Issues in Aging Radio Show - 4th Monday of each month, WSVA 550 AM or 92.1 FM at 9:15 AM
Hosted by VPAS Director of Senior Services in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Beth Bland.
Listen to a podcast of the Sept. 24 show, featuring special guest and VPAS Medicare Counselor, Howard Houghton.
CRUMs allows those older folks in our community to share their musical talents. Many used to play with bands that broke up, moved away, or simply lost interest or ability. Those that still have an interest may only have church on Sundays to play. This is a casual outlet for musicians to gather in a non-judgmental atmosphere and play impromptu songs and enjoy music and friendships. CRUMs will commence again September 25 for six weeks. If this session goes well, we hope to continue with another six sessions after the first of the year.
For more info. or to register, contact Edie Norwillo at (540) 942-1838 or email Edie.
Scrapbooking Basics: Start date is Oct. 9, 2018, 7:00-8:30 p.m., second Tues. night each month thereafter, Waynesboro Senior Center
Edie Norwillo will teach the importance of protecting your photos from deterioration. This will be a beginners class with topics like cropping, matting, photo placement, journaling and embellishments. New page layouts will be featured monthly and participants will be encouraged to make a similar page or work on their own with access to our tools and basic scrapbooking supplies. Materials fee: $5
For more info. or to register, contact Edie Norwillo at (540) 942-1838, or email Edie.
Presented by: Amy Adkins Taylor, Medicare Counselor Program Coordinator
Tues., Oct 23 - "Can You Save Money on Your Medicare Part D Plan?"
Have you been wondering if your Medicare Part D prescription drug plan is giving you the lowest out of pocket expenses possible? Find out how to determine your best prescription drug coverage for 2019 using free tools that are available during the Medicare Open Enrollment period Oct. 15 - Dec.7. We'll cover the importance of learning the tiers of your medications, which pharmacies will give the lowest pricing, and how to handle formulary restrictions that insurance companies may impose. Handouts, including the latest information on 2019 Medicare Part D premiums, deductibles, and plan choices for Virginia, will be available. Information will be presented in an unbiased manner from the local coordinator of the Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP), not affiliated with any insurance company, and is a unique service offered by VPAS.
Tues., Nov. 27 - Medicare 101: Understanding Your Options
If you're 63-64 and approaching the maze of decisions that Medicare brings, or have already arrived and are still quite confused, then this presentation may clear things up. A Certified Medicare Counselor will cover the details you need to make sense of what's called Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and prescription drug plans - or A, B, C, D, F, G, etc. You'll understand costs, benefits, choices, and enrollment options. VPAS offers this unique service that has no affiliation with insurance companies. Come gain the confidence to make well-informed decisions about your healthcare options.
For more information or to register for these free workshops, contact Edie Norwillo at (540) 942-1838 or email Edie.
Trail Hike - Love Gap to Appalachian Trail’s Maupin Field Shelter: Sat., Nov. 3, 2018, 10:30 a.m. at trailhead, 9:45 at Waynesboro Senior Center for carpooling
Journey to the edge of the Three Ridges Wilderness in the George Washington National Forest and enjoy lunch at the Maupin Field Shelter. The shelter is located on the Appalachian Trail (AT) which extends a continuous 2190 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Baxter State Park, Maine. More than 800 miles of the AT is located in Virginia and much of it right in our own backyard!
Group will meet at Love Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just south of Sherando. We will travel from there to the start of a forest service road where we will walk approximately 1.5 miles to the shelter to share our bagged lunches and hear more information about the Appalachian Trail and long distance hiking.
· Hike is fairly level and considered easy with no water crossings and no high elevation gains. It travels a wide, minimally maintained forest service road, not single track trail.
· Bring a bagged lunch and plenty of water.
· Dress in layers and wear comfortable clothing/shoes for approximately 3 miles of walking.
· Bring a rain jacket, even if skies are clear!
· Hike is dog friendly (if you are traveling in your own vehicle)
For more information or to register for these free workshops, contact Edie Norwillo at (540) 942-1838 or email Edie.
Presented by: Kathy Guisewhite, Caregivers Community Network Coordinator
November is National Family Caregivers Month, time to celebrate and encourage you in your journey caring for an older adult. Join us as we explore how to overcome common challenges, practice self-care, and take advantage of caregiver resources in the community. Come for the fun, beauty, and self-care tips you'll want to celebrate each day!
$10 Program fee includes a beverage and a scone or a brownie. Held at the charming Braithwaite Studios Coffee Shop and Cafe in Dayton, where you can peruse beautiful custom glass-work or sign up for glass etching lessons. Bring a friend for this empowering morning out!
- Connect seniors to valuable resources
- Improve the lives of local residents
- Build skills and networking opportunities
- Engage with your community
VPAS Presents: A Journey Through Grief - Wed. Dec. 12, 2018, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. - Braithwaite Studios
Presented by: Nancy Shomo, Sentara RMH Coordinator of Bereavement Services
We all grieve differently and the timeline will be different for each of us. This workshop will explore how to handle the twists and turns of your grief journey and how to process the emotions that can come with it: fear, anger, loneliness, and sadness. You'll learn how to turn your grief into a tool to help others at a different place in their journey, how to manage social events, and how to practice the self-care that brings healing.
$10 Program fee includes a beverage and a scone or a brownie. Held at the charming Braithwaite Studios Coffee Shop and Cafe in Dayton, where you can peruse beautiful custom glass-work or sign up for glass etching lessons. Bring a friend for this empowering morning out!
Take Charge of Your Health! Exercise, pain prevention, and chronic disease management workshops forming now.
Commonwealth Council on Aging Presented Award on May 30, 2018
Caregivers Community Network (CCN), a caregiver respite program, won a $3000 second place “Best Practices” award from the Commonwealth Council on Aging for its efforts to pair college students with family caregivers to provide intergenerational care and respite services.
CCN is a collaboration between Valley Program for Aging Services (VPAS) and James Madison University’s Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services. The partnership matches pairs of students with families that are caring for a frail older adult through the CCN course. Enrolled students provide weekly visits to provide social interaction with the care recipient while the caregiver takes a much needed break for appointments, errands, or personal care.
Locally, as many as one in three residents will be older adults by 2030, and demand for older adult caregivers is increasing rapidly. The strain on caregivers can negatively affect their health, careers, finances, and parenting. Caregivers are more likely to suffer health problems as a result of the chronic stress they experience providing often around-the-clock-care for a frail older adult. CCN eases this strain and creates opportunities for enriching intergenerational bonding.
“As the number of caregivers in Virginia grows, we need to ensure we have supports in place to keep them safe, healthy and productive,” said Kathy Guisewite, CCN coordinator. “We are thrilled that the Commonwealth Council on Aging has recognized the immense value CCN brings to families in this community.”
Each year, the council, which advises the Governor on issues affecting the 1.6 million Virginians age 60 and older, acknowledges organizations whose innovative programs can be replicated across the Commonwealth. Nominees are judged on seven criteria, including community impact potential for replication, innovation, outcomes and promotion of aging in the community.
CCN representatives accepted the Best Practices award from the Commonwealth Council on Aging during a presentation Wednesday, May 30 at JMU’s Leeolou Alumni Center.
VPAS empowers adults 60 years and over with the resources and opportunities they need to lead engaged lives. With information and referral services, Medicare counseling, senior transportation, recreational programming, meal delivery, and in-home personal care available throughout five counties in the Shenandoah Valley, VPAS has been serving older adults and their families for more than 40 years.
