices. The next training series begins April 18. Find out more.