Aging Well Blog
Getting Our Community in the Loop
I want to share a heart-warming message we received recently from Mary Ellen Stone, one of the frequent users of the Community Thread circulator bus: "Once again, Community Thread has reached out beyond its four walls to bring the community together. The Connector...
Embrace New Technology to Age Well
I confess I am slow to adopt new technology. Like most people, I hate feeling stupid and nothing frustrates me more than trying to navigate my iphone - a new acquisition for me, having proudly carried a flip phone for over ten years. I have never learned all of the...
Calling all Men for Coffee and Conversation
My partner Ron, a 66 year old journalist who works from home, has been a lot happier lately. In spite of the snow and cold, he has a spring in his step and great energy, which comes in handy for removing that snow. I firmly believe that his new-found happiness is the...
Lightening Our Loads as We Age
I don’t know about you, but I have accumulated a lot of stuff. Some of which I value, and some which just takes up space. It can feel overwhelming to look at all of it and make decisions as to its next home (or final resting place). I don’t like to send anything to...
Get Active and Stay Upright
Our parking lot was icy this morning and I was very mindful of my balance. I know that a fall can be life-changing, especially as we get older. I broke my wrist a few years ago from a fall and became a statistic: one out of five falls causes a serious injury such as a...
Getting Around on our Community Bus Loop
Remember when you tuned 16 and got your driver’s license? For me, it opened up my world and no request was beneath me when my mother directed me to drive to the store for something. Driving was the definition of freedom! There will inevitably come a point in my life...
The Power of Touch
When I want to take good care of myself, I schedule a massage. While that may sound indulgent, it turns out that touch has a big impact on quality of life, especially as we age. Touch is a basic human need. It is believed to be the first sense developed in the womb....
Supporting Loved Ones at the Memory Café
We have heard the stories and they are alarming: the number of people struggling with dementia are increasing as our community ages. It is estimated that more than 1,000 residents in the Stillwater area live with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, according to...
Strengthen Your Social Ties to Age Well
If your neighborhood is like mine, you are lucky if you catch sight of your neighbors between November and April. Come May, it seems like we all emerge and reconnect. And reconnecting is good for us as it turns out: as we age, staying connected becomes even more...
Volunteer and Age Well in the Process
Volunteers are the unsung heroes that improve the quality of life in our community in immeasurable ways. Community Thread was founded on the principal of volunteer engagement to serve unmet needs, and 50 years later that concept is still alive and well thanks to...