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Council on Aging
The Canton Council on Aging is the only Public Human Services Agency in Canton providing a variety of social services to its residents.
Although our building is closed at this time, we are working hard assisting individuals with food shopping, prescription deliveries, mask deliveries, friendly visitor phone calls and emotional support.
In addition, we are working on virtual programs that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home.
We are eagerly awaiting the day we can all be together again!
You can also find our programs at:
Canton Community Television: Comcast Channel 8 or Verizon Channel 43
If you are having problems connecting with any of these programs, please call us and we will walk you through it.
We are here to help!
781-828-1323
**NEW**
Indoor Classes at the Senior Center
The weather is beginning to change and as a result we may not be able to continue our outdoor programs. Beginning next week (November 2nd) our Fitness schedule will be modified. If class cannot take place outside due to inclement weather (rain/snow/below 45 F) we will move the class indoors.
If the class is moved indoors, we will follow guidelines that are listed below the class schedule.
For Blood Pressure Clinic, please remain in your car and we will call you when it is time to bring you in for your appointment.
The schedule for next week is as follows:
Monday | 9:00 AM | Sports Class with Sherry |
Tuesday | 10:00 AM | Line Dancing with Rich |
Wednesday | 9:00 AM | T’ai Chi with Vince |
Wednesday | 9:30-11:00 AM | Blood Pressure Clinic |
Thursday | 9:00 AM | Sit Fit Class with Sherry |
Thursday | 11:15 AM | Zumba with Giliana |
Friday | 10:00 AM | Zumba with Eddie |
We also are offering transportation for essential services and providing social services to those in need.
Next Wednesday, November 4th we also have Live Entertainment and an Ice Cream Social scheduled for outdoors, starting at 11:30 AM, weather dependent. You must pre-register for that.
In addition to the schedule listed above we have many Virtual Programs. You can participate through your telephone, by calling in or by using your computer, laptop, tablet or smart phone.
You can access our schedule as well as all that we are offering by visiting the following:
- Canton Council on Aging website https://town.canton.ma.us/341/Council-on-Aging
- Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/cantoncoa
- Canton Community Television. We also have a schedule posted to our front door.
Please call us 781 828 1323 to pre-register or if you have any questions.
We miss you all very much! The Senior Center is not the same without you.
Guidelines for Indoor Classes at the Canton Senior Center
We will continue to have outdoor classes for as long as the weather permits. In the event of inclement weather, we do have permission to move classes inside. However, we are limited to the number of participants that we can safely have inside the building at this time. Therefore, it is essential that you pre-register for all programs.
The following guidelines for indoor events will be implemented and strictly adhered to:
- Masks must be worn at ALL times, before, during, and after each class.
- Please bring a bottle of water as we are not able to use our bubbler at this time
- COVID19 screening will take place before you can participate in any class.
- The building will be open to participants a few minutes before each class starts, and all participants are requested to leave as soon as the class is over- we appreciate that!
- All windows and doors will be open during the class, it might get chilly- please dress appropriately!
- Classes will be limited to 14 participants, plus an instructor. You MUST call to register- no exceptions.
- We can offer classes to Canton Residents only at this time.
Thank you for your understanding and patience as we get through these challenging times together!
Thanksgiving Dinner
For the past 49 years, the Lombardo Family has hosted a free Thanksgiving dinner for people that did not have a place to go. This year due to COVID-19 it will be a little different. Lombardo's will prepare the meals, and deliver them to the Canton Senior Center, and we will distribute them.
If you or anyone you know is going to be alone this Thanksgiving and would like a meal please call us at 781 828 1323.
**Thank you, Lombardo's, for continuing to support the community**
**NEW**
Check out all the Upcoming Programs for November at the Canton Senior Center!!
Click here for details
Check out our new WEEKLY SCHEDULE OF VIRTUAL AND LIVE PROGRAMS!
Virtual Programs At A Glance
| Day | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 11:00 AM | Health & Wellness Talks |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM | Coffee & Chat |
| Wednesday | 11:00 AM | Zumba with Eddie |
| Thursday | 1:00 PM | Conversations That Count |
| Thursday | 5:00 PM | Virtual Happy Hour |
| Friday | 9:30 AM | Yoga with Robin |
| Friday | 10:00 AM | Zumba with Eddie |
| Friday | 12:30 PM | Friday Specials! |
Live Programs At A Glance
| Day | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 9:00 AM | Sports Class with Sherry |
| Monday | 11:00 AM | Cornhole |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM | Line Dancing with Rich |
| Wednesday | 9:00 AM | T'ai Chi with Vince |
| Wednesday | 9:30 AM | Blood Pressure Clinic |
| Wednesday | 11:30 AM-12:30 PM | Grab and Go Lunch |
| Thursday | 9:00 AM | Sit Fit with Sherry |
| Friday | 10:00 AM | Zumba with Eddie |
The Canton Council on Aging/Senior Center is working in conjunction with other local COAs to offer a variety of Virtual programs for you to enjoy in the comfort of your own home during this difficult time. Please feel free to explore and use the following links:
***NEW***
REFLECTIONS ON LIVING
Call for Submissions!!
In collaboration with The Memory, Musing and Memoir Class at the Canton COA, this call for submissions asks for short written works for an anthology entitled Reflections on Living. The goal is to collect (specifically from Seniors) musings, both humorous and serious on the current state of the world.
There are 5 categories for submissions:
1. Pandemic Ponderings: We have been a people on the move: resourceful, industrious, scientific, and loud. Then came an invisible enemy, COVID19. Submissions might include words of warning, advice, encouragement, and wisdom.
2. It’s the Economy, Stupid! The American economy has been a robust, flexible, and dynamic function of capitalism. Now, it’s been thrust into turmoil and doubt. Submissions might include reflections on history, analysis, and personal anecdotes.
3. Before I Forget: Have I been kind? How much do I appreciate my family, traveling, music, and learning? Submissions might include musings on the good life, resilience, virtue, humility, and gratitude.
4. Social Justice: 2020 has been a year of grief, outrage, and divisive politics. Issues of class, race, and social unrest are on our minds. Submissions might include commentary on racial tensions, politics, and calls to action.
5. Where Do We Go from Here? What is our legacy? Will local, national, and global communities thrive? Our way of life has changed in profound ways. Submissions might include reflections on change, or connections between past, present, & future.
Please review the following criteria for this Call for Submissions:
1. All submissions must be typewritten, double spaced.
2. Submissions labeled “Reflections on Living” may be mailed to The Canton Council on Aging 500 Pleasant Street, Canton, MA 02021; or submitted as an email attachment to smathur@town.canton.ma.us
3. You may submit up to 3 entries for 3 separate categories. Please indicate the category on each submission(s).
4. Written entries should be no more than 4000 words. (They may be brief; however, we are capping longer essays to the 4000-word limit.)
5. Please include name, address, phone #, and email address at the top of each submission.
6. Entries must be postmarked by December 31, 2020.
7. Selections will be announced in January, and publication is set for Spring 2021.
***NEW**
"Conversations that Count" with Professor Angelina Avedano
The daily barrage of bad news can often cause us to lose focus. This four week long discussion forum will look at the changes we are facing in the world today and how to identify and focus on the things that matter. These are the “Conversations that Count”: they create community and inspire us to live an engaged and fulfilled life.
Check out Dr Avedano's video at https://youtu.be/B-Da4rFfGTc
Thursdays November 12th,19th and December 3rd,10th at 1:00 PM
Join Zoom meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86257030822
or Dial in +1 929 205 6099 US At prompt enter Meeting ID 86257030822
**NEW**
Grab and Go Lunch at the Canton Senior Center
Wednesdays from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM
The Canton Council on Aging with the generous collaboration of HESSCO is offering a Grab and Go Lunch on Wednesdays
The packed lunch consists of a sandwich, chips, side salad, dessert and lemonade with a different sandwich each week.
Registration is required by noon on the Friday before and a suggested donation is $3, though the HESSCO estimate of the actual cost of the lunch is $8.50
Please call the Senior Center for registration
781-828-1323
Click here to see the flyer
If you missed this very interesting presentation by Eddie Martucci, from the Big Y Pharmacy, this morning, here is a recording!
Please click on the link below and use passcode to watch the video.
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/gZeOSORm7svMoZyVXF9CBpXaLnlqxp4fDQoDn9oSf6shUVpu4Qd1ZDBY0pNmhYOF.nU5MgAdPnj7z8BhYPasscode: Dd#xx9iR
Caregivers Support Group :TELEPHONE CALL
Tuesday, November 10th at 1:00 PM
Calling all Caregivers to carve out some of their well-deserved time to join the Canton COA Caregivers Support Group Meeting.
Let's share our stories and discuss the ways we are caring for our loved ones during these difficult times!
Dial in: +1 929 205 6099 At prompt, enter Meeting ID: 853 4588 4031#
OR
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85345884031
Happy Hour!
Thursdays, November 5th, 19th at 5:00 PM
Join your friends for a chat with cocktails at our Virtual Happy Hour!
You can call using your telephone: Dial +1 929 205 6099 At prompt Enter Meeting ID 84352718811#
OR
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84352718811
TODAY! November 5th
Happy Hour 5:00 PM-6:00 PM
Join us for a fun evening of Music Trivia with a Twist!!
You can use your telephone to call in and join our merry group!!
You can call using your telephone:
Dial: +1 929 205 6099
At prompt, enter Meeting ID 84352718811#
OR
Join Zoom meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84352718811
Meeting ID 84352718811
Pop Up Library cancelled for November 18th.
Grab and Go Lunch and Pop Up Library Event
Wednesday November 18th at 10:30 AM
Senior Center Parking Lot
Where: Canton Senior Center parking lot
How: With masks and appropriate social distancing!
Click here for the flyer
by November 13th
(Suggested lunch donation is $3)
Low Vision Support Group Call!
The Low Vision Support Group will meet via a conference call:
Wednesday, November 18th at 11:30 AM
Matt Amory from the Canton Public Library will be a special guest this week and will give us valuable information on resources available from the Library.
Please join us for a friendly chat with our Support Group!
If you know anyone who might benefit from this meeting, please have them join us.
Dial in +1 929 205 6099
At prompt Enter Meeting ID 896 557 858 58#
OR
Join Zoom Meeting
Lecture by Dr Roger Landry
December 2nd at 4:00 PM via Zoom
Are You Feeling Stressed? Anxious? Worried? The holidays are looming, winter is around the corner, the pandemic hasn’t gone away and its effects are ongoing. It seems there is more uncertainty than ever. There are ways to deal with all of it.
Dr Roger Landry, MD, presents: “Resilience and Successful Aging during the COVID Pandemic and Beyond”. You will learn strategies for cultivating resilience, key tips for successful and healthy aging, and connect with others with similar interests. This information will help you remain healthy and connected during these uncertain times.
Please RSVP to coadirector@sherbornma.org to obtain the ZOOM link.
Click here for the flyer.
MEDICARE OPEN ENROLLMENT: October 15th to December 7th 2020.
Any changes made during open enrollment go into effect 1/1/21. It is important that you review your coverage every year, as plan premiums, formularies and copays may change. Certified SHINE Counselors are available to assist you in finding coverage that meets your needs at the lowest cost.
You can talk to a counselor by phone or Zoom meeting, communicate via email or drop off a Medicare Drug Plan pre-enrollment form here at the Senior Center.
All counseling will occur remotely during the 2020 open enrollment period.
Call us at 781 828 1323 to schedule a telephone consultation with a certified SHINE counselor
Free Diabetes Classes offered by The BigY Pharmacies and Wellness Centers
Stephanie Cloutier, PharmD., is the educator for these classes. Stephanie received her PharmD from UConn School of Pharmacy and did an internship at BigY through the Western New England School of Pharmacy. Her project was diabetes and she has written several talks on the subject including "Don't Pour Sugar on Me". Stephanie works hand in hand with Living Well Eating Smart team of Registered Dietitians, including Kathy Jordan, BigY dietitian in the Eastern Massachusetts zone.
If you have any questions Donna Dwarska is the contact person in the pharmacy department in Springfield and her information is at the bottom of the flyer.
Click here for the flyer with details.
Norfolk County RSVP is pleased to offer a stimulating and informative free lecture series, by Dan Seligman, right from the comfort of your home computer or tablet
Dan Seligman is an established RSVP volunteer who will present his 10 seminar series:
Western Gunslingers: The Truth Behind the Westerns'
Mondays @ 11:00 AM – 12 noon,
beginning on October 26th and ending on December 28th.
Attendance at all sessions is not required!
A detailed description of the series appears below. To participate: please send an email to
Dan at drseligman@comcast.net by October 23rd. He will respond, emailing you the Zoom link, for the weekly sessions.
Western Gunslingers: The Truth Behind the Westerns
By Daniel R. Seligman
The course consists of ten PowerPoint seminars on the life and times of gunslingers who lived
in the American West in the late 19th century and are well known in American popular culture.
The seminars are generally broken up into two series: five on the “Good Guys” and another five
on the “Bad Guys,” however each seminar is designed to stand alone and can be delivered
individually.
The American West has been portrayed extensively in westerns and other media and subjected,
on the one hand, to broad exaggeration, and, on the other, to a more recent tendency to
uninformed debunking. The intent is to present the unvarnished truth, as far as it can be
ascertained from historical records.
The Good Guys series consists of seminars on the following five figures:
· Wild Bill Hickok
· Wyatt Earp
· Bat Masterson
· Buffalo Bill Cody
· Annie Oakley
The Bad Guys series consists of the following:
· Jesse James
· Billy the Kid
· Belle Starr
· Black Bart
· Butch Cassidy
Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Massachusetts Health News Service: "Coverage"
Coverage features original reporting produced by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts writers and clinicians. We can also provide your community members with free subscriptions to our weekly e-newsletter.
Health care is complicated. Blue Cross built Coverage to deliver fact-based, straightforward news reports on the health issues our neighbors face. Our articles feature local clinicians, patients, community leaders and health care experts.
Click here to access Coverage.
Medicare Wellness Webinars
Join Our Wellness Webinars!
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts wants to help you stay well, with no-cost health education webinars brought to you in partnership with your local Massachusetts Councils on Aging. Join a webinar to participate in educational activities, practice
new hobbies, stay connected to other community members while remaining at home, and learn more about how to stay healthy and safe during these challenging times.
All are welcome—you don’t have to be a Blue Cross member to participate.
Please click here to see the flyer and registration details
Resources and Referrals
For information on the social services we provide and helpful phone numbers please click on the following link:
Building Closure
Beginning Monday, March 16th, 2020 the Senior Center will be closed to the public, indefinitely. Your COA Team will be working on and addressing the challenges we are currently facing, and will be able to answer your phone calls and work through issues that arise. At this time the Meals on Wheels Program and Take-Out Congregate Meals, Limited Transportation and Outreach Services will continue. This was not an easy decision, we care deeply about all of our members, and we will continue to be here to support you.
We also want to make sure you are aware that this has unfortunately become an opportunity for COVID-19 scams. The AG’s office warns that scammers may try to steal your money and information by sending phony communications via phone calls, emails and texts. If a stranger claiming to be an expert on coronavirus contacts you, ignore them
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if we can be of any assistance 781 828 1323.
Mission Statement
The Canton Council on Aging is the only Public Human Services Agency in Canton providing a variety of social services to its residents
Our Mission
- Serve as the primary resource and advocate for residents 60 years and older and their caregivers
- Offer comprehensive programs and services that enhance quality of life
- Inspire and promote community spirit through involvement and collaboration across town
COA BOARD
| Chair | Janet Walrod |
| Vice Chair | Elaine Gilmore |
| Secretary | Ellen Donovan |
| Member | Dr John Crowe |
| Member | Alan Leary |
| Member | Jane Pratt |
| Member | John Thoener |