Category: Palliative Care

Sunday, June 10, 2018 from 1-3pm the Stockton Springs Community Library’s “Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Seniors at Home in Stockton Springs”,

2018 Speakers’ Series is presenting Eliza Eager of Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County, discussing “Dying Better by Talking Sooner”.

Eliza works with Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County, developing and presenting programming to build better communication skills around health issues. She is available to support individuals and communities in thinking about advance health care directives.

These workshops are very interactive, creating a space in which participants can reflect on experiences with family at the end of life and how these memories shape our attitudes toward end of life choices.

Advance care planning materials and handouts with technical information provided.  The discussion of the forms and various ways to complete will be central to the talk.

Light refreshments will be served at end of talk.

If you have questions please contact the library at: 207-567-4147.

Many thanks to the Maine Charity Foundation Fund of the Maine Community Foundation for their support.

Colcord House Revised May 2018 Calendar

The calendar has been revised to reflect that the Lego Program ended in April. The SSCL Board meeting on May 8th is at 6:30. The Stockton Springs Historical Society will meet a little earlier than usual at 1:15 on Sunday, May 6. Also that hot dogs, chips, and iced tea will be available. There will not be any Tai Chi on May 19th because the Death Café will be meeting at the Town Hall where Tai Chi usually takes place.  If you want to download a copy of the calendar you can do so on the Bulletin Board page.

“Dying Better By Talking Sooner”.

SAVE the DATE! ” Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Seniors at Home in Stockton Springs” 2018 Speakers’ Series presents: “Dying Better By Talking Sooner”.

Eliza Eager, Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County, Sunday, June 10, 1:00 – 3:00 pm.

Janet Eager, Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County

Many doctors encourage their patients of all ages to think about their Health Care Directives and the “what ifs?” if something serious occurs, whether due to accident, age or illness.

Eliza will discuss the forms that are available to help residents understand and convey their wishes about what they would wish to be done in case of any of the above occurring.

A very important part of the process is to be sure your health care directives are discussed with family and doctors, and most important are filed with hospital, doctor and your health care designee.

Eliza will have the latest forms with her to review in detail the choices you can make. The discussion of the forms and various ways to complete will be central to this discussion.

Light refreshments will be served.

Questions? Contact the library at 207-567-4147.

Thanks to the Maine Charity Foundation Fund of the Maine Community Foundation for their support of this 2018 Speakers’ Series.

Death Café in Stockton Springs May 18, 2018

Stockton Springs Community Library’s “Neighbors Helping Neighbors”  invites you attend a Death Café on May 18. 

Chuck Lakin and Nancy McAlley will lead the all day conference, which will deal with issues related to end of life, death and choices. The event will be held at the Stockton Springs Town Hall on Friday, May 18, 2018. 9 am – 4 pm.  Lunch is offered along with morning and afternoon snacks. All are welcome, but pre-registration is required.

Death Café is not a physical location, but is an event hosted at someone’s house, library or other pop-up/ temporary venue. The official objective of a death café is to help people make the most of their finite lives. Individuals can discuss their understanding, thoughts, dreams, fears and all other areas of death and dying at these events.

Nancy McAlley is a retired nurse with extensive end-of-life care experience. She is also an interfaith minister, a home funeral advocate, and a member of Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County and the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Maine.

Chuck Lakin is a home funeral educator who teaches people how to make their own wooden coffins, which he says are usually cheaper and can be decorated.

For more information about what to expect at a death café event, we recommend two Bangor Daily News online articles. Meg Haskell’s 14 September 2017 article in the Bangor Daily News titled ‘Death cafes’ serve up end-of-life conversation, planning, which discusses  Lakin’s work and an article by Abigail Curtis, 17 April 2013 highlighting McAlley called Midcoast ‘Death Cafes’ create safe space to talk about death .

Limited seating. Prior-registration is required for this event. Call SSCL to sign-up: 207-567-4147 or stop by the library to register in person.