The Council on Aging offices and the Harvard Senior Center are located at 16 Lancaster County Road. To participate in classes, events, or programs listed here—or to ask questions about any COA service—call 978-456-4120.
From the director: The senior center is air-conditioned, and residents are welcome for lunch, events, or just to come and get out of the heat.
Movies for grown-ups. Starring Kristin Scott Thomas, the film follows a group of women who form a choir on a military base while their partners are away serving in Afghanistan. At the Harvard Public Library, 4 Pond Road, Monday, July 6, 1 p.m.
Learn about homecare. Nurse Lorelei Siegel of Here With You Homecare will visit Tuesday, July 7, 1 p.m., to discuss how to know when homecare is appropriate, and the services private duty homecare offers.
Tour Lexington and Concord by bus with Harvard resident and historian Fred Silverstein Friday, July 10, 10 a.m. See Lexington Green, Concord’s Old North Bridge, and other sites with stories to tell. The tour will take 3 1/2 to 4 hours, and a bagged picnic lunch will be provided. Space is limited.
Stretch your food budget. Project Bread will visit Tuesday, July 14, 1 p.m., to talk about SNAP and HIP, two state-funded programs available to income eligible households. Learn how the Healthy Incentives Program provides extra money for fruits and vegetables purchased on SNAP.
Hearing loss and hearing aids will be covered in a presentation Tuesday, July 21, at 1 p.m. Dr. Sarah Kashi Linskey of Nashoba Valley Hearing will discuss the nature of hearing loss, types of hearing aids, and how to adjust to wearing them.
Visit the “Out To Lunch” Festival and Farmer’s Market in Worcester Wednesday, July 22, at 11 a.m. Enjoy an afternoon outdoors with food trucks, crafters and artisans, live performances, and other community programs, all free.
Movies for grown-ups. Starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt, this comedy from 2006 follows a recent college graduate working under a diabolical editor at a prestigious fashion magazine. At the Harvard Public Library, 4 Pond Road, Monday, July 27, 1 p.m.
Take a whale watching trip. Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 11 a.m. Spend the afternoon on the Al Gauron Whale Watching cruise out of Hampton, New Hampshire; return by 6:30 p.m. Cost is $50 for seniors plus the cost of food and drink. Sign up and pay before July 20.
Ticks in Massachusetts carry diseases like Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and others. To minimize risk, use EPA-approved tick repellents, stay on trails when hiking, and shower within two hours of coming indoors.
Summer weather safety tips
- Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water
- Apply and reapply sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher
- Take cooling breaks in the shade or air conditioning
- Check on kids, older adults, and others at risk for heat illness
- Limit use of alcohol.
- Seek medical help and begin cooling immediately if someone feels dizzy, nauseated, confused, or stops sweating.
The LGBTQIA+ Aging Project is a resource for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual older adults. The project offers free weekly Zoom drop-in groups Mondays and Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register by email at LGBTQIAAgingProject@fenwayhealth.org, or contact the COA.
Interested in playing bocce ball at the senior center? Let the COA know.
Help with computers. Adam is available Tuesday and Friday mornings for one-on-one computer training or anything related to computers or technology. Call the COA (not Adam) for an appointment.
Bathroom grab bars are crucial safety additions that can prevent falls. Harvard Fire-EMS can install grab bars free under a Senior SAFE grant program. Call the COA for details.
Advice on eating: Suzanne Reasenberg, dietitian at Emerson Hospital, offers the following advice about the importance of mindful eating:
- Mindful eating means being engaged in the present moment when eating, listening to your body about what you eat and how much you want to consume.
- You can savor and appreciate food more deeply, sensing texture, flavor, aroma, and even sounds.
- You can recognize when you are full, and it’s time to stop eating.
Congregate meals are served Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon at the senior center. Meals on wheels can also be arranged.
Does your doctor use telehealth? The senior center is a telehealth hub, and if you don’t have a computer, you can use one of ours to have an online appointment with your doctor. Call the COA for details.
COA van guidelines. There is no fee for the use of the van. To schedule a ride, call the COA; two business days’ notice is requested. Wheelchair users, or anyone having a procedure or surgery that requires sedation or dilation of eyes, must be accompanied by a companion.
Note: Information is drawn from the COA’s monthly newsletter, which contains additional valuable information for Harvard’s older residents. Call the COA to receive the newsletter via email, or find it at the General Store, the library, Town Hall, Carlson Orchards, Westward Orchards, and the Harvard Senior Center.