April 20, 2022 – Durgin Center Feature Video

Your communications and engagement team could not be more delighted to launch our Aging Well in Maine program. This social media-driven campaign will provide education and resources to help elders in our community—and those who plan to be elders!—enjoy the healthiest senior citizenship possible. This week, we’re sharing a video to highlight the new Durgin Center in Brewer. Shoutout to the Eastern Area Agency on Aging for creating a beautiful space and programs that will educate, entertain and engage our community’s senior members.

April 22, 2022 – Healthful Tips

As part of our Aging Well in Maine program, we want to provide resources to our community members to help put the gold in your golden years. Today we want to share an article with tips for healthy aging, ranging from staying on top of your routine appointments, diet, and nutrition, and staying connected with family and friends.

Check out the full article at: https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/healthy-aging-secret

April 25, 2022 – Aging Well With Technology

In many cases, board and video games are thought to be for kids, or young people, however more and more research has shown that games have plenty of benefits for our senior community. The following links show a variety of games that are ideal for elders and the reasons why they should reach that controller.

https://guideforseniors.com/blog/senior-online-games/ and https://blog.thegoodmangroup.com/best-video-games-for…

April 27, 2022 – Health Happens at the Y

Part of #AgingWellInMaine is staying on top of your health, which means engaging in activities to aid in whatever life throws your way. This week we share our story on the Bangor Region YMCA and its program Health Happens at the Y. The organization features a variety classes or inititaitves for a variety health diagnoses, aimed at maintaining physical fitness and stimulating social interaction.

Hear from Vanessa Newman M.S., ACE, Community Health Advocate, with the Bangor Region YMCA as she explains what resources are available. We also spoke to several members about their experience in why these programs are so vital.

May 2, 2022 – Aging Well With Technology

Our Aging Well in Maine program is designed to highlight ways that technology can help continue to live an active life.

In this edition of Aging Well With Technology, Thomas Beebe, AuD, who works at the Warren Center for Speech and Hearing, talks about hearing loss, why it happens, and how technology has come a long way in helping to treat this issue by making hearing aids more affordable and less cumbersome. Learn more about the Warren Center at: https://pchc.com/service/audiology/

May 4, 2022 – Healthful Tips: Exercise

Exercise and good nutrition are integral parts of healthy aging, however, one thing that may not be as well known is the importance of building muscle as we age. Experts believe resistance training is as important for aging as aerobic exercise, eating vegetables, and sleeping well.

After age 40, we lose muscle at the rate of 1% a year, increasing our risk of heart attacks, strokes, and osteoporosis. Recent research found that older adults who did twice-weekly strength training lived longer and with less illness than those who did none.

Rowing, weight training, and resistance bands are great ways to maintain muscle strength. A simple way to integrate weight training into your routine is having a pair of weights nearby when watching TV and lifting when you have a few minutes.

May 5, 2022 – Bangor Adult Education

While classes and school are often associated with kids or adolescents there are increasing research studies that show that lifelong learning has health benefits for adults and elders. According to the Mayo Clinic and the Alzheimer’s Association, ongoing learning and brain-healthy activities help keep your mind sharp and help to delay or possibly even prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Likewise having an activity that you love provides a number of physical benefits including reducing stress and warding off isolation and depression.

Our friends at Bangor Adult Education, a resource right here in our community, provide a number of courses and classes ranging from educational opportunities to life-enriching topics, like cooking, or artwork. Greg Leavitt, Director of Adult Education gives an overview of the program and highlights the types of things available to our community members.

May 8, 2022 – Healthful Tips: Nutrition

This week in our Aging Well in Maine program, we tackle the idea of nutrition in the role of aging, and it’s not only what you eat but HOW you eat that can make a bigger impact on longevity than a radical dietary overhaul.

For starters, aiming to eat earlier, whenever possible, allow digestion to kick in well before bedtime. This means less disturbed sleep and a longer overnight fast, too. Eating earlier enables us to eat more slowly – an essential but overlooked factor in the Mediterranean diet, allowing satiety hormones to kick in.

Likewise, eating solely at mealtimes and avoiding snacking can also be a big helper. Constant grazing and snacking means that the digestive system is permanently working – and therefore also permanently producing insulin, potentially leading to insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.

May 23, 2022 – Medicare Education Eastern Area Agency on Aging

Retirement can be a stressful stage in one’s life while transitioning to medicare can make it even more daunting. That’s why at PCHC we want to highlight to our patients and community members, that Eastern Area Agency on Aging has Medicare 101 class that helps shed light on an incredibly confusing topic. Jami Aleksiev, Community Services Manager at EAAA breaks down what the class is, things to think about, and how to get the help you may need.

May 27, 2022 – Legal Services For the Elderly

As we age, sometimes it’s necessary to seek legal advice, however between the complexity of the legal system and the cost, it can be daunting to seek out help. However, at PCHC, we want to share that you don’t have to always go directly to a lawyer for answers.

Our friends at Legal Services for the Elderly are available to answer questions, and direct you to your best course of action for a variety of legal concerns. Laura Farrington, Staff Attorney, and Hillary Fernald, Senior Staff Attorney, share more about their services and how to get the help you need.

June 10, 2022 – Cybercrime Protection

Cybercrimes against older adults have increased five times since 2014, costing more than $650 million in losses per year, according to the FBI and FTC. At PCHC, it’s one of our top priorities in protecting the information of our patients, so as part of our #AgingWellInMaine campaign, we turned to Jason Lewis, Director of IT Infrastructure and Security, to give advice on how our seniors can protect themselves against cyber scams and how they can better protect themselves.

June 16, 2022 – PCHC Community Care and Geriatrics

Sometimes “aging well” means swapping out your living situation. Maybe you’re downsizing or have mobility challenges that require one-floor living. Maybe you need a little extra help, or you’re facing some health issues that could benefit from more consistent care.  Aging in place is popular too—when you can get the care and services you need in your current home. At PCHC we’re very proud of our Community Care & Geriatrics division, which goes where people live to provide high-quality care at home—whether that home is an assisted living complex, a nursing facility or a group home setting. During the worst of the pandemic, CCG teams were critical in ensuring continuity of care for lots of elders in our community.