Mental Health

¦ Improving Your Memory

 Challenge the myths of aging by learning about memory and its enduring capacities.  This highly interactive workshop offers practical ways to increase your mental vitality by developing action plans that build mental muscle.  Participants will learn the facts about the development of wisdom and practice techniques that enhance memory through relaxation and stimulation of both mind and body.

¦ The Fundamentals of Mental Alertness

 What does it take to keep you feeling good?  Learn about the cognitive (thoughts) and affective (emotions) threats to mental wellness and how to avoid sabotaging your own well being.  This workshop offers practical, powerful ways to short circuit irrational thinking and cope with “the blues.”  

¦ Coping with Loss and Life Change

 Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of growing older is having to face an increasing number of losses and life changes.  This workshop examines the impact of these changes on ourselves and others and reviews the stages of grief and grieving.  Through sharing and discussion, participants learn practical ways to cope with loss and grow through life changes.

¦ Choices for Positive Living

 A positive living environment is key to supporting personal well-being.  This workshop explores ways to create and maintain mental vitality, wisdom, and enthusiasm for life by taking control of the external conditions affecting life and development.    Assess the people and “things” that make up your environment and learn and practice communication tools you can use to maintain a great attitude and maximum independence.

¦ Stress Management & Relaxation

 Stress causes us to feel anxious and unhappy and can actually lead to serious illness if we allow it to control us.  This valuable workshop gives participants an opportunity to define stress, identify causes of stress, discuss the potential physical, psychological, and social effects of stress on older adults, and learn a variety of effective ways to relax and handle stressful situations and events.

 Physical Health

¦ Get Smart on Aging

 Age-related changes in physical ability, sensory perception, memory, and emotion can have an enormous impact on older people.  This two-part workshop separates fact from fiction and reviews the normal physical and mental changes associated with aging along with practical advice about how to successfully cope with changes while keeping alert and mentally fit.

¦ Sexuality and Aging

 Age offers the opportunity to understand sex as intimate communication in the finest sense.  The gifts of affection, love, esteem, warmth, sharing, and bonding are as much the birthright of those in their older years as those who are much younger.   This workshop reviews three aspects of sexuality: the changes that come with aging, suggestions on how to adjust to these changes, and information about sexual health problems.

¦ Healthwise for Life

 A one hour workshop which helps participants better utilize the free, comprehensive Healthwise for Life guide book to health and aging.  The program is designed to help seniors build skills and confidence in medical self-care, doctor-patient communication, and medical consumerism.  Participants also gain an understanding of their role in controlling health care costs, and become empowered to take control of their health care decisions.  

¦ Using Medications Safely

 As we get older, we are more likely to be taking several medications.  Using these medications appropriately can increase a person’s quality of life.   But every medicine has the potential for harm – side effects, interactions, and dependence.  This workshop gives participants an opportunity to assess how they currently use medicines, understand what problems can occur from storing or taking medication inappropriately, and learn how to use their medicines safely.  The updated curriculum also includes the latest information about the potential side effects of mixing conventional medications with popular alternative and herbal supplements.

¦ Keeping Fit, Keeping Healthy

 Exercise has been proven to improve the health and quality of life of people at all ages.  Many seniors want to increase the activity in their daily lives but don’t know how.  This workshop helps people assess the activity level in their current lifestyle, understand the benefits of exercise, and learn the optimal level of intensity, frequency, duration, and progression of physical activity.  Learn how to easily build exercise into your life by learning an exercise routine you can do at home!

¦ Eating Right & Feeling Great: Nutrition and Older Age

 An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right?  Not exactly, but eating well leads to living well and aging well.   In this one-hour workshop, participants will learn the essentials of a healthy diet as well as practical tips to make it easier than ever to eat right.  Get back to the basics, learn to eat right with the Food Guide Pyramid, and become inspired.  The right foods can help you look and feel better!

¦ Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

 After the common cold, difficulty sleeping is the most prevalent health complaint.  Learn about about sleep requirements, sleep patterns, and lifestyle choices that affect sleep.    This workshop offers practical advice about how to combat the common causes of sleep difficulty to help older adults get a solid and refreshing night’s sleep.

Advance Directives

¦ The Gift of Preparedness:  The ABC’s of Advanced Directives 

This one hour workshop explains the importance of communicating health care preferences in advance of serious illness or injury.  Participants will examine personal values as they assess their choices and review the requirements of documents such as the Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare.   Also emphasized is the need to communicate end of life care wishes to health care providers and family members.  

 ¦ Becoming a Health Care Agent:  Roles and Responsibilities 

The 90-minute workshop helps prepare those who will be called on to make final health care decisions for another person.   A review of roles and responsibilities will be coupled with practical suggestions which help ensure that a loved one’s wishes for end of life are carried out compassionately.   Family conversations and communication with health care providers are encouraged.  For that reason, this workshop is most effective when coupled with AGING 2000’s “Communicating with Your Health Care Providers” workshop.

Health Care / Health Insurance

 ¦ Understanding Medicare Choices

 A 45-minute presentation on health care coverage options for Medicare beneficiaries.  Through the program, consumers learn the differences between traditional Medicare and managed care options, the choices currently available in Rhode Island, what to consider when choosing health care coverage, and new choices on the horizon.

¦ Communicating with Your Health Care Providers

 A good relationship between patient and doctor is essential to good health care.  This hour long interactive workshop helps participants learn to choose a doctor, share and receive information effectively, understand and communicate needs, and clarify treatment plans.  Participants will learn how to prepare for their office visits and how to play an active role during the visit.

¦ Identifying and Stopping Medicare Fraud

 Medicare fraud is a crime that costs this country billions.  And it costs you.   Fraud drives up costs and makes your annual deductible and monthly premiums higher than they have to be.  Learn how to identify common schemes so you can spot and report Medicare fraud and protect yourself and your benefits. 

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AGING 2000 is continually adding new workshops to this offering.  To find out about the newest workshops, call (401) 521-7930.

  These workshops are offered free of charge and are facilitated by trained staff and volunteers.  To schedule a workshop in your community, contact Andrea Mainardi, Director of Education and Public Affairs at AGING 2000 by calling (401) 521-7930 or toll-free at (888) 684-7200.

 Aging 2000 is a local nonprofit consumer organization whose mission is to improve the health and health care delivery system for older Rhode Islanders.  To find out more about Aging 2000, log on to www.info@aging2000.org.