“Heart-wrenching. As unflinching as it is beautiful.” – The New York Times

SeniorCare Inc. presents Mimi & Dona, on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cape Ann Cinema, 21 Main Street in Gloucester, MA. The film will be followed by a discussion and cocktail hour with light appetizers. This presentation is sponsored by The Residence at Riverbend with additional support from Tufts Health Plan Foundation.

What happens when love runs out of time? For a 92-year-old mother, Mimi, who has cared 64 years for Dona, a daughter who has an intellectual disability, it means facing the inevitable—the likelihood that she will not outlive her daughter and the need to find her daughter a new home.

This poignant, heartbreaking and, at times, humorous documentary traces this process through the story of a quirky and deeply connected mother-daughter duo. The film spotlights the challenges of aging caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities—some 4.6 million Americans, 75% of whom live at home with family—and details the ripple effects of Dona’s disability on three generations of a Texas family.

There is no charge to attend this presentation. However, advance reservations are requested, and donations to support SeniorCare’s programs will be accepted. To reserve a ticket or for more information, contact SeniorCare’s Communications Officer Tracy Arabian at 978-281-1750 or tracy.arabian@seniorcareinc.org.

For more information on SeniorCare’s programs, visit www.seniorcareinc.org or like us on Facebook.

SeniorCare Inc. will hold its annual autumn fundraising breakfast at Lobsta Land Restaurant, located on Causeway Street in Gloucester (Route 128, exit 12) on Tuesday, October 24, 2017, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.  Tickets are $12 per person and include your choice of pancakes, French toast, eggs, or a fruit plate with yogurt. Tickets are available in advance online, by calling 978-281-1750, or may be purchased at the door. Proceeds from the breakfast will benefit the full spectrum of programs offered by SeniorCare.

Your Input is Critical!

SeniorCare Inc. will host four Community Forums throughout Cape Ann to begin a discussion of how Cape Ann can become more Age and Dementia Friendly.  The four Forums will be led by Dr. Caitlin Coyle from UMass Boston, and will be held at:

• Rockport Community House, Tuesday, November 7, 2017, 10:30am-12:00pm
• Gloucester’s Rose Baker Senior Center, Tuesday, November 14, 2017, 6:00-7:30pm
• Essex Town Hall, Thursday, November 16, 2017, 2:00-3:30pm
• Manchester Community Center, Thursday, November 16, 2017, 5:00-6:30pm

Members from all aspects of the community are encouraged to attend, including government, human service agencies, health and beauty, finance and banking, media and information services, private business, and—possibly the most important group—caregivers and persons directly impacted by aging and dementia. Interested individuals are welcome to attend one or all of the Forums.  Your input is critical.

What makes a community Age and Dementia Friendly? Are the sidewalks conducive to wheel chairs and strollers? Does transportation for seniors who no longer drive meet the need? Does our community make a person with dementia or other challenges feel welcome?

These are just a few of the questions the Age and Dementia Friendly initiative will aim to answer.

These Forums are made possible through a grant from the North Shore Community Health Network.

To learn more about SeniorCare’s mission to serve elders and adults with disabilities on the North Shore, please visit our website www.seniorcareinc.org.  As the discussion on Age & Dementia Friendly Cape Ann progresses and Action Teams are formed, the website will include a section about this initiative.

SeniorCare Inc. will hold a “Facing Death, Finding Peace” workshop with interfaith minister and master teacher Reverend Sue Koehler-Arsenault, M.Div., on Saturday, October 28, 2017, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the SeniorCare offices at 49 Blackburn Center in Gloucester. The cost for this workshop is $35 per person and includes lunch. Advance registration is required at www.seniorcareinc.org. Registration is limited to 20 people.

Through guided meditation, personal reflection and group sharing, Reverend Sue Koehler-Arsenault, will lead 20 participants toward making peace with the end of life so that they may live a more purposeful and powerful life now.

Rev. Sue earned her Master of Divinity degree with distinction from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology (Boston College in 1994). She has served as chaplain at Wellesley College where she was part of a pioneering interfaith spiritual life program, working with Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Protestant, Unitarian, and Muslim colleagues and students. Later, as Chaplain with Community Hospice in Schenectady, NY she became a skillful spiritual counselor and end-of-life educator. In November 2014, Rev. Sue moved to Cape Ann with her husband, artist David Arsenault. She is Dean of Second Year students and teaches on the Spiritual Care of the Dying at One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in NY, NY.

It’s that time of year again! Medicare Annual Open Enrollment period is October 15- December 7, 2017. SeniorCare Inc. and the Massachusetts SHINE program will co-host a Medicare Plan Enrollment Day on Monday, November 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at SeniorCare’s offices at 49 Blackburn Center in Gloucester. Several SHINE Counselors will be on-hand for half-hour appointments to review Medicare options with beneficiaries.

Health insurance needs are as unique to the individual.  Because Medicare plans change every year, it is critical to review each Medicare plan to ensure it will be the most cost-effective plan in 2018.

Advance registration is required for this SHINE Enrollment event. Please call 978-281-1750 to reserve your space. Participants will need to bring the following to their appointment: Medicare card (the red, white & blue card), current insurance card(s), and a current list of medications.

About SHINE

The SHINE program provides free assistance to Medicare beneficiaries by presenting accurate, unbiased information regarding Medicare options. Last year, the SHINE program saved residents of Massachusetts over 80 million dollars in health insurance costs!

The Rotary Club of Gloucester will host a Trivia Night on Friday, October 27, at the Gloucester House, located at 63 Rogers Street in downtown Gloucester. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and the game will begin at 7 p.m.  Teams of four will compete for the title of Cape Ann Trivia Champions.

All trivia fans are invited to this fun night of knowledge and laughter. The registration fee is $100 for a team of four players.  Proceeds from this event will support programs of the Gloucester Rotary Club.  The night will also feature a 50/50 raffle, a cash bar, and light snacks for purchase.

Download registration form.

The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. For more information about the Gloucester Rotary, visit our website or our Facebook page.

SeniorCare Inc. will hold its annual autumn fundraising breakfast at Lobsta Land Restaurant, located on Causeway Street in Gloucester (Route 128, exit 12) on Tuesday, October 24, 2017, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.  Tickets are $12 per person and include your choice of pancakes, French toast, eggs, or a fruit plate with yogurt. Tickets are available in advance online, by calling 978-281-1750, or may be purchased at the door. Proceeds from the breakfast will benefit the full spectrum of programs offered by SeniorCare.

About SeniorCare

SeniorCare Inc. is a federally designated Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and a state designated Aging Service Access Point (ASAP) with offices in Gloucester and Beverly. Established in 1972, SeniorCare serves an area that represents more than 27,000 residents aged 60 and over, including the nine communities of Beverly, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester by the Sea, Rockport, Topsfield and Wenham. SeniorCare’s volunteers and staff work to fulfill its mission as a consumer-centered organization which provides and coordinates services to elders and others, allowing them to live independently at home or in a setting of their choice, while remaining part of their community.

The Gloucester Rotary Club will publish a 12-month Cape Ann photo calendar for 2018 as a fundraiser.  All profits will go to the Gloucester Rotary Club’s efforts to raise money that supports the many community and international activities in which the club is involved. 

 In Order to publish a beautiful calendar, the Club is requesting high quality digital photos that show the unique beauty of Cape Ann throughout the year– landscapes, seascapes, harbor scenes, sunrises/sunsets, boats, wildlife, etc.  As we will be featuring one photo per month, we need images from each season:  winter, spring, summer and fall.  Photographs from Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester will be accepted.     

Full contest rules and requirements are available online at www.gloucesterotary.org.  All entries must be received by 12:00 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 2017.  

More information about the Rotary Club of Gloucester is available online at www.gloucesterrotary.org and www.facebook.com/RotaryGloucesterMA .  

The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. 

The Schooner Festival is watching the weather. Watch Facebook, Twitter & the website for info as decisions are made.

The Gloucester Rotary Club will publish a 12-month Cape Ann photo calendar for 2018 as a fundraiser. All profits will go to the Gloucester Rotary Club’s efforts to raise money that supports the many community and international activities in which the club is involved.

In Order to publish a beautiful calendar, the Club is requesting high quality digital photos that show the unique beauty of Cape Ann throughout the year– landscapes, seascapes, harbor scenes, sunrises/sunsets, boats, wildlife, etc. As we will be featuring one photo per month, we need images from each season: winter, spring, summer and fall. Photographs from Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester will be accepted.

Full contest rules and requirements are available online at www.gloucesterotary.org. All entries must be received by 12:00 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 2017.

More information about the Rotary Club of Gloucester is available online at www.gloucesterrotary.org and www.facebook.com/RotaryGloucesterMA .

The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.