Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging, a not-for-profit member of Hartford HealthCare Senior Services, offers many educational events each year, often in conjunction with area senior centers. Observing current social guidelines and restrictions, the Center for Healthy Aging is continuing to provide pertinent health information through webinars and video conferencing.
For more information about Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging, click here or call 1.877.424.4641.
Here are some upcoming events, all available by either phone or video conference. For people who have not used Zoom, the video or virtual “conference room,” click here to learn more about using the program.
Dementia Caregiver Support Groups
Caregivers often have overwhelming responsibilities assisting their loved ones in doing the most basic tasks while juggling their own lives. To provide education and a venue to discuss challenges and helpful strategies, Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging offers virtual dementia caregiver support groups.
Topics include: communication techniques, caregiver support, benefits of activities, family dynamics and safety issues. Each virtual group requires one-time registration after which instructions for joining will be provided. The groups meet at various times to make it easier for more people to participate.
Second Wednesday of every month (Dec. 9), 10 to 11 a.m., facilitated by Adrianne DeVivo, dementia specialist. Registration is required: Call 1.855.442.4373 or click here.
Second Wednesday of every month (Dec. 9) 6:30 to 8 p.m., facilitated by Patty O’Brian, certified dementia specialist. This group is associated with the Alzheimer’s Association Connecticut Chapter and is sponsored by HHC Center for Healthy Aging and Southington Care Center. Registration is required: Call 1.855.442.4373 or click here.
Third Monday of every month (Dec. 21) excepting holidays, 1 to 2:30 p.m., facilitated by Patty O’Brian, dementia specialist. This group is coordinated with the Berlin-Peck Library and sponsored by HHC Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Association Connecticut Chapter. Registration is required: Call 1.855.442.4373 or click here.
Last Monday of every month (Dec. 28), 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., facilitated by Michelle Wyman, dementia specialist. This group is sponsored by HHC Center for Healthy Aging and Duncaster. Registration is required: Call 1.855.442.4373 or click here.
Call-in Dementia Caregivers Support Group meets every Friday from 2 to 3 p.m., facilitated by a dementia specialist. Registration is not required. To join Hartford HealthCare’s Virtual Meeting Room, call: 860.972.6338 and, when prompted, enter the access code 19623#.
CHOICES Counseling: Medicare Benefit Options
Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging is offering free CHOICES counseling sessions during Medicare’s Annual Open Enrollment period currently underway to Dec. 7. People can meet one-on-one with a CHOICES counselor to discuss Medicare benefit plans. CHOICES counseling is by appointment and is available in the Center for Healthy Aging offices, telephonically and virtually.
CHOICES is Connecticut’s program for Health insurance assistance, Outreach, Information and referral, Counseling, and Eligibility Screening. CHOICES counselors advise, educate and empower individuals to navigate the increasingly complex Medicare program and help beneficiaries make choices among a vast array of options to best meet their needs.
This free service is available to people new to Medicare as well as those already enrolled. Appointments must be made. For more information or to make an appointment, contact HHC Center for Healthy Aging at 1.877.424.4641.
Virtual Class: Movement Disorders Caregivers Support Group
For those who care for people with movement disorders or neurological conditions, a virtual caregivers support group is offered on the first and third Tuesdays (Dec. 1 and 15), 10 to 11 a.m. Each session will spotlight a different caregiver/care-partner topic. Meetings will begin with a brief clinician-led presentation.
Afterward, participants can share and contribute their own thoughts and experiences related to the session topic. Sessions will take place biweekly through Zoom and everyone is encouraged to connect via audio and video, if possible.
Facilitators include Jennifer McCaughey, Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging, and Amanda Brill and Jennifer Lambert of Chase Family Movement Disorder Center.
Registration is required once to join the virtual class. To register, contact [email protected] or [email protected]. After registration, an email will be sent with easy instructions on joining the virtual class.
Staying on Your Feet in the Ice and Snow
Avoiding slips and falls isn’t always easy especially in the winter. But there are a few basic strategies to prevent falls and reduce injury if a fall is inevitable. The virtual class, “Staying on Your Feet on the Ice and Snow,” will be held Tuesday, Dec. 1, 1 to 2 p.m.
Mitchell Nyser, exercise physiologist with GoodLife Fitness, will lead the program.
Registration is required: Call 1.855.442.4373 or click here. After registration, an email will be sent with easy instructions on joining the virtual class.
GoodLife Fitness, a program of Hartford HealthCare, is geared toward the older adult to build energy, strength and endurance for an active lifestyle. An exercise physiologist works one-to-one with each person to improve muscular strength, balance, cardiovascular health and self-esteem, while reducing the risk of falls and injuries. For more information and about the eight locations, click here.
Understanding Arthritis
Doctors have identified more than 100 types of arthritis, a condition commonly characterized by pain and stiffness of the joints. A virtual class, “Understanding Arthritis,” will explore how dietary factors, free radicals and trauma can cause arthritis, how it is diagnosed, and what can be done to prevent it. This program will be held Wednesday, Dec. 2, 10 to 11 a.m.
Evan Gross, exercise physiologist with GoodLife Fitness, will lead the program.
Registration is required: Call 1.855.442.4373 or click here. After registration, an email will be sent with easy instructions on joining the virtual class.
Virtual Class: Nutrition and the Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Inflammation, the body’s natural reaction to injury or illness, can play a role in impacting chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. A free virtual program, “Nutrition and the Anti-Inflammatory Diet,” will be held Thursday, Dec. 3, noon to 1 p.m.
Facilitator will be Eric Secor, chief of integrative medicine at Hartford Hospital. Topics will include: allergy and immunology; functional medicine, herbal medicine and pain management; and anti-inflammatory diet.
Registration is required: Call 1.855.442.4373 or click here. After registration, participants will receive an email with easy instructions on joining the webinar.
Monthly Virtual Memory Café (Open to those with Memory Loss)
The Virtual Memory Café is a welcoming place for people with memory loss, mild cognitive impairment, early dementia and for their families and friends. Memory café offers an easy and fun way to socialize with others who have a shared experience. The “café” meets every Monday effective Dec. 7 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The group is facilitated by a dementia specialist with Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging.
One-time registration is required: Call 1.855.442.4373 or click here. After registration, participants will receive an email with easy instructions on joining the webinar.
Storm Preparedness: Be Medically Ready
Prevention and preparedness build the foundation to have a good outcome when possibly facing a medical emergency during a storm. A free virtual class on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 1 to 2 p.m., will include steps to prepare emergency plans, considerations for long-term health conditions and essential tips.
A Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging transitional care nurse will lead the program. The program is sponsored by HHC Center for Healthy Aging and Meriden Senior Center.
Registration is required: Call 1.855.442.4373 or click here. After registration, participants will receive an email with easy instructions on joining the webinar.
Helpful Hints for Happy Holidays
The holidays can increase stress for caregivers and their loved ones with dementia, possibly even more so this year. A free virtual class, “Helpful Hints for Happy Holidays,” will provide tips to help make the holiday season more stress-free, manageable and enjoyable for all family members. The program on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 6 to 7 p.m., will be led by a dementia specialist with Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging.
Registration is required: Call 1.855.442.4373 or click here. After registration, participants will receive an email with easy instructions on joining the webinar.
Let’s Talk About the Brain
Insights into the function of the brain, keeping the brain healthy and age-related changes, are some of the topics that will be discussed at a free virtual class on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 1 to 2 p.m.
The presenter will be Michelle Wyman, a certified dementia specialist with Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging. A question-and-answer period will follow the presentation. HHC Center for Healthy Aging and South Windsor Senior Center are sponsoring.
Registration is required: Call 1.855.442.4373 or click here. After registration, participants will receive an email with easy instructions on joining the webinar.
Virtual Class: Long-Term Planning, Asset Protection and Veterans Benefits
Issues pertaining to elder law can be confusing. A free virtual class on Thursday, Dec. 17, from noon to 1 p.m., will cover pertinent topics including estate planning, special needs planning, wills and trusts, probate, trust administration, and more.
Attorney Steven Rubin will also include discussion on public benefits, Medicaid, veterans benefits and tax planning. A question-and-answer period will follow the presentation.
Registration is required: Call 1.855.442.4373 or click here. After registration, participants will receive an email with easy instructions on joining the webinar.