On Thursday, April 2, two seniors from At Home Chesapeake will lead a workshop at the Kent County Middle School, 402 E. Campus Ave., in Chestertown, on developing one’s personal master aging plan. The workshop–entitled “Your Plan for Living the Good Life”– will take place during a Homeports-sponsored Community Health Fair, also at the Middle School that day.
The workshop will be from 9:30 am to 11:30 am and requires pre-registration. It will be led by Peter J. Engstrom and Maureen Caviaola, founding members of At Home Chesapeake, an organization of seniors in Anne Arundel County. Engstrom and Caviaola presented the concept of developing a personalized aging plan at last year’s Healthy Aging Symposium.
The thought of planning for the future can be overwhelming. Addressing hard questions is difficult.
“We can all expect to have ‘bumps in the road’,” according to Engstrom. “We need to be realistic about possible challenges and how to address them. By clearly stating our goals and our priorities, we can make decisions aimed at achieving our dreams of aging in place rather than being a passive reactor to external circumstances.”
Traditional documents such as wills and powers of attorney resolve legal uncertainties associated with aging, but do not address how we would like to live out our life. A master plan is also an invaluable tool for families. The leaders will guide participants in an impartial, supportive setting to carefully think through issues such as:
-Priorities for aging in place
-Short term goals
-A plan of action
-A description of your ideal future and your current situation
Attention will also be given to communicating the plan to those close to us.
Participants can also attend the free community Health Fair being held throughout the school that day from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. The event offers health screenings, over 60 exhibitors, free refreshments, and ten expert speakers. A complete Health Fair schedule is posted at www.homeports.org and will be published in the Kent County News.
The workshop is organized by HomePorts, greater Kent County’s non-profit aging-in-place membership organization. HomePorts assists those over 55 in providing access to a wide range of services in order to remain content, safe, and confident living in their own homes. HomePorts resources include a cadre of vetted volunteers to help members and referrals to reliable service providers in the fields of transportation; interior and exterior home maintenance; grocery & household services; personal assistance & trouble shooting; and pet care. It also offers financial assistance for those with limited incomes.
Registration fee is $35, with lunch available for purchase after the workshop. For more information or registration, contact Karen Wright, Executive Director, 443-480-0940, or e-mail [email protected].
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.