Resources

Commission on Aging

On May 15, 1985, the Town of East Lyme passed an ordinance that created the Commission on Aging.  The Commission is a 7 member Board consisting of interested residents of the Town which must have minority representation.

The purpose of the Commission is to:

  1. Review and analyze the needs and conditions of the elderly persons of the Town in relation to housing, nutrition, employment, health, recreation, social services, transportation, and other matters and problems within the jurisdiction of the Commission.
  2. Plan, coordinate, develop and implement programs to meet the needs and to improve the conditions of the elderly persons of the Town, upon the Board’s own initiative or on the recommendations of the Senior Citizen Administrator.
  3. Through the Senior Center Director and others, as necessary, provide coordination of such plans and programs among all related services.

The monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of every month starting at 5pm. The meetings are held at the Senior Center and the public is welcome to attend. If a member of the public has a concern and wants to address the Board, there are two ways in which this can be handled. At the Board meeting, a person can address the Board during the Delegations section of the meeting. Or, a person can ask the Senior Center Director to add an item to the monthly meeting Agenda.

The current makeup of the Board is:

John Whritner            Chairperson

Michael Bekech          Vice-Chairperson

Ilene Harris                 Secretary/Treasurer

Marge Caste                Board Member

Margret Hughes         Board Member

Joan Bengston            Board Member

Joe Palazzo                 Board Member

Roseanne Hardy        Selectman and Ex-Officio

 

The East Lyme Senior Center can assist you or someone you know with regards to services available within our community. If you have questions, please call at 860-739-5859 for an appointment.

 

    Senior Center- Time Table for Re-Opening

    Posted on January 3, 2021 by East Lyme

    At this time, there is no time table for re-opening the Senior Center. Updates on our status will be posted on the East Lyme Town Hall website –  www.eltownhall.com, and the East Lyme Senior Center page on the SECT regional senior center website –  www.seniorcenterct.org, our Facebook page and on the Senior Center answering machine.

     

     

    Change – Content by Judy

    Posted on December 3, 2020 by East Lyme

    Change is defined as – the act of making or becoming different. This whole COVID situation certainly has made our entire lives different in a multitude of ways. From how we stay safe, interact, work and even make purchases evolves constantly.

    2020 has been the all-time master of change whether we wanted it or not! Who would have ever dreamed we would be wearing masks? In 2019 we didn’t even know what social distancing was. Also, in 2019 just what could of possibly have been meant by “mandatory stay at home”?? Or that children would no longer go to school?

    Even if someone had told you that they were going to make all of this into a movie, most of us would have said it’s all too crazy and no one will ever go see that!

    For us New England Patriots fans the biggest 2020 news should have been Tom Brady leaving!! Instead local and high school sports almost doesn’t exist. Fans can’t go to games.  We don’t know from week to week which school is opened, and which are closed.

    COVID has changed our world forever. Whether we wanted it or not! Life will never go back to what it was.

    Now is the time we should be thinking about how we want our individual lives to be as we move past 2020.

    What do you want your 2022 to look like? What have you been dreaming about? What did you miss the most? What did you get robbed of in 2020? My husband and I were not able to celebrate our 50th Anniversary the way we had been planning for the last three years. We were going to have a huge party with all of the bells and whistles followed by a three-week vacation to Vancouver, a cruise to San Francisco and then onto Las Vegas.

    So now is the time to start planning to live the life you want. Use the present to get healthier. Find new paths to travel. Start saving, even if it’s only $5.00 a week.

    Don’t be afraid to reach out. Talk to your doctor, your friends, your family. Find a therapist.  Tell them how hard 2020 has been for you.

    Embrace change! No matter what it will look like.

    Figure out new ways to socialize. I’m doing a Zoom Paint Night where the instructor will be online, and attendees can be in person in small groups or on Zoom. A network I’m part of is planning a Zoom night where we will learn how to make a couple of drinks.

    Start work on your “2020 Bucket List”. Start making the actual plan on how you will achieve those goals. Hit the ground running. Be ready  to live.

    Now start planning your 2022 so you will know what it’s going to look like!!

    DO YOU HAVE TROUBLE HEARING ON THE TELEPHONE?

    Posted on November 30, 2020 by East Lyme

    CaptionCall provides captioned telephone service for hard-of-hearing people at no-cost. With the CaptionCall phone, you can simultaneously hear and read what the other person is saying. The CaptionCall phone displays big, easy-to-read text that automatically scrolls on the phone during a conversation. CaptionCall callers are also supported by amplifying the sound to better hear the caller’s voice.

    CaptionCall is for anyone who has hearing loss that makes it difficult for them to use the phone or for whom having captions would allow them to use the phone more effectively. During the pandemic, the need to connect with others has been more important than ever. There is no cost for the phone because CaptionCall’s service is mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), administered by the F.C.C., and funded by contributions from telecommunications companies.

    To learn more, your local contact is David Wells at (203)430-9554 or dwells2@captioncall.com

     

    FALL PREVENTION DURING THE WINTER

    Posted on November 30, 2020 by East Lyme

    Make sure your steps and walkways are clear before you walk.

    *Be careful if you see wet pavement that could be iced over.

    *Clear away snow and salt your walkways at home or hire someone to do it.

    *Wear boots with non-skid soles.

    *If you use a cane, replace the rubber tip before it is worn smooth.

    *Consider an ice pick-like attachment that fits on the end of the cane for additional traction.

     

    Be a Part of the System!! – Content by Judy

    Posted on November 3, 2020 by East Lyme

    We just had another election.

    Did your candidate win or lose? Are you happy with the results? Or are you disgusted…. with the results… the candidates… the road we are headed down?

    Earlier this year I wrote… “I recently was at a networking event and we were asked “What is important enough to you that you would protest for it?” That is a pretty deep question to answer when you don’t know those around you. My answer was “our basic rights”. The freedom of speech. The right to assemble. The right to bear arms and the right to vote.

    And this country was founded so we as individuals could not be suppressed. We have freedom of speech which enables us to voice our beliefs and we need to continue to exercise all these basic rights.”

    As we reflect on the results of this election, we need to look for better candidates at every level. Talk to your friends and family. Ask them and yourself which Office, Committee or Board needs help and what you can offer. Then reach out. Make the phone call. Write an email. Step up! All Towns and Cities have many positions that need to be filled every year. I can guarantee they will welcome your offer of help.

    When you see something you don’t agree with, don’t just complain and write an angry post or comment. Ask others what they think and how they feel about it. Learn them. Figure out how the situation or problem can be changed or fixed. Then work towards doing just that.

    “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”  -Gandhi

    Don’t settle for status quo.

    We need to stand up and be a part of the system. We need to be a part of the process. We need to hear each other and be respectful. We need to bring our differences together.

    We cannot just complain and expect someone else to “fix” things!!

    Take some time and reflect. Decide what you believe in today. Challenge yourself.

    And as Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

    Now go out and be a part of that change!