PRIME TIME Dec. 2022

Prime Time

Comfort and joy

Edenton chaplain offers spirituality and connection to residents

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Distributed monthly in The Frederick News-Post and through selected distribution outlets. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY COPYRIGHT. Prices, specials and descriptions are deemed accurate as of the time of publishing. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher. Advertising information has been provided by the advertisers. Opinions expressed in Prime Time Frederick are those of editors or contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of Ogden Newspapers of Maryland, LLC. All terms and conditions are subject to change. The cover, design, format and layout of this publication are trademarks of Ogden Newspapers of Maryland, LLC and published by The Frederick News-Post.

On the cover: Thérèse Keegan is a chaplain at Edenton Retirement Community, which offers independent and assisted living, memory care and home health services.

Staff photo by Bill Green

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‘Lift our hearts’

Edenton chaplain offers spirituality and connection to residents

BY CLARA NIEL CNIEL@NEWSPOST.COM

When Thérèse Keegan was younger, she told her father she would be a trapeze artist and then a nun.

And now at 69, she can say she’s done just that. Well, more or less.

After devoting many years to her ae rial dance troupe Updraft, Keegan be came a chaplain at Edenton Retirement Community, which offers independent living, assisted living, memory care ser vices and home health services. Keegan acts as a resource for residents to fill their spiritual needs.

“When we’re thinking about spiri tuality, that kind of refers to the way people seek meaning and purpose in their lives,” Keegan said recently. “So that’s all of us and how we experience our connection to any given moment.”

More specifically, Keegan is a health care chaplain. She approaches the peo ple around her differently then say, a military chaplain or chaplains who follow a denominational format, she explained.

She first became a chaplain during the pandemic at Frederick Health

Hospital and later became a hospice chaplain. She started at Edenton about a year ago.

At Edenton, Keegan provides many resources as spiritual outlets for resi dents. For those who are more religious, she holds an interfaith service each Sunday. She also offers weekly spiritual gatherings where residents can explore themes like forgiveness. And she works with residents one-on-one as well, she said. A lot of her work centers around counseling.

“What happens sometimes is that when we have more time to kind of lie in a hospital bed by ourselves, or just

have more time [in general], lifelong things can come up, including what is my identity now in this situation, feel ings of helplessness and revisiting your values,” she said.

With older people especially, there’s a lot of loss and grief that comes into their lives that they have to learn to manage.

Everything Keegan focused on in her own life led her to be a healthcare chaplain, even though her past careers might seem unrelated.

Keegan holds a bachelor’s degree in dance and a master’s degree in early childhood administration and art ad ministration.

She began her career as an early childhood educator and was also in volved in child welfare. The second phase of her life was dedicated to the performing arts as an aerial dancer and a choreographer.

“There’s a common thread of well being,” she said. “Wellbeing for people, and focusing on the intangibles that re late to our sense of wholeness and our sense of connection.”

Keegan said she always had a con nection to the arts but also had a strong sense of spirituality — hence her initial dream of being a trapeze artist and then a nun.

“What I used to just love to do when I was little was go under the big dining room table with a book of songs and just sing to my heart’s content,” she said. “My favorite song was ‘The Man on the Flying Trapeze.’”

Keegan’s own personal goal is to build a meaningful relationship with everyone at Edenton, including its staff, so they feel comfortable to come to her in their own time of need.

“That, in itself, is a process of de veloping trust, confidence, openness, where people can be vulnerable,” she said.

What she offers to each individual

Thérèse Keegan is a chaplain at Edenton Retirement Community, which offers independent living, assisted living, memory care services and home health services. Keegan acts as a resource for residents’ spiritual needs.

Thérèse Keegan at Edenton Retirement Community.

person varies. One person might need to go outside and get some fresh air, while another might need help to fig ure out funeral and memorial services. Some people find comfort in music and others need a listening ear, she said.

What she says is unique about her line of work is that not a week goes by that she doesn’t have a meaning ful interaction with someone. Keegan recalled one woman who she said she helped by just listening to her empty out all her worries.

“If we can open our hearts, all you really have to do, and it’s not easy all the time, is let that person tell you what’s in their heart, and help them to do it,” she said.

As much as there’s positive emotions that come with helping others, there’s also a lot of negative emotions that Kee gan has to sift through. Mortality and

death are a constant in her work. She has helped to arrange more funerals, memorial services and grief counseling in the recent years than she had in the rest of her life. There’s a lot of fear and anxiety surrounding death and mor tality and that can become very heavy sometimes, too, she said.

She explained her role as a chaplain using an analogy: Chaplains are like chimneys. There’s a fire, and a chap lain’s job is to let all that smoke go through them, up and out. But there’s still soot left in a chimney, she said, so she tries to take care of herself when she can. That way, she can continue to help give people what they need.

“When we spiritually get into the same place together for a while and lift our hearts, it’s totally visible,” she said.

Follow Clara Niel on Twitter: @clarasniel

Staff photos by Bill Green

Caregivers find support on TikTok

BY KATE WELLS and MICHIGAN RADIO KAISER HEALTH NEWS

It all changed on a Saturday night in New York City in 2016. Jacque lyn Revere was 29 and headed out to attend a friend’s comedy show. She was on the subway when her phone rang. It was a friend of her mom’s, back in Los Angeles. That’s weird, Revere thought. She never calls.

“And while I was on the subway, my mom’s friend said, ‘Something is wrong with your mom,’” Revere said. “‘We don’t know what’s going on, but your mom got lost driving home. What should have been a 15-minute drive ended up taking two hours.’”

Revere flew to L.A. At her mom’s home in Inglewood, she found foreclo sure notices, untreated termite damage on the porch, and expired food in the kitchen. Her mother, Lynn Hindmon, was a devout evangelical who worked for her church. A slim, regal self-de clared “health nut,” Hindmon was now forgetting to pay bills and couldn’t re member whom she was talking to on the phone.

Revere did not know it then, but that tough time would lead her to find — and help build — a community of caregivers who support one another on social media. TikTok has been an espe cially helpful platform. Content with the hashtag “dementia” has racked up more than 4 billion views on TikTok, as younger generations, already accus tomed to sharing their lives online, now find themselves caring for aging loved ones — often with little preparation and no idea how to do it. Over the past few years, Revere’s account, @MomofMy Mom, has become wildly popular, with more than 650,000 followers. Ardent fans have told her they feel like they personally know her and her mom. It would take nearly a year to get the

Lauren Justice/Kaiser Health News/TNS

Jacquelyn Revere’s mother died in March, after six years of living with Alzheimer’s. Revere received an outpouring of support from viewers of her videos on TikTok. Since then, she’s been figuring out what her life will be after years of caregiving. Now she has time to devote to herself and her dog, Dewey.

diagnosis that confirmed what Revere already suspected: Her mother — still in her 50s — had Alzheimer’s disease. Barely 10 years since Revere left home, she found herself moving back in to be come a full-time caregiver for her mom and her grandmother, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s years earlier.

“That first year and a half, I was just filled with fear: What if I lose the house?” Revere said.

Because of the stress, she said, “I went through bouts of migraines. My hair, right in the middle, fell out com pletely.”

“I had to figure out how to get con trol of all the banking, figure out the passwords, make sure the bills are paid, make sure everything’s taken care of.”

In 2017, her grandmother died. Re vere’s grief and isolation felt overpow ering. Her friends in their 20s either couldn’t relate or thought she was “wal

lowing in pity,” Revere said.

Trying to make them understand what her daily life was like now seemed impossible. “I just wanted to find peo ple I didn’t have to explain everything to,” she said.

Revere tried a support group for care givers, an hour’s drive away. But the other attendees were decades older and had more financial resources. “[They] would say, ‘And now I have to take eq uity out of our house,’ or ‘I’m thinking of reaching into our 401(k).’ And then I would tell my story, and people would be looking at me like … a charity case, or like my problem is unsolvable. … I just felt worse.”

These days Revere no longer feels so alone. She’s a celebrity of sorts on TikTok, at least among the hundreds of thousands of people who post about the difficulties of caring for a loved one with dementia.

DAUGHTERS ARE OFTEN DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. Others include vas cular, Lewy body, frontotemporal, and mixed dementia, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly all forms worsen over time, and there is no cure, although there are some treatments.

The task of caring for people with dementia usually falls on family mem bers. Every year, an estimated 16 mil lion Americans provide more than 17 billion hours of unpaid care for relatives or friends suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, according to the CDC. About 60% of these care givers are women.

“Unfortunately, there is not a very strong system of paid support for people with dementia,” said Elena Portacolone, an associate professor who studies aging and cognitive impairment at UCSF’s Institute for Health & Aging. “And so the most common way of supporting persons with dementia is the daughter.”

Another expert, Teepa Snow, said too many caregivers are struggling. Snow, an occupational therapist in North Carolina, runs a company that trains caregivers of people with dementia. Her own how-to videos about practi cal, compassionate caregiving rack up millions of views. “TikTok is where people are expressing an unmet need,” she said.

Because there’s no cure for dementia, the medical community often treats it the way previous generations of prac titioners treated cancer — like “a big black box,” Snow said. Decades ago, when people got cancer, “we didn’t say anything; we didn’t talk about it. We said, ‘Oh, gosh, that’s horrible.’ And people were like, ‘How long have they got?’”

Say what?

Hearing aids available over-the-counter for as low as $199, and without a prescription

BY PHIL GALEWITZ KAISER HEALTH NEWS

Beginning this fall, consumers are able to buy hearing aids directly off store shelves and at dramatically lower prices, as a 2017 federal law finally takes effect.

Where for decades it cost thousands of dollars to get a device that could be pur chased only with a prescription from an audiologist or other hearing professional, now a new category of over-the-counter aids are selling for hundreds of dollars. Walmart says it will sell a hearing aid for as little as $199.

The over-the-counter aids are intend ed for adults with mild to moderate hear ing loss — a market of tens of millions of people, many of whom have until now avoided getting help because devices were so expensive.

“From a conceptual point of view, this is huge that this is finally happening,” said Dr. Frank Lin, director of the Co chlear Center for Hearing and Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He predicts it could take a couple of years for the new market to shake out as manufacturers and retailers get accustomed to selling aids and con sumers become familiar with the options.

Hearing care experts say they are pleased to see the lower prices. Lin said he believes prices will fall further as more competitors enter the market in the next two years.

Prices and features will vary for the new OTC hearing aids — much as they do for prescription aids. A pair of prescription devices typically sells for $2,000 to $8,000. Some of the tech nology found in the pricier prescription aids will be available in the cheaper OTC aids.

The OTC aids cost less partly because

Joe Raedle/Getty Images/TNS

A patient holds her hearing aid as she visits Hear Again America for a checkup.

they do not bundle the services of an au diologist for a hearing evaluation, fitting, and fine-tuning the device. Instead, the new devices are intended to be set up by the consumers themselves, although manufacturers will offer technical assis tance through apps and by phone.

Some new companies have entered the market, including Sony. It will sell its lowest-cost, self-fitting OTC hearing aid for $999 at Best Buy and other retailers.

Walmart said it will offer an assort ment of OTC hearing aids, including some at $199 to $299 per pair from the South Africa-based company hearX, which also makes Lexie devices. Initially, the devices will be available at Walmart stores in Colorado, Michigan, Missou ri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas. But the company expects to make them available nationwide soon.

Walgreens will offer the Lexie Lumen OTC hearing aid for $799 a pair. The of ferings at Walgreens, CVS, Best Buy, and Walmart will also include a Lexie hearing aid developed in partnership with Bose.

Costco, one of the largest sellers of hearing aids dispensed through a hearing professional, would not reveal whether it will offer any over the counter.

De Wet Swanepoel, the co-founder of hearX, said its Lexie Lumen OTC hear ing aid will allow consumers to program it to their needs. Other OTC devices will offer preprogrammed settings.

“There are a lot of products out on the market and there is going to be a need for a lot of education for consum ers about what is the difference between devices,” he said.

Some consumers may want to see an audiologist either in person or online to

get their hearing tested before buying an OTC aid, Lin said. An audiologist could also recommend which hearing aid is best for their kind of hearing loss. Traditional fee-for-service Medicare and most health insurers cover routine hear ing tests. But Medicare and most private insurers don’t cover the cost of hearing aids, although many private Medicare Advantage plans do.

Consumers can also take hearing tests online or through an app on their phone or computer, Lin said.

Another factor that could fuel demand for the new devices is that the stigma of wearing a hearing aid is diminishing be cause people commonly use ear devices to listen to music.

More than 37 million American adults have trouble hearing, and only 1 in 4 adults who could benefit from a hearing aid have used one, federal health officials estimate.

The hearing aid industry has remained largely insulated from price competition because of consolidation among manu facturers, widespread state licensing laws that mandate sales through audiologists or other hearing professionals, and the acquisition of hearing professionals’ practices by device-makers.

Spurred by decades of complaints about the high cost of hearing aids, Congress in 2017 ordered the Food and Drug Administration to set rules that would enable over-the-counter sales, with hopes it would boost competition and lower prices. But the covid pandem ic slowed the FDA effort, and last year President Joe Biden ordered the FDA to produce those rules. The final reg ulations were announced two months ago. Under the federal rules, the new category of hearing aids bypasses state dispensing laws.

Social Security announces 8.7% benefit increase for 2023

Social Security and Sup plemental Security Income benefits for approximately 70 million Americans will increase 8.7% in 2023, the Social Secu rity Administration announced recently. On average, Social Security benefits will increase by more than $140 per month starting in January.

The 8.7% cost-of-living ad justment will begin with ben efits payable to more than 65 million Social Security bene ficiaries in January. Increased payments to more than 7 mil lion SSI beneficiaries will be gin on Dec. 30, 2022 (some people receive both Social Se curity and SSI benefits). The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index

as determined by the Depart ment of Labor’s Bureau of La bor Statistics.

Some other adjustments that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (tax able maximum) will increase to $160,200 from $147,000.

Social Security and SSI ben eficiaries are normally notified by mail starting in early De cember about their new benefit amount. The fastest way to find out their new benefit amount is to access their personal my Social Security account to view the COLA notice online. It’s secure, easy, and people find out before the mail arrives.

People can also opt to receive a text or email alert when there is a new message from Social Security, such as their COLA notice, rather than receiving a letter in the mail. People may create or access their my Social Security account online at ssa. gov/myaccount.

Information about Medicare changes for 2023 is available at medicare.gov. For Social Se curity beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare, their new higher 2023 benefit amount will be available in December through the mailed COLA notice and my Social Security’s Message Center.

The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated. To read more, visit ssa.gov/cola.

Social Security

self-attestation of sex marker in Social Security number records

Kilolo Kijakazi, acting commissioner of Social Se curity, announced that the agency now offers people the choice to self-select their sex on their Social Security number (SSN) record. The agency has implemented this policy change, and the new option is now available. People who update their sex marker in Social Securi ty’s records will need to ap ply for a replacement SSN card. They will still need to show a current document to prove their identity, but they will no longer need to provide medical or legal doc umentation of their sex des ignation, now that the policy

change is in place.

The agency will accept the applicant’s self-identified sex designation of either male or female, even if it is different from the sex designation shown on identity docu ments, such as a passport or state-issued driver’s license or identity card. SSN cards do not include sex markers. Currently, Social Security’s record systems are unable to include a non-binary or unspecified sex designation. The agency is exploring pos sible future policy and sys tems updates to support an “X” sex designation for the SSN card application pro cess.

implements

DECEMBER CALENDAR

Events are subject to change. Contact the sponsoring organization for any updates.

DEC. 1

Fresh Conversations: What’s Trending in the Nutrition World

Discuss current nutrition and health topics, learn about low-cost, healthy recipes, and discover new ways to stay active and independent. Learn tips on how to make easy changes to help you manage diet-related health conditions. Get motivated to eat healthier and get more physically active. Presenter: Joi Foss Vogin, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, University of Maryland Extension. Free, pre-register.

Time: 10 a.m.

Location: Frederick 50+ Center, 1440 Taney Ave., Frederick Contact: VirtualSeniorCenter@ FrederickCountyMD.gov or 301-6003525

Caregiving Through the Holidays

Discover new ways to cope with holiday overload so that you can leave room for what really matters to you and your loved ones during the season. Free, preregister.

Time: 1 p.m.

Location: Online and hosted by Senior Services Division Virtual 50+ Center Contact: VirtualSeniorCenter@ FrederickCountyMD.gov or 301-6001234

Bingo

Open to the public, every Thursday night. Cash only and players must be 21 or older. Doors open at 5 p.m.; early birds begin at 6:45 p.m.; and regular games start at 7 p.m.

Time: 5 p.m.

Location: American Legion Gold Star Post 191, 801 Prospect Road, Mount Airy

Contact: 301-829-9161, goldstarpost191@gmail.com or post191.com

DEC. 3

Holiday Bazaar

Crafters, vendors, pictures with Santa (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Breakfast, lunch and baked goods available for purchase. Advance orders for chicken corn soup, chicken salad, ham sandwiches, text 301-606-5046.

Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: Woodsboro Lutheran Church, 101 S. Main St., Woodsboro

Contact: 301-606-5046

Walkersville Festive Christkindlmarket Artisans, vendors, music, food, parade (10 a.m.) and market. Sponsored by the Walkersville Historical Society, hosted by Glade UCC, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Walkersville Library and Walkersville Feed Co.

Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: South Glade Road — Fulton Avenue, West Pennsylvania Avenue, at the above locations in Walkersville

Contact: walkersvillechristkindlmarket. com

Traditional Village Christmas

Outdoor, European-style holiday market. Decorate a fresh wreath with bows, balls, bells, pinecones, holly, icicles and ornaments or let our volunteers do it for you! Select unique handmade gifts for the holidays. Watch a blacksmith at work! Enjoy hot apple cider and heirloom-recipe baked goods. Children can make a craft and enjoy a visit with Belsnickel. Lunch available from Sauced Savage Food Truck. Admission is free. Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: Catoctin Furnace, 12610 Catoctin Furnace Road, Thurmont Contact: 443-629-8661

Christmas in New Market Hometown parade, outdoor market

with local vendors, Santa Claus, food trucks with hot chocolate, beer and wine available; Christmas tree auction with artistic designer trees; 7 p.m. tree lighting ceremony. Family friendly event. Admission is free. Time: 3 to 7:30 p.m. Location: Town of New Market Contact: 301-865-6500 or facebook. com/newmarketevents

DEC. 6

Untangled: A Yarn Arts Group Are you a knitter? Love to crochet? Cross-stitch or embroidery your thing? All fiber/yarn arts welcome. Bring you project or use our supplies. Free, preregister. On Tuesdays. Time: 10 a.m. to noon Location: Frederick 50+ Community Center, 1440 Taney Ave., Frederick, or virtual Contact: 301-600-3525 or VirtualSeniorCenter@frederickcountymd. gov

A Day of Infamy: The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

A “Day of Infamy” brought the United States into WWII, adding the strength and determination of the American people to the Allied arsenal as it struggled to defeat the Axis. Explore

Japanese and American motivations and actions through animated maps and both Japanese and American primary sources. This is a virtual program. Presenter: National WWII Museum Staff. $5, pre-register.

Time: 2:30 p.m.

Location: Frederick & Urbana 50+ Centers. Also online Virtual 50+ Center Contact: VirtualSeniorCenter@ FrederickCountyMD.gov or 301-6007020

Historical Society of Mount Airy Meeting

Topic is the history of baseball in Mount Airy, with presenters Billy Wagner, Ted Watkins and Sam Beck. Free.

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Co., lower level meeting room, 702 N. Main St. Mount Airy Contact: historicalsocietyofmountairymd.org

DEC. 7

Aging with Pride

Join other retired friends in the community. Meets on Wednesdays. Time: 9 to 11 a.m.

Location: The Frederick Center, 322 W. Patrick St., Frederick Contact: gcassutto@

Staff file photo by Bill Green

A heavy snow clings to the trees and covers the ground along Carroll Creek in Baker Park in 2021.

thefrederickcenter.org

The Ancestral Sonoran Desert People: Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

For over a thousand years, the Ancestral Sonoran Desert People called the desert their home. During this program, be introduced to the culture, daily life and survival of the ancestral people. Learn how the National Park Service helps protect Casa Grande Ruins for future generations. This is a virtual program. Presenter: National Park Service Ranger. Free, pre-register. Time: 3 p.m.

Location: Frederick & Urbana 50+ Centers. Also online Virtual 50+ Center Contact: VirtualSeniorCenter@ FrederickCountyMD.gov or 301-6007020

DEC. 8

Craft & Conversation

Make a craft while socializing. All supplies provided. December’s craft is cork ornaments. Free, pre-register. Time: 1 p.m.

Location: Emmitsburg 50+ Community Center, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg Contact: 301-600-6350

Holiday Cookie Decorating

Learn beginner cookie decorating techniques and then add your decorating flair to your own cookies. Everyone will be given five holiday themed sugar cookies, colored icings and festive sprinkles. Take home your decorated cookies to share (or not)! Everything you need for the class will be provided. Class taught by Shenan from Sweet Shenanigans. $15, pre-register. Time: 1 p.m.

Location: Urbana 50+ Center, 9020 Amelung St., Urbana Contact: VirtualSeniorCenter@ FrederickCountyMD.gov or 301-6007020

DEC. 9

Kris Kringle Procession

Celebrates Frederick’s small town charm. Ends with tree lighting in Baker Park. Free.

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Begins at South Carroll and East Patrick streets and ends in Baker Park.

Contact: 301-600-2481 or celebratefrederick.com

DEC. 10

Frederick County Pomona Grange Cookie Walk

The Frederick County Pomona Grange Cookie Walk is back serving holiday cookies. Come early for the best

selection of cookies available.

Time: 8 to 11 a.m.

Location: Linganore Grange Hall, 13629 Unionville Road, Mount Airy Contact: 240-674-6450

Holiday Caroling and Crafts

Gather together as a community to sing holiday carols, make crafts and enjoy some hot chocolate. Featuring the music of Carolen, an accordion and banjo duo.

Time: 2 to 3 p.m.

Location: Middletown Branch Library, 101 Prospect St., Middletown Contact: 301-371-7560

DEC. 11

Breakfast Fundraiser

All-you-can-eat pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage biscuits, sausage gravy, puddin’, hominy, muffins and more. Benefits the fire company; cancelled if snow emergency plan is in effect. Prices subject to change as market prices dictate. $10 adults, $5 ages 6-12, under age 6 free, $12 for carry out.

Time: 7 to 11 a.m.

Location: Union Bridge Fire Co., 8 W. Locust St., Union Bridge Contact: 410-775-7422

DEC. 13

New

to Medicare Workshop

Are you new to Medicare, or will be soon? Join us for an overview of Medicare. Trained State Health Insurances Program (SHIP) staff help Medicare beneficiaries, family members and caregivers understand Medicare benefits, bills, and Medicare rights. This is a virtual presentation. Free, preregister.

Time: 10 a.m.

Location: Online and hosted by Senior Services Division Virtual 50+ Center Contact: VirtualSeniorCenter@ FrederickCountyMD.gov or 301-6001234

A Crafty Afternoon

A fun crafting session — variety of activities. All materials will be provided. Free, pre-register. Time: 2 p.m.

Location: Frederick Center, 1440 Taney Ave., Frederick Contact: VirtualSeniorCenter@ FrederickCountyMD.gov or 301-6003525

DEC. 14

MAP 101

Maryland Access Point of Frederick County (MAP) is a trusted source of information and assistance for Frederick County residents who need or want

DECEMBER CALENDAR

to plan for their immediate and future needs. MAP serves adults 50 years and older, adults 18 years and older with a disability, family members and other caregivers, and health or business professionals. This is a virtual program. Free, Pre-register Time: 1 p.m.

Location: Online and hosted by Senior Services Division Virtual 50+ Center Contact: VirtualSeniorCenter@ FrederickCountyMD.gov or 301-6001234

DEC. 16

Groceries for Seniors

A free monthly distribution of seasonal produce, canned goods, and shelf stable products. All Frederick County residents age 60+ with an income below $1450 per month are eligible to participant. Please bring a photo id to register the first time. Groceries for Seniors is offered on the third Friday of each month.

Time: Noon

Location: Frederick Senior Center, 1440 Taney Ave., Frederick Contact: 301-600-1234

DEC. 17

Live Nativity

An interactive journey through the Christmas story including scenes from the visitation, the shepherds, the wise men and the Nativity. Produced by the HFCC young disciples. Refreshments, Christmas carols and community fellowship.

Time: Noon to 2 p.m.

Location: Holy Family Catholic Community, 7321 Burkittsville Road, Middletown

Contact: 301-473-4800

DEC. 19

SRC Talley Book Group

Time: 10:15 a.m.

Location: Talley Rec Center, 121 S. Bentz St., Frederick Contact: Jane, 301-658-8680

Holiday Performance by the Golden Tones

Join us for holiday music and refreshments. Free, pre-register. Time: 2 p.m.

Location: Frederick 50+ Center, 1440 Taney Ave., Frederick

Contact: VirtualSeniorCenter@ FrederickCountyMD.gov or 301-6003525

DEC. 20

Fresh Conversations: Diet, Exercise and Sleep

Discuss current nutrition and health topics, learn about low-cost, healthy recipes, and discover new ways to stay active and independent. Learn tips on how to make easy changes to help you manage diet-related health conditions. Get motivated to eat healthier and get more physically active. Presenter: Joi Foss Vogin, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, University of Maryland Extension. Free, pre-register. Time: 10 a.m.

Location: Urbana 50+ Center, 9020 Amelung St., Urbana

Contact: VirtualSeniorCenter@ FrederickCountyMD.gov or 301-6007020

DEC. 22

Fresh Conversations: Diet, Exercise and Sleep

Discuss current nutrition and health topics, learn about low-cost, healthy recipes, and discover new ways to stay active and independent. Learn tips on

how to make easy changes to help you manage diet-related health conditions. Get motivated to eat healthier and get more physically active. Presenter: Joi Foss Vogin, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, University of Maryland Extension. Free, pre-register. Time: 10 a.m.

Location: Frederick 50+ Center, 1440 Taney Ave., Frederick

Contact: VirtualSeniorCenter@ FrederickCountyMD.gov or 301-6003525

DEC. 23

SRC Taney Book Group

Time: 2:30 p.m.

Location: Frederick Senior Center, 1440 Taney Ave., Frederick Contact: Mary Ann at 301-508-0283

DEC. 27

Crafts & Conversation

Make a craft while socializing. All supplies provided. Free, pre-register. Craft is paper mosaics. Time: 1:30 p.m.

Location: Urbana 50+ Community Center, 9020 Amelung St., Urbana Contact: 301-600-7020 or VirtualSeniorCenter@ FrederickCountyMD.gov

CLUES DOWN

SUDOKU

Here’s How It Works:

Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!