GRANT SPOTLIGHT: council on aging

“The Council on Aging has benefited greatly from the three years’ of funding that we have received through SEF for innovative, educational programs that we would not have otherwise been able to provide. Each of the years’ funding has brought a different educational opportunity to the center and the seniors that have become connected and stimulated through these opportunities,” posits COA Director Linda Hayes.

SEF sees Scituate as a thriving, vibrant community that encourages innovation and skill development through diverse learning opportunities for all ages. The grants awarded the Council on Aging are truly the embodiment of the idea of “life long learning.”

The Council on Aging has received four grants since SEF’s inception in 2016, two of which are highlighted here: Memory Reboot class and Nordic Walking Poles.

MEMORY REBOOT

Like many SEF lifelong learning grants, the Memory Reboot class, developed at UCLA’s Longevity center, is a win-win for our community’s seniors. Not only did the participants benefit from the memory training, but the class itself brought new people into the Senior Center who may not have previously been aware of its programs and resources.

Director Linda Hayes identified that while there is an element of normalcy in forgetting more as we age, it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. She said, “There are ways to sharpen, maintain, and reboot memory with techniques that can be learned and used daily to lessen the anxiety and loss of confidence that come with memory concerns.” She added that working on these skills in a group of like-minded older adults has immense value.

NORDIC WALKING POLES

From mental health to physical health, the COA has received an SEF grant for it! The Nordic Pole Walking program is an effective and inexpensive education, health, and fitness program piloted and implemented by program leader Lisa Thornton. Once trained, seniors can use the poles to walk on their own, with other seniors and with friends and family of any age.

Originating in Finland, Nordic pole walking has long been popular throughout Scandinavia and the U.K., and is now seen as a simple-yet-effective form of exercise by people in many countries around the world.

What makes pole walking different? Council on Aging Director Linda Hayes explains that the use of the poles creates resistance which enhances walking – burning 40% more calories and creating a better upper body workout. It offers an exercise program that is all-weather, inexpensive, accessible and provides an effective low-impact cardiovascular and muscular workout, as well as the all-important opportunity to build new social connections.