Senior NewsFREE TOLL-FREE: 1-800-427-7411 • Published and Distributed Free Since 1997 VOL. 21, ISSUE 120 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 A Message from Leadership Happy New Year! s we celebrate the close of another fiscal year at the Southern Maine Agency on A Aging, we are happy to re- port that the Agency provided crit- ical services to more than 23,000 older adults in Cumberland and York counties. To help us deliver on the promise of our mission: to improve the quality of life for old- er adults, adults with disabilities SMAA’s Healthy Aging Staff Makes Laura Gitlin, Ph. D. and the people who care for them, Visits SMAA SMAA depends on the generosity Christmas Merry for Seniors of many community volunteers r. Laura Gitlin, an internation- and donors, as well as the caring or many years, SMAA’s Infor- Dill, Manager of Maine Senior ally recognized applied sociol- expertise of our staff. In 2016, 609 mation and Referral (I & R) Games (MSG), invited the MSG ogist from Johns Hopkins dedicated volunteers provided staff has worked to brighten Women’s Basketball Team to partic- University, recently came to more than 40,000 hours of service Christmas for many seniors in ipate. Together, over 50 seniors re- D F SMAA to help with training and to the Agency, the equivalent of Cumberland and York Counties. ceived gifts for Christmas. evaluation of our Adult Day Ser- 19 full time employees. Without There are many people who do not “The gifts sent ranged from vices Plus (ADS+) program. ADS+ is this wonderful cadre of volunteers have family or whose family lives coats and boots, slippers and paja- an enhancement to our Adult Day and the expertise they willingly far away. Christmas for them used mas, socks and blankets, to gro- 1 Center program. Dr. Gitlin spent 2 /2 donate to SMAA, we could not de- to be just another day.This year, our cery gift cards. They were all days meeting with the Stewart liver the depth of services we are Meals on Wheels assessors were in- wrapped, labeled and delivered to Center and Sam L. Cohen staff to able to provide to older adults in strumental in identifying seniors excited seniors and adults with understand how her program has the community. who needed gifts. Since the pro- disabilities. We gave out cleaning been helping caregivers. SMAA has The Agency had much to cele- gram’s inception, I & R has part- supplies, food and personal hy- partnered with Dr. Gitlin as part of brate in 2016. The Sam L. Cohen nered with Coastal Women’s giene items as well.” stated the grant we received in 2014 to Adult Day Center opened in Janu- Healthcare to provide holiday gifts Meredith Anderson, Manager of support our Dementia Capable Ser- ary and has garnered national at- to homebound seniors. This year, the I & R. “To be a part of this effort vice Network. With ADS+, care- tention as one of the best, if not International Division of LL Bean and to meet the wonderful staff givers benefit from additional focus THE best, adult day centers in the also participated. And instead of members at organizations who by our staff helping them cope country. The Wall Street Journal giving gifts to each other, SMAA’s provided the holiday support, is with the cognitive and behavioral and the New York Times have Healthy Aging staff decided to join nothing short of magical. We all changes they are seeing with their each profiled the Center and in with the area businesses to help. felt these gifts truly represent the loved one. Using the research proven Maine Senator Susan Collins has Realizing the need was great, Jo spirit of the holiday season.” strategies, caregivers are better able touted the Sam L Cohen Center as to manage each day. As a result, a Center of Excellence in her role many caregivers feel more confident as Chairman of the United States SOCIAL ISOLATION: and are able to extend the time they Senate Special Committee on Ag- are able to keep their loved one ag- ing and in her widely distributed A Big Problem with an Easy Solution ing in place in their own homes. Senate newsletter. After several Caregivers working with SMAA years of fundraising and construc- e are living in an age with family members are separated by Adult Day Center Staff have said tion planning, it is gratifying to almost daily technological time zones and oceans. that they are more understanding of see the Center up and running advances in communication. According to Perspectives on dementia. They report that they feel and making a difference in the It’s ironic that despite lots Psychological Science (2015), one in more confident with their plans and lives of so many adults with de- W of ways to communicate, so many five adults over age 50 (8 million actions with their loved one. They mentia and their caregivers. seem to be more isolated. This is es- people) are affected by isolation. also express that having the hour After touring the Center last pecially true for our seniors. Even The Journal of Health and Social each week to work with a knowl- winter, Senator Collins invited the most tech savvy senior can Behavior states that the negative edgeable and helpful SMAA staff SMAA’s Director of Adult Day spend days without in-person, hu- effects of isolation and loneliness person is very cathartic. Centers, Polly Bradley to appear man connection. are associated with higher rates of Dr. Gitlin’s work leading the before the Committee on Aging in While seniors have opportuni- chronic health conditions, includ- Center for Innovative Care in Aging Washington, DC to talk about the ties for social engagement, many can ing heart disease, a weakened im- focuses on dementia therapies that Centers and the positive impact withdraw. Health problems, hearing mune system, dementia and in- are not drugs, rather they are tech- adult day care has on those living issues, the loss of close friends to ill- creased use of emergency services niques for caregivers to use to care with dementia and their care- ness or death can lead to loneliness and nursing homes. for themselves and strategies to givers. and depression. Increasingly, our continued on page 18 help manage difficult behaviors. Other significant highlights from 2016 include the award of a If you no longer want to receive the paper, please contact Jessica at 396-6520 or 1-800-427-7411 x520 or [email protected]. $480,000 two year grant by the federal Administration for Com- Southern Maine NON-PROFIT munity Living to expand avail- ORGANIZATION ability of evidence based falls pre- Agency on Aging U.S. POSTAGE PAID vention programs throughout the 136 U.S. Route 1 PORTLAND, ME state and build a model for finan- Scarborough, ME 04074 PERMIT NO. 493 cial sustainability beyond the continued on page 9 2 Senior News January-February 2017 So uthern Maine’ s Premiere As siste d Living Community for Memory Care . Be proactive , be re ady . We’r e here to help. Whe ther yo ur love d on e is in nee d of memor y care now , or a ye ar fro m now , we invit e yo u to visit our bea utiful co mmunit y and join our wait list fo r rst av ailabl e ap artments . Visi t Avit a toda y! Con tac t Le a Ru st fo r mor e informatio n abo ut the wond erf ul wa y of life at Avi ta: 207.857.90077.90077.9007 or : Le a@avi tao fstststrou dwat erer.co m AVIT A OF STR OUDWATE R 113 Landing Road | Westbrook , ME | av ita ofstro udwater .co m January-February 2017 Senior News 3 Texas Instruments Gives Back on “Giving Tuesday” n this “Giving Tuesday” Texas Instruments set out to have 1,000 of its United States em- O ployees, from Dallas, Texas to South Portland, Maine, give back by helping to deliver Meals on Wheels to homebound older adults in need. Staff of the Texas Instruments (TI) South Portland location reached out to the Southern Maine Agency on Aging to help contribute towards this nationwide goal. On November 29, eight Texas Instru- ments employees joined the Port- land/Westbrook, and South Portland meal sites where they accompanied drivers on their routes. One TI employee spoke of their experience with Texas Instruments staff and Meals on Wheels Meals on Wheels volun- Brenda Roukey from Texas Instruments and SMAA teer: “I appreciated “Ted’s” volunteer Archie Archibald willingness to share his morning route with me. I thoroughly enjoyed the ex- perience and am happy to know that SMAA is doing so much to serve our com- munity with their Meals on Wheels program.” In addition to this vol- unteer event, the Texas Instrument Community Fund gave a generous grant of $15,000 to the SMAA’s Meals on Wheels program in October of this year. Anne Gauthier, Texas Instruments and SMAA volunteers Archie Archibald and Anne Reardon Rena Dunn from Texas THANK YOU Instruments and SMAA volunteers Norm and Texas Instruments Lorraine Lachapelle for giving back this Anne Gauthier and Brenda Roukey from Texas “Giving Tuesday”! Instruments Advertise Yourwith ad will reach us! 23,000+ active and engagedseniors in Cumberland and York Counties. Call or email for more information. (207) 396-6588 (800) 427-7411 [email protected] 4 Senior News January-February 2017 for everyone and may adversely af- Graduate to Graduated Compression fect some patients with peripheral arterial disease.