Elder Connection By Barbara Hanson The combination of bad weather, the stress of the holidays and the inevitable “letdown” that comes in January and February can result in phenomena called “winter blahs” or “cabin fever.” No germs are involved, but “cabin fever” can get you down just as surely as flue or pneumonia. Nancy Loncaric, writing...   Read more »

ELDER CONNECTION by Barbara Hanson Now that we are in the grip of "old man winter", it's time to look at some ways to avoid the possibility of hypothermia. As we get older, our bodies become less able to respond to long exposure to cold or to heat. In cold weather, some older people may develop accidental hypothermia, a drop in internal body temperature that can be fatal if not detected and...   Read more »

ELDER CONNECTION by Barbara Hanson Now that we are in the grip of “old man winter”, it’s time to look at some ways to avoid the possibility of hypothermia. As we get older, our bodies become less able to respond to long exposure to cold or to heat. In cold weather, some older people may develop accidental hypothermia, a...   Read more »

Elder Connection By Barbara Hanson Do you receive both Medicare and Medicaid? Would you like to share your experiences with the State of Vermont to help improve these programs? Please participate in a Focus Group about Medicare and Medicaid in January and receive a $20 gift card. u If you receive services from any of the following: the Vermont Community Treatment and...   Read more »

Elder Connection By Barbara Hanson From the Council on Aging and from this author personally-Happy Holidays!! In the spirit of the season, I’d like to share the following piece by an unknown author entitled “The Art of Giving”: The...   Read more »

Elder Connection By Barbara Hanson Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you the winter schedule for the Rutland Osher Lifelong Learning sessions. Each of the twelve lectures in this winter 2012 term will be from 1:30 to 3:00 PM on a Friday afternoon at the Godnick Adult Center, 1 Deer Street (off Woodstock Avenue) in Rutland. For directions to the Godnick Center or for program information...   Read more »

Seniority Happy Thanksgiving! Our New Quarterly Newsletter November 2011 Administrative Office: Branch: 1085 US Rt 4 East, Unit 2B 169 North Street Rutland, VT 05701 Bennington, VT 05201 1-800-642-5119 WWW.SVCOA.ORG Since this is the month of Thanksgiving, "giving thanks" naturally comes to mind. Southwestern VT Council On Aging staff is thankful for the joys, rewards and even...   Read more »

As most of you already know, the Council on Aging, in partnership with our contractor, FitzVogt and Associates, provides community dining experiences for seniors in our area as well as home delivered meals for those seniors who for any of a number of reasons can’t get out to a meal site. As we enter the holiday season this year, I thought it would be a good time to talk about our...   Read more »

Elder Connection By Barbara Hanson In celebration of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, Rutland Area Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice and Rutland Regional Medical Center will host a film and discussion event on Thursday, November 10, 2011 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the CVPS/Leahy Community Education Center, 160 Allen Street, Rutland. What happens to a...   Read more »

It's one of the most recognizable expressions around: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." But besides the fact that it rhymes, which makes it fun to say and easy to recall, does it really have any value? Could the common apple honestly help a person to maintain good health? According to Amy Hunter, who writes for the newsletter, Fit & Health, the first printed mention of this saying can...   Read more »