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Date: 12/15/2021
SOUTH HADLEY – The Council on Aging (COA) is in the process of wrapping up the year with December events. And plans are in place for new activities coming in the New Year.
On Dec. 21 at 2 p.m., singer Jimmy Mazz will be performing a Holiday Show where seniors can “travel back to the days of the variety specials featuring both classic and contemporary holiday tunes.” according to their December newsletter.
COA Executive Director Leslie Hennessey noted that due to COVID-19 protocols, there is a 40-person capacity limit to all upcoming shows, and masks and reservations are required. The concert will also be live-streaming on South Hadley’s Community Channel 15 “for those who wish to view the performance from the comfort of their own homes.”
For the final show of 2021, the center is hosting a New Year’s celebration “with fun and music” with former NBC’s “The Voice” contestant Noah Lis on Dec. 28. at 5:45 p.m. The performance will also be live-streamed on Channel 15.
Looking ahead to the new year, January is already on schedule for events such as the Black and White Ball with Richie Mitnick on Jan. 13. More information on time and details will be available in the upcoming January newsletter.
Also, coming in January, Hennessey announced that they are “trying to get the word out” about a new technology instruction program. The COA has received a two-year grant from Western Mass. Elder Care for a total 0f $10,608 for technology instruction for seniors. She said they have sent out a survey to get feedback from the seniors to see what they are looking for in this area with questions like, “I can turn my device on, I use my device more than this time this many times a week.”
Hennessey reported that they have already hired a “technology specialist,” an adjunct professor from Porter and Chester Institute. The plan is for him to teach the classes to seniors 60 years of age and older for a total of five hours a week. He is also surveying “a lot of people at the center.” From the information they gather, they will design classes accordingly.
So far, she and the technology teacher have designed the courses as “one class that is specific to a device, and – get to know your iPhone – what can your iPhone do? And then he’ll have some open tech time, where people can schedule half-hour to 45-minute increments with him to go over a device. And in that tech time, we’re hoping to really identify our next class. What is the next struggle? What is the next need? And with two years, we can get a lot done,”Hennessey explained.
She said by having this program, “we’re really trying to address the digital divide that exists between seniors and technology. We certainly, saw that during the pandemic, that our seniors needed a lot of instruction on how to order groceries online when we were in the thick of the pandemic, and ordering medications online, delivery online. So, you know, there was a lot of fear also about scams, so we really want to empower seniors to learn more. It starts with their phones.”
The program will also teach how to use an iPad that people can borrow from the center. And how to use features like Facetime for the iPhone and the social media app Instagram. The goal, she said, is “how to stay connected to family and friends.” The plan is to begin classes in January, and additional information on times and dates will be announced in the newsletter and on their website.
The second program in the works for February is for the Lifelong Learners program. The center is working with Mt. Holyoke College to bring in a nine-month lecture series on different topics. The way it will work is lecturers will come in “maybe twice a month and present an interesting topic such as world history,” said Hennessey. She said a survey was available in print and online for feedback from the seniors as to what topics they were looking for. And from the information that is gathered, they will create the lectures.
With many activities planned, Hennessey noted that she is also “speaking with the Emergency Management Director on a weekly basis to make sure they are doing things consistently and keeping in mind what is safe to do.”
She added, “an important thing is, and what we’ve been telling people, this is our plan, but, you know, due to any significant changes with COVID-19 and its variants, we may have to shift and pivot. If I ever get a tattoo, it’s going to be shift and pivot.”
The South Hadley Council on Aging is at 45 Dayton St. For more information and the newest newsletter, visit https://www.southhadley.org/324/Council-on-Aging. To view live-streamed events, visit South Hadley’s Community Channel at https://shctv15.com/.