In: Caregiving, Community, News

Caring for a family member or friend with dementia? The Savvy Caregiver Training can help. Eastern Area Agency on Aging will hold this program from 10 am to noon at the Thompson Free Library on October 31, November 7, 14 and 21 and December 5 and 12.

The Savvy Caregiver Program is designed to train caregivers in the basic knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to handle the challenges of caring for a family member with memory loss, dementia, or Alzheimer’s disease, to be an effective caregiver. This is a 12-hour training program/course that is delivered in 2-hour sessions over a 6-week period. The program focuses on helping caregivers think about their situation objectively and providing them with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to manage stress and carry out the caregiving role effectively. Research has demonstrated significant positive outcomes for caregivers who participated in the program.

Please call Eastern Area Agency on Aging at 941-2865 to register.

In: Book Group, Caregiving, Community, Events

There’s a New Book Club in Town! Pine Tree Hospice’s Caregiving and Bereavement Book Club is all new, with great readings that will have you looking forward to each meeting with your questions and comments. This book club begins with The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. This poignant and compelling love story is about loss and discovery, grief, and caring. It tells the story of a man who lives for his wife and journeys with her as she loses herself to Alzheimer’s Disease. The Notebook is set in the post-war rural south, a spectacular location where this wonderful story unfolds and takes you into a beautiful life.

Our first meeting will be on September 19, at The Thompson Free Library, from 3:30 – 5:00 pm. The reading materials will be available to borrow at the Thompson Free Library after August 20th. Anyone is welcome to join; we are looking forward to an interesting group with plenty to say and talk about – and you don’t need to attend each meeting to be part of this club. The other meetings will be October 17 and November 19. Please call Pine Tree Hospice at 564-4346 for more information or stop at the Thompson Free Library to sign up.

In: Book Group, Caregiving, Community, Events

The Caregivers Book Group, sponsored by Maine Humanities Council and Pine Tree Hospice, is a great way to learn about caregiving experiences from a variety of perspectives.  Thought provoking readings will give you a deeper understanding and appreciation of loss and the American experience.

Our next Book Group meeting is Monday, June 3rd, from 4:00 – 5:30, at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft.  We will be discussing poems in the last section of Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith’s American Anthology, and the novel Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, by Dai Sijie.  All materials are available at the Thompson Free Library.  Our experienced facilitator is Greg Winston, professor of English at Husson University, who asks questions, provides insights, and enjoys learning from the group as much as we enjoy learning from him.

This Book Group is the perfect place to meet new people, connect with friends and enjoy a new reading experience. Please feel free to join us even if you have not had the opportunity to read the material.  For more information, please call Pine Tree Hospice at 564-4346.

In: Book Group, Caregiving, News

The Thompson Free Library is partnering with Pine Tree Hospice to offer a book group for caregivers and the people who support them. The Caregivers Book Group will meet four Monday afternoons at the library from 3:30-5:00 pm: February 4, March 4, April 8, and May 6. This book group is sponsored by the Maine Humanities Council and facilitated by Greg Winston, Professor of English at Husson University.

Readings include:

  • American Journal, ed. Tracy K. Smith (Introduction and selected poems)
  • What We Lose, Zinzi Clemmons (novel)
  • Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson (novel)
  • Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Dai Sijie (novel)

For more information or to sign up, please contact Pine Tree Hospice at (207) 564-4346.

In: Caregiving, Children, Events, News

Join us on Tuesday, Jan. 29 from 5:30-7:00 pm for an informative workshop aimed at helping parents and caregivers understand how teens and kids are using technology, and learn some tools to safely navigate technology use.

What will be covered:

  • Protecting your child’s privacy online
  • Apps and social networking
  • Cyberbullying
  • Teens and Sexting
  • Gaming issues and concerns
  • Setting healthy boundaries around technology use

About the presenter:

Brooke Dupuy is the Community Outreach Educator at Rape Response Services, a sexual assault crisis and support center serving Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties. As a prevention educator, she teaches lessons on cyber harassment, sexual harassment, healthy communication, consent and internet safety to students in pre-k through college. As a former high school teacher, she has over a decade of experience working with teenagers, and is a mother of two. She is passionate about empowering kids to make healthy choices, and to step in when they see something that makes them uncomfortable.