Discovery UMC offers free senior care seminars

By JON ANDERSON

Discovery United Methodist Church is offering the community a free eight-week seminar series on aging and senior care.

The series, to be offered on Tuesday nights from March 14 through May 2, is designed to help people who are entering or in their golden years or caring for people who are already there.

Topics will include Medicare, long-term care insurance, finding a home away from home, staying in your home, estate planning, hospice, dementia, end-of-life planning, coping with loss and healthy living as you age.

Robin Swartz, a Discovery United Methodist church member who organized the seminar series, came up with the idea after her mother was diagnosed with dementia and she became responsible for her mother’s care.

She wasn’t sure how to handle it all and began searching for help to navigate through the issues faced by the elderly and their caregivers, she said. She turned to friends who had been through similar experiences and also looked online for resources, but then she realized it would be great to pull all these resources together in one place for other people.

Discovery first offered the “Aged to Perfection” series in 2019 and got good response and feedback from it, but the church did not offer it again due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Swartz said. Church members now feel comfortable enough to offer it again, she said.

They believe it’s particularly good for their immediate surroundings because there are two new communities in Trace Crossings (Abingdon and Abingdon by the River) designed for people ages 55 and older, she said.

Here is the schedule of topics and speakers:

► March 14 — “Coping with loss,” Dr. Steve Sweatt, Community Grief Support

► March 21 — “Finding home away from home (independent living, assisted living, memory care),” Karen Glover, Glover Management & Consulting; and “Medicare & Veterans Administration benefits,” Lynn Campisi, Campisi Law

► March 28 — “End-of-life planning,” Senior Pastor Belinda Rives, Discovery UMC;

“Hospice,” the Rev. Jennifer Riddle, St. Martin in the Pines

► April 4 — “Legal issues (estate planning, power of attorney, advance directives, wills, etc.),” Brooks Burdette, The Burdette Law Firm

► April 11 — “Medicare, Social Security and long-term care,” Pam Franklin, Magnolia Capital Advisors

► April 18 — “Understanding dementia and care for the caregiver,” Miller Piggott, Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama

► April 25 — “Can I stay in my home?,” Tim Barron, architect, and Stephanie Palmer, Amedisys Home Health

► May 2 — “Staying healthy as you age,” Dr. Andrew Duxbury, UAB Division of Gerontology

Each seminar will be held at the church at 5487 Stadium Trace Parkway from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Reservations are requested but not required. People can attend one or all. To reserve a spot, call 205-987-4000 or email pharrison@ discoveryumc.org.