Free Hearing Screenings at The Thompson Center
Monday, May 21, 1:00 to 4:45 pm
Audiologists, Julie Johnson and Catherine Rieke, from Johnson Audiology in Hanover NH will be offering hearing screenings at the Thompson Center. Please visit the Center between 1:00 pm and 4:45 pm for a complimentary hearing screening (first come first serve). For more information about Johnson Audiology Drs. Johnson and Rieke, please visit their website at johnsonaudiology.org.
Chair Massage is Back!
Thursdays, 9:00 – 11:00 am
$15 for 15 minutes
Massage Therapist Sara Smith will offer 15 minute massages or you can ask for more or less time at the time of your reservation. Be kind to yourself and treat yourself to a chair massage by calling The Thompson.
FITNESS H2O on FREE SENIOR FRIDAYS at
Upper Valley Aquatic Center
9:15 – 10:10 am
Open swimming available from 9-11 am
A low-impact, low-intensity class in the shallow-water, focusing on overall strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility. Seniors get in free to all of UVAC facility Fridays 9-11am! This is a free walk-in class for those 65 and older. All fitness levels are welcome.
Transportation provided by The Thompson Center upon request.
Tai Chi’s Slow ~ Medication in Motion!
Wednesdays, Beginner Class 9:30 – 10:30 am
Advanced Class 10:45 – 11:45 am
Current Session: April 18, 25; May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Cost: $21
Call The Thompson for Summer Schedule
Tai Chi has come into its own as more and more doctors and health organizations recognize the many benefits it provides to those who practice regularly.
Our Tai Chi classes at the Thompson exercise mind and body together. Join our lively, supportive group to learn a short, simplified form of Tai Chi that can help your concentration, balance, mood, blood pressure too. Clinical studies show it’s especially effective for FALL PREVENTION and ARTHRITIS.
Tai Chi’s slow, gentle movements have a meditative quality, so that even as we concentrate to learn, we reduce the stresses and tensions of daily life.
Come try a class at no cost. If you like it, you can then sign up for a series of classes.
Classes at the Thompson are co-led by Anne Bower and Jane Philpin. Anne has been teaching Tai Chi for 15 years and previously taught literature at the Ohio State University; Jane is a trained meditation specialist and has been teaching Tai Chi for 5 years. For more information you can check out Anne’s website: www.annebower.com.
Foot or Hand Reflexology
Offered by Deborah Neuhof, Certifed Reflexologist
April 24, May 8 & 22, 9:30-12:30 pm
Experience Reflexology techniques to de-stress and promote a balanced, wholistic well-being.
30 min/$30, Loose clothing recommended
Call in advance for your 30 minute appointment.
NEW SERIES
Water Aerobics Class
Woodstock Athletic Club
Fridays, May 25 – July 27, 1:30 – 2:15 pm
Cost: $80 for 10 week class
The Thompson Center will provide shuttle service to and from class if needed. Please register in advance by calling 457-3277. Payment is due at time of reservation and must be received prior to the start of class series.
CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP
Ongoing, on the third Wednesday of each month, 12:30 – 1:30 pm
Support and education can make a critical difference for family members and caregivers of patients with memory loss or disorders such as Alzheimer’s. Please join our confidential monthly support group (with complimentary lunch) and share ideas, concerns, and constructive feedback with others facing similar challenges.
Bone Builders
Tuesday and Thursday at 3:00 pm
The Bone Builders exercise program, developed at Tufts University, addresses bone health for people of all ages. Women especially may have thinning of bones as early as age 40, but men are welcome in this class and will benefit as well.
Bone Builders classes, with instructor Althea Derstine, are ongoing on Monday and Thursday each week. Classes are free. Minimum of six participants required. Please sign up in advance.
MEMOIR CLUB
Ongoing, Mondays, 10:15 am – noon
In this informal group, we encourage one another as we record stories that may otherwise be lost or forgotten. Each person has an opportunity to read aloud one to two pages each week often triggering group memories and lively discussion. No pressure… reading is optional!
Strength & Fitness
Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays
9:00 to 10:00 am
This popular class is led by certified fitness instructor and personal trainer, Liz Hatfield. Liz incorporates aerobic, stretching, strength and weight bearing exercises. The benefits of these exercises include bone building, balance, and overall coordination.
Liz Estabrook-Hatfield recently became a Certified Functional Aging Specialist, successfully completing Functional Aging Institute’s (FAI) workshop, educational program and Certification Exam. This program provides the most current training techniques adapted for and applied specifically to the needs and interests of aging adults. Liz has been working with the senior population for 15 years. Previous accreditations include:
- AAAI/ISMA’s Older Adult Fitness Trainer Certification
- MaineHealth’s Partnership for Healthy Aging: A Matter of Balance
- AFAA’s Golden Hearts: Senior Fitness Training
Recently, Liz added National Academy of Sports Medicine’s (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) to existing credentials with AFAA and AAAI/ISMA. NASM – CPT is one of the most respected personal training certifications in the health-and-fitness industry.
She holds credentials for Group Fitness instruction in Aquatics, Spinning, TRX, Nordic Walking and Weight Training.
Cost: $3.00/class or 12 classes for $30 on a punch card.
New Time!
Open Pickle Ball
Woodstock Athletic Club
Fridays, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Cost:$10 per 1.5 hr court time session. Walk-ins welcome and equipment is provided. Ride service available from The Thompson with advance notice.
Foot Care Clinics
9:00 am – 2:30 pm, on the 2nd Friday & 3rd Wednesday of every month
12:30 – 2:45 pm on the 4th Tuesday of every month
In addition to Mary Wood’s clinic on the second Friday and third Wednesday of each month, we are happy to offer more foot clinic availability with our wellness clinic nurse, Mary Ann Conrad. Mary Ann will be offering an additional foot clinic on the fourth Tuesday of the month from 12:30 to 2:45 pm following her wellness clinic hours.
Both clinics will now be $20 and patrons are asked to bring their own towel. As always, please inform us in advance if you cannot make your appointment.
Wellness Clinic & Blood Pressure Screenings
4th Tuesday of the Month
We welcome our new VNA Wellness Clinic nurse, Mary Ann Conrad, on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 10 am-12 pm. Mary Ann comes to us with over 30 years of vast nursing experience and recently retired from DHMC where she worked in Neuroscience, Same Day Surgery, and Primary Care. We look forward to welcoming Mary Ann and offering our monthly wellness clinic once again.
Low Vision Support Group
3rd Thursday of the Month
10:15 – 11:45 am
April Discussion: Poetry Month Reading, Reciting & Writing Haiku
The Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired is offering this new support group where participants can share experiences, challenges, and successes of living with a visual impairment at this ongoing monthly meeting. Learn about adaptive aids and strategies that support independence. Led by a Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist from VABVI.
Veggie VanGo at Mt. Ascutney Hospital
Second Tuesday of each month
10:00 am – 11:00 am
VeggieVanGo, a mobile nutrition program of the Vermont Foodbank, will be coming to Mt. Ascutney Hospital once a month to provide FREE fresh produce for people facing hunger. So if you know of an individual, family or patient who might benefit from receiving a delivery of fresh, healthy veggies, you can help by sharing this information and encouraging them to pick up their FREE vegetables. And if you, or members of your family could benefit from the program, we hope you’ll come too! Visit Vermont Foodbank for more information.
ADVANCE DIRECTIVE CLINIC
2nd Monday of the Month, 1:00 – 3:00 pm, by appointment
Would your loved ones know your wishes about medical care if you were unable to speak for yourself? There is a legal document called an Advance Directive that you can complete to give guidelines about your wishes and appoint someone to represent you if you are not able. We have arranged for a trained and caring volunteer to be at the Thompson Center every 2nd Monday from 1pm – 3pm. These volunteers will take the time to explain both the document and the simple process used to make your wishes known. The most important part of this process is talking to those you love about what matters most to you. You can call 457-3277 to schedule an appointment.
Get Your Medical Questions Answered by a Gifford Medical Center Health Care Provider
Do you have a medical question that you would like answered by a medical professional? Tune in to the Royalton Community Radio program, “On Call”, on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 -7:00 pm on FM channel 96.5. If there is a specific topic you would like to hear about, call Nikki Gewirz, P.A. at 802-763-2700 or email her at ngewirz@giffordmed.org.