Public Benefits Assistance Help Now Available
at The Thompson
Offered by the Windsor County Community Health Clinic
January 21, February 4 & 18, 9:00 – 2:00 pm
Assistance will be available for, but not limited to, the following programs:
- Medicare for new enrollees – Parts A, B and D
- 3SquaresVT
- Fuel assistance
- Social Security enrollment
- Medication affordability and grant opportunities
Wellness and Foot Care Clinics
With Carmen Sleeper, RN
Blood Pressure Screenings
Fourth Thursday of each month, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Foot Care Clinic by appointment
2nd Friday of the month, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
4th Thursday of the month, 12:30 – 3:00 pm
Please call to make your foot care appointment at 457-3277. Cost is $20/please bring a towel.
Fall Prevention Clinic at The Thompson
Provided by Upper Valley Rehab Physical Therapists
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.
NEW! Gentle Yoga Class
With Instructor Linda Harvey, PT
In this new class series, Linda, will guide her students through a gentle yoga practice with the option of being seated in a chair or on a floor mat. With practice, benefits of yoga are numerous and include but are not limited to: increased muscle strength and tone, improved respiration, energy and vitality, stress management, and protection from injury. No previous experience is required. Please bring mats if you have one, and wear loose and comfortable clothing. Pre-registration is requested but walk-ins will be welcome.
Linda has over 30 years of experience as a physical therapist at Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center MAHHC) and Ottauquechee Health Center (OHC) and has practiced yoga for over 20 years. She is currently enrolled in an intensive 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Evolution Physical Therapy and Yoga Studio in Burlington VT.
Hand or Foot Reflexology
Offered by Deborah Neuhof, Certified Reflexologist
Experience Reflexology techniques to de-stress and promote a balanced, wholistic well-being. Loose clothing recommended. Call in advance to make your appointment.
Grocery Tour with Sheryl C. Hoehner, MS, RDN, LDN
January 21, 1:00 pm
Do you or a family member have type II diabetes or pre-diabetes? Do you want to learn more about healthy eating, shopping, and cooking? Have you ever wished you could visit the grocery store with a registered dietitian? This is your chance. We will tour Mac’s grocery store in Woodstock with Sheryl C. Hoehner MS, RDN, LDN. Sheryl will take us through the store making stops to discuss carbohydrate counting, the benefits of including fiber, healthy fats and the best options for meat and seafood just to name a few.
We’ll then head back to The Thompson Center to taste a few items we picked up along the way.
Please register in advance as there will be limited enrollment.
Sheryl is a registered dietician with many years of experience. She started her career working at the USDA as part of a team doing nutrition research. She has also worked as a clinical dietitian at Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital as well as serving for almost 23 years in the United States Army. She has also worked as a grocery store dietitian for over 20 years. She has taught hundreds of nutrition and cooking classes for folks of all ages. Her passion is helping people to Eat Well: making choices that are easy, tasty, healthy, and affordable.
Grief 101
Presented by Darcy Bagley, BSW, GC-CCertified Grief Counselor/Bereavement Coordinator, Hospice (VTH), BAYADA Home Health Care
As a bereavement coordinator, the phrase heard most often is, “is what I’m feeling normal?” In this one hour session, we will discuss anticipatory grief, normal vs. complicated grief, as well as talk about self-care techniques for those coping with grief.
Aging and Dementia Informational Sessions
at The Thompson Center
Dementia is a progressive brain disease that is projected to affect 13.5 millions Americans. Today, over 5 million Americans are living with the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease. The Thompson Center and The Scotland House are co-hosting three informational sessions for those looking for information and resources. These workshops will be presented by Jessica Kalb, Regional Vice President of TLC HomeCare, and Positive Approach to Care (PAC) Certified Trainer. More resource information can be found at https://www.alz.org/vermont
Understanding Alzheimer’s And Dementia
An Alzheimer’s Association Program
Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. Join us to learn about the impact of Alzheimer’s, the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia, stages and risk factors, current research and FDA approved treatments available for some symptoms, and Alzheimer’s Association resources.
Dementia Conversations
An Alzheimer’s Association Program
This presentation will include tips and strategies for having difficult but important conversations about changes in memory, thinking or behavior that may be related to dementia. This is for people who are concerned about someone experiencing changes in memory, thinking, or behavior that may be related to dementia.
The content of these workshops is appropriate for anyone, including those with early stage diagnosis, however, these are group participation based sessions and some of the audience conversational content may be difficult for those who have a dementia diagnosis.
Pre-registration for each workshop is requested but walk-ins will be welcome.
Chair Massage
Thursdays, 10:00 – 12:00 am
FITNESS H2O on FREE SENIOR FRIDAYS
Upper Valley Aquatic Center
9:15 – 10:10 amA 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 for Health & Balance
Beginner 9:30 am, Advanced 10:45 am
January 8, 15, 22, 29, February 5 (Chinese New Year Celebration)12, and 26 (no class Feb. 19)
Our Thompson Tai Chi classes provide a weekly hour of enjoyable time when you can improve your balance, body alignment, coordination, memory, and pleasure in movement. The slow, gentle steps of tai chi have surprising ability to strengthen the legs, while the arm gestures engage muscles in the back and core. Many class participants find tai chi a great stress reducer! Instructors Anne and Jane offer encouragement and really enjoy teaching.
Fall classes for the remainder of 2019 will start up Wednesday, Sept. 4th, right after Labor Day. The beginner/intermediate class runs from 9:30-10:30 and the more advanced group meets from 10:45-11:45. If you have questions, please call Anne at 457-2877. We’ll have classes every Wednesday except Oct. 23, Nov. 27, and Dec. 25. Cost is $3 per class.
Heart Healthy Meals Workshop
Join The Thompson’s own Chef Ryan Martin with Chelsey Canavan, MSPH, Senior Coordinator for Community Health at Dartmouth-Hitchcock for a workshop about eating to promote heart health and overall wellbeing! Through a hands-on cooking activity, participants will learn how to prepare a quick and tasty low-sodium meal at home. While preparing and sampling foods together, we’ll discuss general
recommendations for a heart-healthy diet, ideas for how to avoid excess sodium, and tips on label reading and food shopping.
Everyone will be sent home with ingredients and a few recipes to help get you started cooking simple, wholesome meals.
Chelsey Canavan has 10 years of experience designing and evaluating public health programs toward improving the lives of our world’s most vulnerable populations. Her work focuses on the links between health care and food systems, building partnerships to address nutritional inequities. Chelsey joined Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s Population Health team in 2019, where she leads strategy development for food and nutrition programs in New Hampshire and Vermont. Chef Ryan is a 2002 graduate of the New England Culinary Institute and has been preparing delicious and nutritious meals as the Chef at The Thompson for the past 9 years.
Strengthen and Stretch Class
This popular class incorporates aerobics, stretching, strength and weight bearing exercises. The benefits of these exercises include strengthening, bone building, balance and overall conditioning and coordination. Cost is $3.00 per class.
Water Aerobics is Back!
Fridays March 6 – May 15 ( no class on March 27) 1:30 – 2:15 pm 10 sessions/ $80
Water aerobics is a great low impact way to work your body in the water. This class works on cardiovascular training, strength training with water weights and noodles plus flexibility. We listen to great music and have fun moving our bodies to their full capacity with the safety of the water around you.
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!
Veggie VanGo at Mt. Ascutney Hospital
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.