Could you pay less for prescriptions?
February 1 at 11 a.m.
If you have costly prescriptions, you might be able to pay less through company programs, foundations that help with co-payments, discount cards, generic medications, and more. Find out about these options when Colleen Massey of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m. She will also let you know about the many programs and services of MCPHS that can help you manage your medications.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the Lincoln Trad Jazz Band
February 1 at 12:30 p.m.
Don’t miss the free COA Valentine’s Day concert of traditional jazz music of the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s on Friday, Feb. 1 at 12:30 at Bemis Hall. The band will play music by such greats as Fats Waller, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and more, and you’ll get a chance to sing along on tunes made great by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald or Louis Armstrong. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Lincoln Academy with Alex MacLean: imagining sea level rise from above
February 4 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Feb. 4 at 12:30 when Alex MacLean discusses “Imagining Sea Level Rise from Above.” Alex will speak about his most recent work documenting with aerial images the impacts and vulnerabilities caused by sea level rise. Sea level rise is a definite indicator of global warming and climate change that is undeniable. It is also universal, permanent, irreversible and its rate of rising is accelerating. These photographs are intended to motivate us to act without delay in cutting our carbon emissions personally and collectively towards zero. The COA provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion. All ages welcome.
Medical marijuana: what you need to know
February 8 at 10 a.m.
More and more these days doctors are prescribing medical marijuana for a host of health issues including anxiety, pain from many causes such as headaches, cancer, or nerve pain, nausea, seizure disorders, Crohn’s disease, and many others. But is it safe? Will you become addicted? How do you obtain and take it? What are the side effects? Find out the answers to these and other questions you may have on Friday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. when Tricia McGean, Lincoln’s public health nurse, comes to Bemis Hall. Bring questions and concerns.
Have a sweet and spicy love life at any age
February 8 at 1 p.m.
Whether you have been married for a very long time, find yourself suddenly single, or just never found the right one, you can still savor the joys of romance no matter what your age. Later life brings with it some special challenges, but also life experiences that can ease some of the road bumps and worries. Find out more about making the best of this time of life with someone special when Lincoln resident and marriage and family therapist Carol DiGianni comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, Feb. 8 at 1 p.m. to lead a conversation.
Lincoln Academy with Patricia Sollner: the pleasures and perils of translating Russian poetry
February 11 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Feb. 11 at 12:30 when Patricia Sollner discusses “The Pleasures and Perils of Translating Russian Poetry.” Using different translations of poems, Patricia will look at the choices made and how those choices reflect the translator’s understanding of the poem. She will also discuss the translations themselves and how they work on their own in English. Finally, she will talk about some theories of translation, beginning with Nabokov’s. The COA provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion. All ages welcome.
Free elder law clinic
February 11 at 3:00 p.m.
Got a question about issues such as estate planning, MassHealth, protecting assets for a loved one with a serious disability, guardianship, conservatorship or probate? The COA provides a monthly legal clinic with elder law attorney and Lincoln resident Sasha Golden on Monday, Feb. 11 from 3–4 p.m. at Bemis Hall. There is no charge for the 30-minute consultation, but please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.
Free wellness clinics for all ages
February 12 at 10:00 a.m.
Meet with a nurse at 50 Wells Rd. in Lincoln Woods on Tuesday, Feb. 12 from 10 a.m.–noon or Bemis Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 19 from 9–11 a.m. Blood pressure, nutrition and fitness, medication management, chronic disease management, resources, and more. Services provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care. The Bemis Hall clinic is supported by the Pierce House.
Valentine’s Day speed dating
February 13 at 10:30 a.m.
Speed Dating is the fun and efficient way to meet new people. The Lincoln COA is teaming up with the Bedford and Sudbury COAs for this free event for seniors aged 65 and up to be held on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 10:30 at Bemis Hall. You’ll meet up to 12 other local single seniors through a series of six-minute “pre-dates.” We facilitate the whole thing so there’s no awkwardness, pressure, embarrassment, or games—just fun. Free popcorn will be served. After the event, we’ll contact you to let you know if you’ve made a match (more than two-thirds of speed daters match at least one person). Space is limited. Call 781-259-8811 to register. If you need transportation, please call to let us know. All orientations welcome.
Maintain your oral health for overall wellness
February 15 at 1 p.m.
Maintaining the health of your teeth and gums is not only essential to good nutrition, but can also contribute to optimal heart health, reduce infection in other parts of your body, and even improve your memory. Find out the latest information about oral health for older adults and then receive a free oral cancer screening when Lincoln resident Dr. Alison Seliger-Schamberg comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. She will use the Velscope Screening device for the oral cancer screening.
Senior dining and free blood pressure check
February 19 at 11:30 a.m.
PLACE: St. Anne’s
Lincolnites 60 and older are invited to enjoy a delicious gourmet meal with new friends and old at 11:30 on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at St. Anne’s Church. Please reserve by calling the COA at 781-259-8811. The cost of each meal is $5. Caregivers are welcome to come with those for whom they are caring. Let them know when you call if you need transportation or a seating partner. The lunch is co-sponsored by the COA, the Friends of the COA, Minuteman Senior Services, Newbury Court, St. Anne’s, and the Lincoln Garden Club. You may also get a free blood pressure check.
Worry is a part of life, but you can take control
February 20 at 9:30 a.m.
Sometimes worry is just a normal part of life. We may have uncertainty about our or a loved one’s health or well being, money issues, maintaining our ability to stay in our home, the state of the world, or many other things. Join Alyson Lee, a licensed clinical social worker and life coach, on Wednesday, Feb. 20 and 27 at 9:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall when she will discuss how we can acknowledge and cope with our concerns without letting them take over our lives and, as importantly, when we need to seek help.
Aid and attendance veterans benefit for in-home care
February 21 at 10:15 a.m.
If you are a veteran or spouse who needs in-home care or you know someone who is, please come to Bemis Hall on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 10:15 a.m. when Lincoln’s Veterans Services Officer, Peter Harvell, will explain the Aid and Attendance Veterans Benefit. These benefits will pay for in-home care, such as that provided by visiting nurses, so that veterans and spouses can age in place. Bring your questions and concerns.
Fireside Chat: awe-inspiring encounters
February 23 at 10 a.m.
PLACE: Lincoln Woods
What has been your most awe-inspiring encounter in nature, in Lincoln, in work, school, or life in general, and how did it transform you/change your way of thinking about yourself and the world? Join the conversation from 10–11:30 a.m. ;on Saturday, Feb. 23 in the Community Room at Lincoln Woods (50 Wells Rd.). facilitated by Sharon Antia. Please remember to park in unmarked spaces.
Abigail Adams: her life and times
February 24 at 2 p.m.
The Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging and the Lincoln Historical Society proudly present Sheryl Faye’s engaging portrayal of Abigail Adams, wife of second President John Adams and sister of Lincoln Minute Men Captain William Smith, on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. at Bemis Hall. The free performance is a tribute to Harriet Todd, who was president of the Friends of the Lincoln COA, among many, many other contributions. Sheryl will portray Abigail as an adult and a child as she navigates life in colonial New England and stands up for the rights of women in the midst of the turbulence and privations of the war for independence. For all ages.
Lincoln Academy with Caroline Jacobs: ultimate Africa
February 25 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Feb. 25 at 12:30 when Caroline Jacobs discusses “Ultimate Africa.” Caroline recently went on safari with fourteen other travelers in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. Come and share her stories and photos of the “trip of a lifetime.” The COA provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion. All ages welcome.
Do you like to play games but have impaired vision?
February 27 at 1 p.m.
Thanks to the Perkins Library, the COA is proud to offer a Games Afternoon featuring games specially created for those with vision impairments. Come on down to Bemis Hall to play Scrabble (2x Braille), Sudoku (1x Braille), Cribbage (1x Braille), checkers (2x Braille), and Monopoly (1x Braille and large print) on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 1 p.m. If you have some games at home you’d like to bring in, that’s fine.
Memory Café for elders with dementia and caregivers
February 28 at 9:30 a.m.
PLACE: The Commons
The Commons in Lincoln, Right at Home In-Home Care and Assistance, and the Lincoln Council on Aging invite those with dementia and their family, friends, and caregivers to the free Lincoln Memory Café on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 9:30–11 a.m. at the Commons (1 Harvest Circle). The goal of the café is to offer an opportunity for elders and their care partners to spend relaxed, fun, social time together. The February café will feature C.C. King, who will provide a fun morning of poetry, musical lyrics and drama exercises. Future cafés will be held on the fourth Thursday of each month. It’s helpful but not required to sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811. For information, contact Amy Gagne of Right at Home at 781-275-1400 or amy@rightathomecare.com.
