On Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 6:30–8 p.m., Care Dimensions will present “Restoring Inner Peace, Sense of Self After Soul Injury” at Bemis Hall in Lincoln. This is for anyone who has experienced loss, heartache, or trauma, or has been a victim of combat, crime, abuse, neglect or other unattended emotional injuries, including but not limited to military veterans and their families. Soul injury presents as a sense of emptiness and a loss of meaning, or the feeling that a part of the self is missing. People who have experienced loss such as bereavement, divorce, or betrayal by a significant other may also suffer from soul injury, as can personal and professional caregivers. Open to the public; please RSVP by Nov. 18 to 781-373-6574 or jcorrigan@caredimensions.org.
Let’s Do Galaxy Zoo
November 21
Galaxy Zoo is an online amateur science project that has been running for over 10 years that aims to help professional astronomers understand how galaxies form and evolve. In this project, amateurs view images from a database containing hundreds of thousands of galaxies and use simple criteria to classify those galaxies in various ways. In addition to contributing to fundamental research and gaining insights into how science is done, you can see a stunning collection of images of exotic galaxies.
Join Lincoln’s Veterans Services Officer Peter Harvell on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 10:15 a.m. at Bemis Hall for an overview of the VA’s Health Benefits system. Get an overview of the system and how it works and what benefits it offers and find out if you or a family member might be eligible. Come find out what you need to know.
Winter can be a time when it’s easy to feel blue, but if your mood lasts a long time or interferes with your ability to enjoy life, it’s time to do something about it. Some people feel depressed at the holidays, reminded of loved ones or good times lost, or may have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Come find out more about the difference between clinical depression and everyday sadness, SAD, and what to do if you think you may need help when Lincoln’s public health nurse, Tricia McGean, comes to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 10 a.m.
Meet with a nurse at 50 Wells Rd. in Lincoln Woods on Tuesday, Jan. 14 from 10 a.m.–noon or Bemis Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 21 from 9 a.m.–11 a.m. Blood pressure, nutrition and fitness, medication management, chronic disease management, resources, and more. Services provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care. The Bemis Hall clinic is supported by the Pierce House.
Meet with a nurse at 50 Wells Rd. in Lincoln Woods on Tuesday, Jan. 14 from 10 a.m.–noon or Bemis Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 21 from 9 a.m.–11 a.m. Blood pressure, nutrition and fitness, medication management, chronic disease management, resources, and more. Services provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care. The Bemis Hall clinic is supported by the Pierce House.
The fourth annual Lincoln Holistic Wellness Fair organized by the Lincoln Area Wellness Collaborative takes place on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 1–4 p.m. in the Pierce House. The event is part of the Parks & Recreation Department’s Winter Carnival. Visitors can learn about holistic health methods such as acupuncture, Ayurveda, BEMER therapy, higher brain living, Kundalini yoga, massage and bodywork, reflexology, sound and energy healing, therapeutic touch, zero balancing, and more. Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, and Debra’s Natural Gourmet will donate refreshments. Practitioners will offer free sample treatments, short classes, demos and presentations. For more information or to sign up in advance for demos, email Jai Kaur San Antonio at asanajai@verizon.net.
Click here to see the full list of Winter Carnival events taking place from January 30 to February 2.
Come to a free beginners’ meditation session Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. for a half-hour at Bemis Hall. Meditation opens the channels of our natural states of peace, joy, and health, and aids in decreasing the negative effects of aging. Experienced meditation teacher Lynne LaSpina will begin the session with a few minutes of stretching muscles to relax, and breathing exercises to help focus before meditating for about 10 minutes. Lynne will offer walking meditation for those who find it difficult to sit quietly for 10 minutes. For information, contact Lynne at 908-892-2408 or llas902551@aol.com.
Are you new to caregiving and would like to be pointed in the right direction? Come have breakfast with Carolyn Bottum, the COA Director, on Friday, Feb. 21 at 8:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall. You’ll learn what services can be provided in your home or in the community, who can help you evaluate and monitor services, and tips and strategies for reducing your stress while being a caregiver.
Currently, more than a third of the country is now obese, making the U.S. one of the fattest countries in an increasingly fat world. Mounting research suggests that U.S. life expectancy may be starting to decline for the first time since 1993. Most now believe that the increase in obesity is due to the increase in average caloric consumption, increased consumption of refined carbohydrates high in simple sugars, and a sedentary lifestyle with little exercise. Unfortunately, the U.S. Low-Fat Diet Recommendations of 1977 may have contributed to the increase in weight gain. Dr. Foster is Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine. The COA provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion. All ages welcome.
Meet with a nurse at 50 Wells Rd. in Lincoln Woods on Tuesday, March 10 from 10 a.m. to noon or Bemis Hall on Tuesday, March 17 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Blood pressure, nutrition and fitness, medication management, chronic disease management, resources, and more. Services provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care. The Bemis Hall clinic is supported by the Pierce House.
Hearing Loss Association of America member Carol Agate will speak on “Understanding and Coping with Hearing Loss” on Saturday, June 6 at 2 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library. The program is geared toward people with hearing loss, people who think they might have hearing loss, people whose friends tell them to get their hearing checked, or people who simply want to know what hearing loss is. The library will also be introducing its new hearing loop system.
Meet with a nurse at 50 Wells Rd. in Lincoln Woods on Tuesday, March 10 from 10 a.m.–noon or Bemis Hall on Tuesday, March 17 from 9–11 a.m. Blood pressure, nutrition and fitness, medication management, chronic disease management, resources, and more. Services provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care. The Bemis Hall clinic is supported by the Pierce House.
Lincoln Academy with Mark Hopkins: Amazonia’s Rainforest—Assessing Its Health and Future
Today’s Amazon rainforest, one of the most pristine, wildlife-rich places left on earth, is facing environmental challenges like never before. In this talk, Mark Hopkins discusses why rainforests are of such importance to the planet’s health, and reveals how deforestation and other human-induced threats are challenging their very existence. His discussion covers both the damage that environmental exploitation has caused, and the significant successes that teamwork between scientists and local people is achieving to sustain the health of the Peruvian rainforest and its many rare species. The COA provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion. All ages welcome.
For caregivers: technology to help elders be safer at home
Every day, new technology comes out that can assist elders to be safer in their homes, whether it monitors well being and sends information to caregivers or others, provides virtual assistants, or offers support for those with hearing or visual impairments. Learn more about what is available, as well as their advantages and possible challenges, when Margaret McLaughlin comes to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. to reprise her November talk during an evening to accommodate working caregivers. McLaughlin is Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California and is currently Distinguished Visiting Research Scholar in the College of Communication at Boston University.
On Thursday, April 16 at 6 p.m., Congresswoman Katherine Clark will host a telephone town hall discussion about how people can support the mental health needs of themselves and their loved ones during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Clark will be joined by Dr. Claire McCarthy, a pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital, and Dr. Brent Forester, chief of McClean Hospital’s Center of Excellence in Geriatric Psychiatry, who can provide best practices and resources available to our community as we guide our families through this challenging time. The public will be invited to submit questions ahead of the call or ask their question live. Questions can be submitted here. Dial 844-734-8764 to join the call.
The Council on Aging is offering a free beginners’ meditation session for all ages via Zoom on Friday, June 19 from 2–2:30 p.m. Meditation opens the channels of our natural states of peace, joy, and health, and aids in decreasing the negative effects of aging. Experienced meditation teacher Lynne LaSpina will begin each session with a few minutes of stretching muscles to relax, and breathing exercises to help focus before meditating for about 10 minutes. You must sign up in advance by emailing bottumc@lincolntown.org.
What is mindfulness and does it really have all the physical and mental health benefits you read about? Mindfulness is both a way of living life aware of our thoughts and the present moment and specific practices like meditation. To find out more, come to a special Council on Aging session with Catherine Collins via Zoom on Tuesday, July 7 at 10 am. You’ll come away with a better understanding as well as specific practices. To get the Zoom address, register by emailing gagnea@lincolntown.org.
Do you have questions about Covid-19, whether about its prevention, transmission, symptoms, or treatment? Are there other concerns you have about seasonal health issues such as ticks and Lyme disease or EEE? Do you have general health questions? Join Tricia on Wednesday, July 15 at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Tricia will answer your questions and provide you with accurate and science-based information. To attend, email gagnea@lincolntown.org. Advance registration required.