Braving the New England Winter: Rights & Resources to Access Critical Services
This important discussion and networking opportunity highlights critical information & resources as we head into the winter months. With heating and other utility costs soaring, this important conversation will explore rights and access to critical services and emergency preparedness to keep older adults in our communities safe and healthy through the cold, dark months ahead.

Connecting the Dots – Addressing the Challenges of Hoarding Behavior
Public and private agencies and inter-disciplinary task forces across Northern New England are tackling the issue of hoarding through educational workshops, public awareness campaigns, and peer and individual support. For those who have friends, family or neighbors who exhibit hoarding behaviors, the challenges of assisting an individual are well-known. What is less well-known is how to assist people with hoarding behavior and what underlying issues trigger this behavior.

Creative Aging
Creative expression has helped to enhance the quality of life and promote lifelong learning for many older adults. Learn how community programs around our region promote creative aging by engaging older adults in participatory arts programs.

Creative Ways to Age at Home by Sharing One’s Home
Hear some innovative home-sharing models. It isn’t only for the Golden Girls!

For the Love of Fido: Older Adults and Pets
Hear from programs that help older adults enjoy their pets and that bring older adults and pets together.

Getting Outside and Getting Moving
It is hard to deny the benefits of getting outside and getting moving. Some experts call “lacing up your shoes, opening the door and heading outside” a “magic cure” that can improve mood and sleep, strengthen relationships and even lower the need for pain medications. People working on lifelong community efforts are certainly aware of the many advantages of getting outside and getting moving for older folks in their communities, and this webinar focused on a few of these replicable efforts in the tri-state region.

Healthy Living with Technology
Learn about innovative technologies that are making it easier and safer to age in our own homes. For those of us who want to age in our own homes as safely and comfortably as possible, today’s technology is more than just convenient—it can be a huge boost to both our health and our quality of life. We also heard about virtual reality that is helping medical professionals understand what it is like to experience illness and death. If you have ever gone to a medical appointment and wished the professional could experience your symptoms, this tech has made it possible.

Helping People Stay at Home: One Light Bulb and Snow Shovel at a Time
This webinar explored how different kinds of volunteer programs operate around our region and described the impact these programs have on volunteers and on people receiving help. Key issues discussed were recruitment and training of volunteers, developing policies that make the experience of those receiving help with chores or maintenance tasks, and how these kinds of programs can be sustained longer-term.

Helping People Stay at Home: Volunteer Home Repair/Modification
The webinar explored how different kinds of volunteer home repair and home modifications operate around our region and told the story of the huge impact these programs have. The webinar also included a discussion of how these kinds of programs can be sustained longer-term.

Housing as Community Development
Communities across the country are developing innovative housing solutions. Deb Keller, Executive Director of Bath Housing Authority gave us an overview of developing affordable housing options; Rebecca Dillon from Gawron Turgeon Architects shared information about the importance of design in building senior housing solutions; and, Reverend Fowler, Executive Director of Cass Community Services in Detroit described their innovative tiny house community.

Housing as Community Development – 2
We explored examples of housing options for folks whose myriad needs go above and beyond four walls and a roof. We heard from folks across Northern New England who are tackling these challenges by providing innovative housing with diverse services. What are these needs? How do housing providers address these needs? Where are there gaps? And where are there opportunities? What challenges exist and how are folks addressing these challenges?

Insights from Healthy Aging Community Leaders
Many of us are continuing to grapple with the lasting impacts of COVID on our organizations, our communities, and how we connect with each other and provide the programs and services we need to thrive as we grow older.  In this panel discussion, we connected with leaders at the heart of community-based healthy aging initiatives to hear where they are in adapting to a “new normal”, what goals and challenges they’re holding for the year ahead, and how they’ve measured and demonstrated impact over the last couple of years.

Isolation: Innovative Ideas from Northern New England
We highlighted some of the great ideas that are “popping up” in lifelong communities and aging in place initiatives in northern New England. The format will be a little different from some of our other webinars. New England is famous for its ingenuity. The lifelong communities and aging in place initiatives develop innovative ideas to address needs. During this webinar, we celebrated those innovative ideas that encourage people to enjoy social participation, especially during the winter months when getting out can be challenging. We will be “seeding” the conversation with several “kernels of corn” that are already popping in northern New England.

Let’s Talk – Starting, Facilitating and Promoting Conversations about Care in our Later Years
Among the most important conversations we will have in our lives, the conversation about our choices and interests related to our care and needs in our later years ranks high. While we know they are vitally important, these conversations are commonly avoided because they are overwhelming and often perceived as difficult. And with whom do we have these conversations? Our family, friends, medical providers, faith leaders? When do we have them? And who initiates them?

Neighbors Helping Neighbors Stay Warm
The long Northern New England winters can be especially trying for seniors. As the temperatures drop, older adults are at an increased risk of injury and illness due to snow and ice and cold, dry air. Fuel costs can often put a strain on already limited financial resources. While there are government and nonprofit organizations that offer fuel assistance to low-income seniors during winter months, communities are coming up with their own innovative volunteer responses to help those in need.

Solo Aging: Cultivating a Creative Framework of Support
The term Solo Ager generally refers to older adults who do not have a traditional family network to provide needed care and support as they age. Because many life planning tools are constructed around this traditional model, Solo Agers need to think creatively when it comes to life planning to ensure that what matters to them is honored as they age. In this webinar, we’ll hear from leaders in this process who are offering alternative approaches or tailored services designed to meet the unique needs of Solo Agers.

Tackling the Challenge of Social Isolation
Social isolation increases as people age; factors such as disability and loss of loved ones can put older adults at risk of experiencing social isolation. In Northern New England, our geography plays a role in social isolation among older people; small towns with limited services and long rural roads with scattered homes make connecting with others more difficult as we age. The good news is that individuals and groups across our region recognize the importance of social connection, and are employing creative and effective strategies to address this health issue.

Technology Supports for Healthy Aging
From healthcare to food access, how are organizations using technology in innovative ways to connect older adults to resources? How can we use technology to improve the quality of life as older adults age in place? In this engaging webinar hear from those working to enhance and enrich older adults’ experiences through technology utilization.