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The Thompson Center

Your Resource to Age Well

99 Senior Lane, Woodstock, VT 05091 * (802) 457-3277

Age Well Workshop Series

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Home Safety & Modifications

Tuesday, January 18th, 4 pm-5 pm


How to create a safe home environment

Workshops are free and open to the public. Virtual Only

The panel will cover how to prepare your home for safety modifications, discuss fall risk assessments as well as provide payment resources for making modifications to your home.

Panel: Linda Bowden, AARP HomeFit; Linda Harvey and Stephanie Cicalis, OHC PT; Beth Robinson, OHF; Bill Neukomm, COVER Home Repair; and Misha McNabb, Woodstock EMS.


*Grab bars, medical equipment, pill organizers, and more available at The Thompson*

Please Preregister: Call The Thompson (802) 457-3277 or email info@thompsonseniorcenter.org

Brought to you in partnership with AARP Home FIT Program, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and

Ottauquechee Health Foundation

COVID-19 Precautions & Procedures

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It is our goal to remain open to serve our community while doing our best to prevent illness and limit exposures. We need everyone’s help and cooperation to realize this goal.  Symptoms of Omicron can be as mild as a runny nose, a headache, or fatigue. If you have any potential COVID-19 symptoms, please stay home.

At The Thompson:

  • Regardless of vaccination status, all are required to wear a mask inside the building.
  • Masks may be removed while eating.  Tables in the dining room are spaced accordingly and set for groups limited to 4 diners.  Language tables will be seated in the living room.
  • Masks may be removed during exercise classes if you’re able to maintain 6 foot distancing.  Cracking windows is encouraged for ventilation during classes; please make sure to close windows after classes.
  • Make sure to practice social distancing – avoid congregating or crowding together.
  • Commonly touched surfaces are regularly disinfected, and you should frequently wash or sanitize your hands while visiting.
  • If you have been in close contact or exposed to someone who is confirmed positive for COVID-19, please avoid coming to the Center until you have been tested 5 days after exposure, even if you do not have any symptoms. Follow Vermont Health Department’s recommendations after exposure.
  • No one should come to the Center if they have tested positive for COVID-19 within 10 days, are feeling sick, or have any symptoms of respiratory illness. Please stay home and get well – if you let us know, we can help arrange delivery of meals, groceries or other necessities.
  • If you have been at The Thompson and come down with any symptoms, test positive for COVID-19, or learn about a confirmed positive exposure, please let Deanna Jones, Executive Director, know right away so that our exposure contingency planning can begin.  Confidentiality will be maintained but we need to know so that we can work to keep others safe and aware if they were potentially exposed.   
  • We strongly encourage you to keep up-to-date with your booster shots to provide maximum protection against infection.  If you have not been vaccinated,  we encourage you to contact your health provider to schedule a free vaccine appointment, or consult the state Health Department’s website for information (Vermont residents, New Hampshire residents). If you have any questions or need assistance, let us know!
    802-457-3277

Testing

The Vermont Health Department maintains information on testing and local sites on their website. We can help you find test sites.   If you are concerned about a recent Covid exposure, or are feeling sick and can’t find a test through a local health provider, we have a limited stock of home testing rapid kits available for vulnerable seniors in the community. Call 802-457-3277 to learn more and arrange to pick-up a kit. 

Vaccination

Vaccines are the best tool to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Vaccines help your body fight off the virus. When you are vaccinated you are much less likely to get sick and less likely to transmit the virus to others. Anyone who is not vaccinated is still vulnerable to experiencing the worst of COVID-19. The more people who get vaccinated, the fewer chances for transmission and mutations, and the faster we can end the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines >>

Find COVID-19 Vaccines

Questions

If you have any questions or concerns, please give us a call. Below are some helpful links related to the ongoing pandemic from our local health departments. We recommend using these resources to verify other information you may encounter online or through other media outlets.

Last updated: January 6, 2022

World Record Bingo

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Join us at 1pm on October 22, 2021, to help set a World Record!


The Thompson is excited to participate in a historic community event as an official venue. On October 22, 2021, we’re attempting to set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title with an exciting game of online bingo!

We’re raising awareness on our efforts to fight social isolation & reframing the face of aging by hosting the largest hybrid game of Bingo the world has ever seen. So come join us at on October 22, 2021 at 1 pm. There will be games, prizes, snacks, and of course a chance to hang out with family and friends. This is your chance to be a part of something huge!

For in-person, we will follow all safety guidelines & capacity will be limited so please call 457-3277 to RSVP.

Our Online Venue:
Even if you cannot attend in person, you can still play safely from home and join our online community here 
Please register ahead of time — at 1pm there will be World Record announcements and speakers from around the country, including Deanna Jones, Executive Director, for The Thompson. The record-setting bingo game will be at 2pm.

Senior Centers: Delivering Vital Connections!

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This year’s theme for national senior center month was chosen by the National Council on Aging to highlight how senior centers deliver vital connections to support older adults aging well.  This is more evident now than ever before!  Critical home delivered meals, grocery delivery, friendly check-in calls, virtual & onsite programs, and even phone Bingo have helped to keep our community members safer and happier at home during this challenging time.  Preventing social isolation is vital and a core senior center mission. While the delivery methods have changed during the pandemic, centers have succeeded in continuing to provide knowledge, programming, and resources.

The Thompson plays a vital role in our community!  Our staff, volunteers, and participants promote a positive image of aging. Together we are a vibrant, supportive senior center that thrives inside and outside of our walls and reaches far into the towns and countryside of our beautiful area.  If you’re not a regular participant or volunteer, we invite you to get engaged by trying out a class, volunteering, or checking in with staff about other opportunities to enrich your life.  

Fun Facts that show just how vital The Thompson has been these last months at keeping community members safe: 

  • Meals on Wheels served since March 16th:  5,542  (same time frame last year 3,546)
  • We’ve had 69 new recipients for home delivered Meals on Wheels!
  • Curbside take-out meals with our dining room closed:  2,710 meals to more than 300 unique individuals.
  • Hundreds of check-in calls, grocery & prescription deliveries, & virtual programs to help beat the Covid blues!

National Senior Center Month Celebration & Senior Center Volunteer Appreciation

Friday, September 25, 12:00 pm

Join us for our annual chicken BBQ and senior center month celebration – TAKE-OUT STYLE – on Friday September 25th!

Although we are operating under much different circumstances than this time last year, it will not deter us from celebrating National Senior Center month AND, our beloved Thompson Center volunteers!

These have been trying times, and we acknowledge each and every volunteer whether you were sidelined by pandemic restrictions, or jumping in to help as a new volunteer. You play a critical role in making The Thompson one of the very best senior centers around!  We have so much to celebrate!  

On Friday, September 25th our favorite guest BBQ Chef, Nate Willard, and family will be grilling the chicken and Chef Ryan will serve potato salad, coleslaw, corn bread and lemon fool on the hill with blueberries. You must RSVP, but take-out lunches will be free for all of our volunteers and raffle prizes will be drawn from all who are registered for lunch!  $5 minimum suggested donation for non-volunteers.

Thank you to all of you for your continued contribution to the success of our Center – your Center!

Please pre-register by calling The Thompson Center. We look forward to celebrating with you!

“The Thompson at Home”

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Your Virtual Senior Center

Senior Learning Network Virtual Programming at The Thompson

January Programs

Please note that these are all group viewings so leave the technology issues to us and watch with friends in the comfort of The Thompson on our newly updated large screen tv. 

Call to reserve your seat.

Amon Carter Art Museum’s Art of the American West

Tuesday, January 4, 2:00 pm

Join us as we view the Carter Legacy galleries housing the original collection of Frederic Remington and Charles Russell objects.

We will also discover how other artist of the time and modern and contemporary artists have depicted the American west.

Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park

Tuesday, January 11, 2:00 pm

Come discover the unique history of Ste. Genevieve!  Established by 1750, Ste. Genevieve was the first      permanent European settlement in Missouri. Early French Canadian settlers were drawn here by the rich agricultural land known as Le Grand Champ (the Big Field).  After the flood of 1785, the town relocated to its present location on higher ground approximately three miles to the northwest of its original site. A true embodiment of the “melting pot” metaphor, Ste. Genevieve is rich with history, telling the stories of the people that lived and settled the land.

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

Tuesday, January 18, 2:00 pm

*No group viewing this day*

Did you know the Ford Presidential Library and Museum is the only split Presidential museum? The Library is located in Ann Arbor on the University of Michigan’s campus. The Museum is  located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Join Kristin Phillips, Public Affairs Specialist, as she gives you a glimpse inside the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. Find out why there are two separate facilities, and more fun facts about the 38th President Gerald R. Ford. 

Mitchell Caverns 

Tuesday, January 25, 2:00 pm

Mitchell caverns are the only limestone caves in the California State Park system. The caverns were created during the Pleistocene epoch, when ground water with a high carbonic acid content ate into the surrounding marble and sedimentary limestone. Stalactites, stalagmites, and other cave  formations were formed from  calcium carbonate left by dripping mineral water. For many years the caves were thought to be “dead”, that is, the formations were no longer growing. However, recent studies have found something  different.

Our park ranger, Andrew has asked us to return to see a special presentation of the caverns in the Providence Mountains with their new and improved internet connections.

Guardianship: Help or Harm?

A Virtual Presentation by Vermont Legal Aid

Wednesday, January 12, 1:00 pm

In this virtual presentation, Leah Burdick, Esq. Staff Attorney at the Elder Law Project at Vermont Legal Aid, Inc., will discuss the legal framework of a guardianship and what being under a court-ordered guardianship really means in Vermont.

Please register with The Thompson for your zoom link.

Communicating with Animals –

a Virtual Zoom Presentation by Animal Communicator, Jeannie Lindheim

Thursday, January 27, 1:00 pm

Do you ever wonder what your animal is thinking and feeling? Jeannie Lindheim, author of Loving Animals: Conversations with an Animal Communicator, will discuss how animal communication works and techniques she uses. She will tell some touching stories and share some techniques that you can use with your animals. There will also be time for Q and A.

Jeannie cannot answer specific questions about your animal as that would require a consultation but generic questions are welcome

Jeannie Lindheim studied with animal communication pioneer, Penelope Smith. Jeannie consults with pet lovers from all over the U. S. who are trying to understand how their animal feels and what they want. She has communicated with dogs, cats, horses, ferrets, hedgehogs, pigs, alpacas, bearded dragon lizards, rabbits, many types of birds, steer, insects and many other species. 100% of the proceeds from her book are donated to animal rescue organizations.