TAMC, UMPI partner on March 30 Healthy Aging event
PRESQUE ISLE — TAMC and the University of Maine at Presque Isle will partner to host this month’s Community Lunch and Learn/Healthy Aging Luncheon on Monday, March 30 at 11 a.m. at UMPI’s Campus Center. The keynote presenter for the event will be Anthony Briscoe, TAMC speech/language pathologist lead, who will discuss speech pathology and cognition rehabilitation and how it changes as a person ages.
The March event is a collaboration between TAMC’s Senior Connection Program, which hosts the monthly luncheons, and UMPI’s SAGE (Seniors Achieving Greater Education), a program that serves local residents over 50 and believes in “learning for life.” 
“A partnership between SAGE and TAMC makes perfect sense when you consider that both non-profit organizations are concerned with the wellness and well being of senior adults in Aroostook County,” said Pam Crawford, SAGE volunteer instructor and board member. “Research has shown that lifelong learning of the sort SAGE provides (courses offering complexity, problem solving, creative thinking, and critical discussion opportunities) has clear psychological, physical and emotional health benefits. These include decreased blood pressure, decreased stress, decreased isolation and loneliness, improved social engagement, and increased capacity to contribute and strengthen community.”
Briscoe’s presentation will underscore this, as will that of SAGE instructor Dottie Sines of the Aroostook Area Agency on Aging. Sines will teach, in the style typical of a SAGE class, a session of “Laughter for the Health of It” emphasizing the health benefits of laughter, immediately following the luncheon and just prior to Briscoe’s talk.
Briscoe has over three decades of experience in speech/language pathology. Prior to joining the staff at TAMC, he was in private practice for 23 years.
Briscoe attended the University of West Georgia as a theater student before transferring to Georgia State University where his career focus changed to speech/language pathology. He went on to receive his bachelor’s and master’s degrees there. He began his career as a therapist in the public school system in Georgia with additional experience in homecare and nursing facility rehabilitation.
UMPI’s SAGE is one of 17 senior colleges in the Maine Senior College Network, and one of two senior colleges north of Bangor. The program provides an opportunity for lifelong learners to expand their knowledge in the company of people with both shared and different perspectives. SAGE brings members together in a relaxed, non-competitive atmosphere to discover new things about the world and about themselves.
“When senior adults move out of their comfort zones to challenge themselves with new ideas and fresh activities, they not only master new skills and develop more open minds, but they also realize more friendships, and become healthier and more active community citizens,” said Crawford. “SAGE encourages all those aged 50 and better to consider taking SAGE classes this year; join us to make the leap from aging to sage-ing.”
TAMC’s Senior Connection is a special program for older adults who want to learn, save money, stay informed, and be healthy. The program offers regular Healthy Aging Luncheons, discounts at the cafeteria at TAMC’s A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital, free health screenings, and more. There is no charge to be a part of the program and membership is open to any senior living in Aroostook County.
“We enjoy interacting with the more than 700 seniors who are part of our Senior Connection Program and invite others who are not signed up to join,” said Jason Parent, TAMC director of advancement. “The programs we offer provide an opportunity for our members to learn about important health topics and other issues of concern to the community. Our activities also offer a chance for county seniors to come together and socialize, which is also important to their overall health.”
The March 30 program will feature music by the Wagoneers beginning at 10 a.m. Staff from Crown Emergency Care will also be on hand prior to the lunch to provide blood pressure screenings for attendees.
The upcoming luncheon is open to the public. Cost for the meal is $10 per person. Members enrolled in TAMC’s Senior Connection or UMPI’s SAGE program only pay $5. On-site registrations are welcome.
For more information about TAMC’s Senior Connection Program, the upcoming event, or to reserve a seat, call 768-4171. For more information on UMPI’s SAGE Program, contact Nancy Roe at 768-7271. To view SAGE course offerings, visit www.umpi.edu/sage.
