Care Connection for Aging Services is offering a program focused on helping older adults take control of their lives – making decisions that support positive aging experiences.

The Aging Mastery Program is a 10-week course that takes place online beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 10. Each session lasts about 90 minutes and includes discussion and interaction. Care Connection is covering the $60 materials fee, so the course will be free to participants.

Session topics include navigating longer lives; financial fitness; medication management; sleep and exercise; advanced planning for healthcare and end-of-life; falls prevention; and community engagement.

The course will feature experts to address each topic and lead discussions. 

Aging Mastery, a program of the National Council on Aging, will be offered on the Zoom platform. If you need to learn Zoom, a Care Connection staffer can provide a written guidance and offer a practice session before the Aging Mastery course begins.

To receive materials and register, call 1-800-748-7826 or email information@goaging.org Register online at goaging.org/events.

Care Connection for Aging Services is an area agency on aging serving in 21 West Central Missouri locations in 13 counties include Bates, Benton, Carroll, Cedar, Chariton, Henry, Hickory, Johnson, Lafayette, Pettis, Saline, St. Clair, and Vernon. The mission is to provide opportunities to create positive aging experiences. For more information, visit www.goaging.org or call 1-800-748-7826.

Here is a list of the core curriculum:

Navigating Longer Lives —  The Basics of Aging Mastery: Introduction to the program and its philosophy with a special emphasis on the new realities of aging, making the most of the gift of longevity, and taking small steps to improve health, financial well-being, social connectedness, and overall quality of life.

Exercise and You: Discussion of the importance of exercising both the mind and the body with a focus on strategies for incorporating meditation, aerobics, strengthening, flexibility, and balance into daily routines.

Sleep: Overview of how sleep patterns change as people age, the importance of monitoring the sleep cycle, and simple strategies to improve sleep.

Healthy Eating and Hydration: Review of nutrition as it relates to aging with a focus on strategies for incorporating healthy eating and hydration into daily routines.

Financial Fitness: Introduction to strategies for remaining economically secure in an era of longevity with an emphasis on setting financial goals and setting financial boundaries with friends and families.

Advance Planning: Guidance around key steps needed to manage health care, financial, and housing/care decisions with a focus on considering the role of personal values and beliefs in these decisions.

Healthy Relationships: Exploration of the benefits of being socially active, as well as the risks of isolation with a focus on practical strategies for continuing to build and strengthen friendships and family connections as we age.

Medication Management: Best practices on how to take medications as directed, how to store medications safely, and how to keep track of multiple medications.

Community Engagement: Introduction to the value of continuing contributions and small acts of kindness with a focus on identifying personal aptitudes for meaningful volunteer and civic opportunities.

Falls Prevention: Overview of the importance of falls prevention among older adults along with strategies to prevent falling.