Programs & Special Events

---

Healthier Living with Diabetes

A workshop facilitated by specially trained leaders from Gifford Medical Center and Mt. Ascutney Hospital

Free Six-Week Class: Wednesdays

May 1, 8, 22, 29 and June 5, 12 (no class on May 15) 1:00—3:30 pm

What the Program Offers:

• Problem solving & action planning
• Healthy eating
• Exercise
• Monitoring blood sugar
• Managing stress
• Handling sick days

Whos’s it for?

For those diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and their caregivers and family members.

Through this Diabetes Self-Management Program you can get the support you need to better manage your Diabetes and help prevent serious health problems like heart disease, blindess, and kidney failure.

To register, please call The Thompson. For more  information contact Pam Butler at The Thompson Center or Megan Sault, Gifford Community Health Team 728-9324.

---

Thompson Book Group

Monday, May 20, 1:00 pm

Karen Cleveland’s Need to Know: A Novel

A chilling psychological thriller from a CIA insider: in hot pursuit of a Russian spy ring on U.S. soil, a CIA analyst uncovers a deadly secret that will test her loyalty to the agency–and to her family. The Expats meets  The Americans meets The Girl Before.

All are welcome to attend!

---

Tech Tutoring at The Thompson Center

Provided by Norman Williams Public Library

Tuesday, May 21, June 4 & 18, 12:45 – 3:00 by appointment

We are happy to continue offering individual tech tutoring thanks to NWPL and Meg Brazill. Meg is offering 1:1 assistance for any one of your devices: cell phone, lap top, iPad or tablet – free of charge. Forty-five minute appointments are available and you can book more appointments as you need them. Pleaase call to schedule yours at The Thompson 457-3277.

---

Foot or Hand Reflexology

Offered by Deborah Neuhof, Certified Reflexologist

May 21, June 11 & 25, 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.

---

Identity Theft: Steal Your Name, Steal Your Life

An AARP Fraud Watch Network Presentation in Partnership with Norman Williams Public Library and The Thompson Center

Tuesday, May 21, 2:00 -3:30 pm at NWPL

The AARP Fraud Watch Network provides  resources to spot and identify theft and fraud so you can protect yourself and your family. Learn how to get alerts and stay up to date on con artist’s latest tricks. This program is open and free to the public.

---

GRANDparenting:  

a support group of grandparents who are raising or caring for their grandchildren  

Meet & Greet, Kick-off Meeting 

May 21, 8:30 to 9:30 am at The Thompson

Join us for breakfast on Tuesday, May 21st at the Thompson to meet the support group facilitators and talk about what a GRANDparenting support group could mean in your life. This kick-off meeting will introduce the possible discussion topics that may    include nutrition, behavior, legal guardianship, public benefits, therapeutic supports, and more. There will be gift card giveaways for participants attending. The  ongoing support group will commence in the Fall of 2019 and will meet at the conference room at the SAU building at the Woodstock High School Campus on the 2^nd Tuesday of each month, 11 a.m. to Noon. This is a collaborative effort with the Woodstock school district, Senior Solutions (Area Agency on Aging), Mt. Ascutney community health team, and The Thompson.  

---

End Game – A Documentary Film

Presented in partnership with Bayada Home Health Care, Ottauquechee Health Foundation, and The Thompson Center

Wednesday, May 22, 2019 5:30 pm

At Woodstock Town Hall Theater

Facing an inevitable outcome, terminally ill patients meet extraordinary medical practitioners seeking to change our approach to life and death. End Game follows visionary medical practitioners in a San Francisco hospital who are working on the cutting edge of life and death and are dedicated to changing our thinking about both. Discussion will follow this film presentation.

---

Fiddler Adam Boyce Performs accompanied by Guitarist and Vocalist Merv Comes

Thursday, May 23, 1:00 pm immediately following Birthday Lunch Celebration.

---

Spring Clean Your Legal Affairs

Estate Attorney Daphne Moritz returns to The Thompson Center to present this invaluable three-part series

Last class is May 28 at 1:00 pm and will discuss specific topics in Estate Planning family dynamics, real estate matters, pet trusts and more

Spring is always a good time to take stock of our affairs whether we are cleaning our houses and preparing our garden beds, or clearing out our clutter. Spring is also a great time to get our legal houses in order. With estate planning, that means reviewing your existing documents which may have grown stale, and educating yourself on new aspects of the law which may not have been relevant to you only a few years ago.

Whether you have already completed your estate planning, but you think it needs updating, or you are eager to learn more about the documents you should have, but on which you have not yet taken action, Spring Cleaning your Legal Affairs is a series for you.

Come prepared with your questions about estate planning, wills and trusts, probate, long-term care concerns and Medicaid planning, health care powers of attorney, advance directives, guardianship, and unusual topics.

These programs are open and free to the public. Advance registration is requested by calling The Thompson

Daphne Moritz is an estate planning and elder law attorney with Sheehey Furlong & Behm P.C.  She focuses her practice on estate planning, estate and trust administration, elder law, families with special needs, and related matters. She frequently lectures to a variety of audiences about estate planning and elder law matters. Find more information at

---

Healing Circles

Parlors, North Chapel UU Church, 7 Church St., Woodstock

Sunday, June 2, 11:30 –12:15 pm

Spiritual healing begins within the soul. It grows even stronger in community. We gather together in the midst of joy and sorrow.  We gather in the presence of love and grief. We gather together and we share ourselves beautifully in a circle of warmth and healing. Please join The Healing Circle. Come share of your self and be present for others on this journey that we take through life.

---

Introduction to Medicare for New Enrollees

Tuesday, June 4, 1:00 – 2:30 pm

Presented by Senior Solutions

Are you almost 65 year of age and thinking about signing up for Medicare? Are you retiring and losing your health insurance benefits?  Come and learn when and how to enroll in Medicare. State Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) counselor, Pati Kimball, will be presenting this class for those individuals who will be signing up for Medicare. She will discuss the different levels of Medicare coverage options such as supplement plans, and Advantage plans as well as the current prescription drug plans. Walk-ins are welcome but pre-registration is advised.

---

AARP Smart Safety Driver Course

Friday, June 7, 9:00 am to noon (break for lunch); 1:00 to 2:00 pm

Instructor Bill Cherico returns to teach this four hour instructional course which is the nation’s largest refresher course designed specifically for older drivers. Registration begins at 9:15am. Your driver’s license is required and your AARP card for members.

Course Fee: $15.00 for AARP members and $20.00 for nonmembers. Please register in advance.

---

Monthly Art Project with ArtisTree at The Thompson

Wednesday, June 5, 1:30 pm

Please register in advance, 457-3277

For our last class before we break for summer, Finnie will teach us Watercolor Notans – the blending of watercolor and paper-cutting techniques to create a fluid background to “frame” a contrasting paper-cut design that displays positive/negative design.

Please join us back at The Thompson when this monthly class resumes in September, or visit www.artistreevt.corg for a list of great summer class opportunities.

---

Fall Prevention Clinic at The Thompson

Provided by Upper Valley Rehab Physical Therapists

Wednesday, June 12, 8:30 – 10:30 by appointment

Falls are not a normal part of aging and can result in more serious injuries over time, but the risks can be reduced by working on all the possible causes.

Upper Valley Rehab will be offering a Fall Prevention Clinic at the Thompson Center and will provide free comprehensive fall risk Screenings for people who have fallen or who have a fear of falling. At the Clinic/Assessment, a licensed physical therapist will ask participants to complete a fall assessment screen which will include a history of previous falls and what might be causing them. Additionally, a therapist will screen participant’s gait, balance, range of motion, strength and sensation and ask questions regarding home environment, fear of falling concerns, and pertinent medical history that can contribute to falls. This total assessment will include your screen results, which can be sent to your primary care physician, and recommendations for treatment if needed. Each comprehensive assessment is about fifteen minutes and will require an appointment.

Please wear or bring the shoes you wear most often inside and outside of your home. Please bring devices

---

Book Club

The Guest Book – The thought-provoking new novel by New York Times bestselling author Sarah Blake

Next meeting is Monday, June 17, 1:00 pm

Newcomers are always welcome!

A lifetime of secrets. A history untold.

No. It is a simple word, uttered on a summer porch in 1936. And it will haunt Kitty Milton for the rest of her life. Kitty and her husband, Ogden, are both from families considered the backbone of the country. But this refusal will come to be Kitty’s defining moment, and its consequences will ripple through the Milton family for generations. For while they summer on their island in Maine, anchored as they are to the way things have always been, the winds of change are beginning to stir….

“The Guest Book is monumental in a way that few novels dare attempt.” ―The Washington Post

---

Recycling Update: What You Need to Know

Presented by Ham Gillett, Outreach Coordinator for the Greater Upper

Valley Solid Waste Management District (GUVSWD)

Tuesday, June 18, 1:00 pm

Are your recyclables ending up in the landfill? What’s the difference between an alkaline and a lithium battery? Why does it matter? What will you do with your food scraps beginning July 1, 2020 when you can’t put them in your trash? Do you need to get rid of paint, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, or other household hazardous waste? Ham Gillett will address these issues at this important presentation. Bring your answers, and bring your questions.

---

Sunapee Singers

Thursday, June 27, 1:00 pm

New Hampshire’s Sunapee Singers return to The Thompson Center on Thursday, June 27 for their 1:00 pm performance immediately following Birthday Lunch Celebration. Please join us for this most entertaining and popular group.

---

ADVANCE DIRECTIVE CLINIC
2nd Monday of the Month

1:00-3:00 pm by appointment, please schedule in advance

Would your loved ones know your 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.

---

Jewelry Repair at The Thompson

Every Tuesday, 1:00 – 2:00 pm

Is there jewelry in your jewelry box that needs a new clasp, or to be restrung? Yael Taylor, volunteer receptionist at the Thompson and local jewelry artist, is available to help for a nominal fee.  Bring your jewelry to Yael to see if she can help you.

---

Mah Jongg at The Thompson 

Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays , 1:30 – 3:30 pm

We have been thrilled by the enthusiastic response to Mah jongg and our group is growing! If you are interested in joining, please contact Gail Stickney by emailing glavinstickney@yahoo.com or call 457-2581.