"We seem to be good at planning for college, for marriage or for families and children. Just as important is planning for our retirement years."
This is the sentiment that Tom Holt, Lutheran Social Services president and CEO, was pushing Thursday morning during the "Celebrating the Best of Times, Life After 60" conference at Jamestown Community College.
Sponsored by Lutheran Social Services, the goal of Thursday's event was to explain the importance of planning for retirement and focus on "living well and living intentionally."
Article Photos
Tom Holt, Lutheran Social Services president and CEO, leads a panel discussion during the “Celebrating the Best of Times, Life After 60” conference on Thursday.
P-J photos By Hilary Scott
According to Holt, based on a community survey Lutheran Social Services sponsored and the organization's century of experience working with adults as they age, they have come to realize that seniors who actively plan for the retirement chapter in their lives age very well.
During the event, Dr. Catherine Ansuini, Community Health Promotion Initiative director, and Nels Ross, professional speaker and performer, gave a humorous and lively presentation on the value of living well, laughing much and learning continually. It featured juggling. A panel of geriatric care professionals and Edgewood residents discussed common mistakes to avoid in retirement through sharing their experiences.
A group of Edgewood Community residents as well as community organizations created about 20 displays of hobbies and activities, illustrating the different things seniors can do with their retirement - from hobbies they have always enjoyed but never had time for to new actives they have been wanting to try. These included golf, painting, photography, wood working, traveling, continuing their education at JCC and utilizing the local library.
The event drew many laughs, nods of agreement and active discussion from the almost 150 seniors in attendance.
There will be two more community presentation's in the series, both located at Warner Place on the Lutheran Campus. "Preparing for the Big 'M' - Aging in Medicare" will be Wednesday, May 16, at 6.30 p.m. "The Paper Chase - What Documents to Keep and What to Toss" will be Thursday, June 14, at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call Lutheran Social Services at 720-9122.