GET INVOLVED

Empowering Senior citizens through Connection, Care, and Purpose

PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – December 2024

PKS Council on Aging woman using walker

Written by

Cindy Schersching, PhD

in

Meeting Notes

December 10, 2024
10:30 AM
PKS Town Hall

Attendees: Ann Bures, John Clarke, Karen Murphy, Kathy Driver, Kathy Noy, Leigh DeKorte, Clark Edwards, Cindy Schersching, John Broadman

Call to Order: Cindy Schersching

Old/New Business

Review/discussion of feedback requested November 25, 2024 and updates:

  • We have been given a couple of opportunities to build our awareness in the community and do some different (healthy) activities for the benefit of the community. Cindy requested our feedback on these: ideas, e.g., interest level, participation, how these ideas could be developed, any questions.
  • Events/comments covered: Movie Nights, participation in Leadership Carteret, and adoption/inclusion of elements of the Connecticut group Staying Put in New Caanan.

Movies as a senior outing (proposed by Bob Ross)

  • PKS-wide issue, hope to keep AB Cinema on the island.
  • Streaming services have negatively impacted theaters.
  • Perhaps include current movies and “coming attractions” in “In The Know.”
  • Movies (and especially refreshments) sometimes seem cost-prohibitive. Offering PKS residents a discount on a ‘refreshment combo’ could be an incentive.
  • Perhaps old Classic Movies can be run at special times targeting senior adults just as the animated movies are heavily discounted for kids on summer mornings.
  • Cindy spoke with the manager about a cooperative approach to building theatre attendance. She will speak with the owner. The ball is in their court.

Socialization

Building attendance at any event is challenging. Identifying topics of interest and frequently communicating relevant messages are key.

  • Women’s Club has book clubs and a dinner club.
    • Would we be interested in something similar?
    • Maybe a progressive dinner club.
  • PKA’s monthly “sittum social” participation is down.
  • An interest survey sent to 700 individuals yielded only 13 responses.
  • Leigh DeKorte went door-to-door to publicize her health fair in Swansboro, resulting in a good turnout.
  • Office seekers sometimes go door-to-door as well.
  • John Clarke noted that on Loblolly and White Ash Streets there are 18 widows and widowers (not counting divorcees!).
  • St. Francis By The Sea is having a Blue Christmas Service at 5:30 pm on December 22, Winter Solstice, which is the shortest and darkest day of the year.
  • John Clarke does a great job updating our FB page with activities people may be interested in. Let him know of events you are aware of.
    • There are always events happening at St. Francis.
  • There are numerous events at the Leon Mann Center that we could participate in. Transportation may be an issue.

Leadership Carteret

  • A Chamber of Commerce program focused on Carteret County and its needs.
  • Participants develop awareness of local issues and perform community projects.
  • They may look to us for candidate projects.
  • We didn’t have a project that fit their criteria this year.
  • As this is a yearly activity, we may prepare a proposal for next year.

New Canaan, CT

  • Many respondents were concerned about cost if there were membership fees.
  • Much larger population than PKS (20,000 vs. 1600).
  • We are not aware of how often our list of Recommended Vendors is used.
    • The list needs to be updated in the new year.
  • Perhaps our folks might be interested in a “Time Bank”, where participants offer their services and then the time it takes to perform go into a “Bank” to be exchanged for a service they need.
    • E.g., baking a pie might bank 1.5 hours which can be used toward 1.5 hours of power washing.
    • There are software packages available to facilitate this.
    • Kathy Driver will look into it and report back to us.

Assistive Devices Closet

Many seniors occasionally find themselves in need of a walker, wheelchair, crutches, etc. In some communities, an inventory of such devices is maintained by a church or other such organization. The inventory is built by donations when someone no longer needs their device.

The following are needed to establish such a service; there may be cost implications to this offer that will need to be explored:

  • Devices.
  • Space to keep them.
  • Someone to pick up donations if the donor cannot deliver them.
  • Someone willing to clean up donated items.
  • A point person to call when a device is needed to determine availability and to arrange for pick up.

John Broadman will determine whether or not the town has space available before we move forward.

Next Meeting

Our first meeting in 2025 is January 14 at 10:30 a.m. in the Betty Carr Room of the A.C. Hall Municipal Building.

More posts