Community in Crisis (CIC), in partnership with the Bernardsville Public Library, will offer a free, seven-week workshop to Somerset County residents aged 60 and up in the library’s Community Room. Workshops will begin at 1:15pm on Wednesday, January 15th and will continue at the same time each Wednesday until February 26th. Lunch will be offered as well as weekly incentive prizes and a gift certificate for each participant on successful completion of the series. Advance sign-up is required by visiting www.bernardsvillelibrary.org or calling the library at 908.766.0118.
In covering a range of topics such as stress management, safe medication use, the aging process, alternative approaches to pain management, and prescription drug abuse, the program uses an interactive approach to help seniors celebrate aging, make positive lifestyle choices, and feel more confident and in control of their lives. Key evaluation findings from the program show that participants are more likely to improve health behaviors related to lifestyle choices, health care empowerment, and use of prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as reporting greater increases in social support over time.
Brenda Miller, CIC Program Coordinator, said, “We’re very grateful to the Bernardsville Public Library for their support and collaboration in bringing this program to our population of 60 years young and up. As more Americans enter their senior years and life expectancies reach record highs, it is more important than ever for seniors to focus on their health and wellbeing. It’s critical they recognize that their life choices and their behaviors can have a significant impact on their quality of life.”
In the United States, the older adult population – adults aged 60 years and older – is predicted to more than double in size in the first half of the 21st century, from 40 million in 2010 to 88.5 million in 2050. Currently, the older adult population in the State of New Jersey is the fastest growing population segment in NJ. Over the course of 2020, Community in Crisis will roll out multiple series of these free seven-week workshops throughout Somerset County thanks to the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services for educational programs regarding Alternative Approaches to Pain Management for Older Adults and is funded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s State Opioid Response grant supplemental funding.
Community in Crisis began in 2013 following the overdose deaths of two young adults in the Somerset Hills community. The organization, a coalition of community agencies, organizations, schools, churches and concerned citizens, offers bi-weekly support groups for families struggling with addiction, innovative educational opportunities in the school environment, medicine take-back days, town hall meetings, and more. Additionally, Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and the Horizon Foundation have partnered with Community in Crisis to produce and scale out an evidence-based community toolkit for implementation by communities across New Jersey.
For more information on attending or booking a workshop, please contact Brenda Miller at 908.872.4601 or email CICSeniorEducation@gmail.com.