EAST LONGMEADOW — It’s never too late, or too early, to begin planning for what comes next once you begin facing the challenges of aging.
On Oct. 3, the Pleasant View Senior Center, located at 328 North Main St. in East Longmeadow, is hosting an event to help elders and their families explore just those types of plans and challenges.
The Elder Health and Wellness Summit, slated to run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will bring together a cadre of local agencies offering information on programs and services to help elders age well, as well as workshops and panel discussions to address critical aging issues such as hospitalizations and recovery, making wise treatment choices and planning for the challenges of the future.
Keynote speaker Dr. Randi Lebar will share her experiences when her mother, a former pianist, went viral on TikTok playing the piano from her memory care unit.
The event is free and open to the public, though the summit luncheon does require prior reservations. The Elder Health & Wellness Summit is sponsored by the Friends of the East Longmeadow Council on Aging.
A brainchild of Pleasant View Senior Center Program and Volunteer Coordinator Alicia Mattsson-Bozé, the event is planned for a Saturday, making it convenient for both retired and working elders and their family members to plan to attend the vendor fair and workshops.
Mattsson-Bozé said the Elder Health and Wellness Summit is something that has been in the works for a long time.
“The idea came to me a couple of years ago, and I am very excited to see it coming to fruition,” Mattsson-Bozé told Reminder Publishing.
Doors open for the summit at 9 a.m. with light refreshments and access to the vendor fair. Workshops begin at 10 a.m. with “I’m in the hospital. Now what?,” followed at 10:20 a.m. by “Benefits of Western & Eastern Medicine,” and a panel discussion at 11 a.m. on “How to Prepare for the Future.”
There will also be an opportunity to complete a healthcare proxy on site, and a notary public will be available during the event.
Keynote speaker Dr, Randi Lebar will speak at 12:30 p.m. on “Music in Dementia.”
The noon luncheon is a reservations-required event, with complimentary tickets available at the Senior Center on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information about luncheon reservations for the Elder Health & Wellness Summit, call the Pleasant View Senior Center at 413-525-5436.
