Director's Message
Lets Talk February 2006 Let’s Talk February 2006
February can often be a bleak month. It is still cold, still dark, roads and sidewalks may be treacherous. One can easily feel trapped at home, lonely and isolated. Inertia and gloom set in. This is a really good time to come to a Let’s Talk group.
PSRC is currently running four Let’s Talk groups. The original groups meet on Wednesday morning from 10:30 to 12 noon at Redding Circle and Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 to 4:30 at Spruce Circle. More recently, we have added two groups of Let’s Talk in English for the growing number of older adults in Princeton who are not native English speakers.
Studies show that a critical component of healthy aging is having a social support network. You need to know that someone cares, and that you have others to care about. Participants in these groups have formed friendships that extend beyond the group, going to meals, plays and movies together. People call each other when someone is ill. Resources and strategies for overcoming life’s challenges are often shared. One person told me recently how important the group was to her when she first moved to Princeton to be near her children because she didn’t know anyone else and the group members became her first friends.
Another component of healthy aging is keeping the mind sharp. Group discussions range as far as the imagination can go. People tell their own stories, reminisce about when times were different, compare journeys through both trial and triumph. Sometimes current events, near and far, are the focus, or a thought-provoking tv show. Other times we enjoy a great laugh over internet humor. One participant often tells me how he felt rather down all week, but he feels much better after the meeting, and another has told us how much attending the group helped her get through the first year after her husband’s death.
The Let’s Talk in English groups help participants adapt to a new culture, building language skills and social connections.
Each of the groups is facilitated by at least one PSRC staff person or volunteer. Our responsibility is to make sure that the coffee and tea are ready, the cookies are plentiful and that newcomers are welcome. It is also our job to ensure that each group is a comfortable and safe place to be and that confidentiality is maintained. For that reason, we like to meet with a new person before they attend a group. We often bring information and resources to share with the group, and we follow up when participants are absent. I have enormous gratitude for what I have learned about aging from my four years of meeting with these groups.
Come join us! If you are interested, please contact Abigail Waugh (252-2362) or Susan Hoskins (924-7108). Susan W. Hoskins LCSW |
Previous MessagesJune 2013 - Age Friendly Communities June 2013 - Age Friendly Communities May 2013 - Navigating a Changing HealthCare Landscape March 2013 - Navigating Life’s Transitions February 2013 - Partners in Caring Princeton January 2013 - Men as Caregivers December 2012 - The Safety Net October 2012 - Documenting Your History September 2012 - A Journey of Transformation July - August 2012 - Gratitude & Moving March 2012 - Patient-centered Care February 2012 - Can you Spare an Hour? January 2012 - Challenges & Opportunities December - Are you Prepared for Emergencies? October - Chocolate for Memory September- Looking Back and Looking Forward Lessons and Legacies, March 2011 Independent Living February 2011 Witness to my Life December 2010 Elections, benefits and open enrollment November 2010 Strategic Planning September 2010 Hiring Home Care December 2009 Annual Giving by Sharon Naeole November 2009 Flu Pandemic 2009 October 2009 Healthy Memory, Healthy Mind September 2009 A Personal Perspective on Caregiving July/August 2009 Wei Ji: Crisis, Danger and Opportunity April 2009 Write your own obituary March 2009 Hope and Vision in Challenging Times Medicare Changes 2008: Take A Look! December 2008 Scams, Frauds and Rip-offs November 2008 Engaged Retirement: Beyond Financial Planning October 2008 September 2008 Caregiver Dilemmas Finding Rhythm and Purpose July/August 2008 V + OA = ER (Volunteering + Older Americans=Engaged Retirement)May 2008 Have You Had the Talk Yet? March 2008 Get Moving with FitRhythms™! February 2008 What Are Social Services? November 2007 Plan for the Future September 2007 The Up-side of Aging Summer 2007 National Conference on Aging: Let's ReThink Aging April 2007 Season of Giving December 2006 April Hill McElroy October 2006 Civic Engagement September 2006 White House Conference on Aging May 2006 Are You Prepared? October 2005 Watch Your Language September 2005 The End of the Journey May 2005 New Dietary Guidelines February 2005 Civic Engagement with GrandPals October 2004 The Challenge of Giving Care May 2004 Seniors On The Move April 2004 Random Acts of Kindness December 2003 Civic Engagement November 2003 |