Upper Shore Aging recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Amy Lynn Ferris Adult Activity Center in Chestertown, Maryland. The Kent County Senior Center started in downtown Chestertown in the early 80s and a new facility named for Amy Lynn Ferris was built in 2003. The Constance & Carl Ferris Foundation gave funds toward constructing the Center as a memorial for their daughter Amy Lynn Ferris. Community Development Block Grant and funds from the Maryland Department of Aging Capital Fund were also used for the project.

Over 60 people attended the anniversary event, including seniors from both the Amy Lynn Ferris Adult Activity Center and the Talbot County Senior Center at Brookletts in Easton. It was the first time that seniors from Easton had visited the Chestertown facility. The celebration included a Staying Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) class, which focused on strength, balance, and cardio activity, followed by music Bingo, lunch, ice cream, and cake.

“They’ve had a ball today,” comments Rosemarie Curlett, Manager of the Amy Lynn Ferris Adult Activity Center. “It’s been a fun day of fellowship.”

Participant Carol Cox added, “Everyone is really enjoying themselves. It’s good to see people really having fun.”

Upper Shore Aging operates five senior centers in Kent, Caroline, and Talbot counties.  These centers are a hub for activities helping seniors stay active and involved in their community.  The centers offer activities of interest to their senior populations, including classes in health and fitness, computer skills, arts and crafts, nutrition, entertainment, and travel.

“We are excited to be celebrating this important milestone in Kent County,” comments Bill Shrieves, President of the Board of Upper Shore Aging.

“Since COVID, many of our seniors are afraid to come back out and engage with others. We want to encourage them to visit our senior centers and take advantage of our new offerings.  Our board remains committed to growing those offerings to further engage the seniors on the Mid-Shore.”

“We are grateful for the donation by The Constance & Carl Ferris Foundation 20 years ago to help construct this building. It has provided an important gathering place for our senior community and continues to enhance the lives of our seniors today,” adds Andy Hollis, Executive Director of Upper Shore Aging.

The Amy Lynn Ferris Adult Activity Center is located at 200 Schauber Road in Chestertown and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily. For further information on program offerings, visit uppershoreaging.org or call 410-778-2564.

Upper Shore Aging, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that is the designated Area Agency on Aging for Talbot, Caroline, and Kent counties, Maryland, serving a potential market of nearly 31,000 persons over the age of sixty years. Our organization develops and manages a coordinated program of services that work together to help elders to remain, and live well, in the community as long as possible. Upper Shore Aging, Inc. works closely with the Maryland Department of Aging to serve the needs of its clients.

Do you remember when you last took the time to just have pure fun? To be social in a totally unstructured, creative way? Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, most of us stopped playing.

PLAY…it can be defined as simply goofing off with no practical purpose to the activity other than enjoying yourself. By giving yourself permission to play you are providing yourself with an important source of relaxation and stimulation. You can also reap many unexpected benefits.

Active play relieves stress, connects you to others, improves your brain function, stimulates creativity, keeps you energetic and will undoubtedly make you laugh! Laughter, as we have heard repeatedly, is the best medicine and will help you retain a positive attitude in the worst of times.

As autumn rolls in and temperatures and humidity levels drop, you can enjoy the perfect weather for such time-honored yard games as croquet, badminton, corn hole, bocce ball.

You are never too old to go out and play!

Susan Covey is the Bayleigh Chase Fitness Program Manager in Easton

Irma Toce, CEO, announced her retirement after a decade of successful leadership at Londonderry on the Tred Avon.

Londonderry has thrived under Irma’s leadership over the past ten years because she was committed to creating a culture and community where everyone, residents and staff alike, is invested in our success,” says Julie Crocker, Londonderry Board President. “She will be sorely missed, but we know we are on a great path thanks to her hard work and mentorship of our team.”

Before moving on to her next chapter in early 2024, Toce has committed to working with her successor to ensure a smooth leadership transition over the next few months.

Irma’s success at Londonderry has centered around her commitment to excellence and her ability to inspire others to think big. When Toce first began at Londonderry, she challenged residents and staff to think differently about what the community could be and could offer.

“We are not selling real estate here, it’s truly much more of a lifestyle. We offer a home, a community, to support our residents’ last chapter, so let’s make that a happy chapter, and one to remember. The more we can give to the residents and keep them independent, the better it is. And that’s what we’ve been doing, and I think we’ve done it well.”

It is this guiding principle that has inspired many changes on the campus over the last decade. Irma inspired her team to embrace a hospitality mindset and holistic approach to wellness that grew to include more resident engagement, on and off campus activities, fitness classes and a complete revamping of the dining services operation to include more locally-sourced and well-balanced meals.

Toce also spearheaded many physical changes to the Londonderry campus, such as the grand re-opening of Magnolia Manor in 2016, the building of the new clubhouse in 2017-2018, the creation of new floorplans and the complete build out of the community.

She also led the community through milestones, both happy and challenging, including the community’s 25th and 30th anniversaries as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, Toce put safety plans in place and cared for residents in any way they needed during the pandemic. “She got us through COVID,” says Rachel Smith, Sales and Marketing Director. “She made sure the team, to the best of our ability, kept offering residents the lifestyle Londonderry is known for.”

It is this investment in the Londonderry team that will endure as her biggest legacy.

Londonderry is known for its strong team of staff members who go above and beyond in service to residents. “Through exemplary leadership and a strong dedication to her career, Toce has created a hardworking and passionate team that looks up to her and trusts her to lead them down the right path,” says Rachel Smith, Marketing and Sales Director. “She is known for always putting her team and residents at Londonderry first, making everyone feel seen and heard within the workplace, as well as in the community.”

While looking forward to the future, Toce reminisces on what she will miss the most about Londonderry, “I will miss the team. They’re just wonderful. What they do for the residents is amazing to me, and they all do it with smiles on their faces. I hope they stay as cohesive and supportive as they are now and will look towards the future, not the past. There are a lot of changes in healthcare, and there will always be changes in independent living. As a team, you need to be prepared for that.”

In addition to her work on the Londonderry campus, Toce is recognized as an expert on aging and senior living. She has shared her wisdom with the Talbot County Council on Aging and through the Ask Irma series with the Talbot Spy, starting in 2018, a monthly column that covered Toce responding to readers’ questions on issues related to aging.

During her tenure, both Londonderry and Toce have been honored numerous times at the local and regional level, highlights include: 7 years as the Best Retirement Community in What’s Up Eastern Shore Magazine, Best Residential Community by Coastal Style Magazine, Best Boss from APG Media’s Best of the Best Chesapeake Awards in 2022, Best Retirement Community and Best Assisted/Senior Living Community by APG Media’s Best of the Best Chesapeake Awards, Top 20 Outstanding Woman CEO by The Women Leaders Magazine in 2022, featured as a “Faces of Retirement on the Eastern Shore” in Baltimore Magazine, and Best Large Business from the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce.

In her retirement, Toce plans to travel (initial destinations include Aruba, Portugal and her home country of Holland) and enjoy her new home in coastal Delaware.

 

The Bay Country Chorus made a recent performance at the Bayleigh Chase Retirement Community in Easton. This  one-hour performance is part of the yearlong programming presented by the chorus. Since 1995 the chorus has been entertaining throughout the four mid-shore counties of Caroline, Dorchester, Queen Anne, and Talbot. 

Would you like to make a difference in the lives of older people? Music resides in a separate part of our brains than other memories. Alzheimer patients who may no longer remember their own families come to life when they hear music that brings back memories from their past. It elicits feelings of happiness and well-being and sparks positive memories. 

The chorus sings four-part harmony in the barbershop style. Our programs include a series of ballads, pop standards, upbeat tunes, and doo-wop songs and is tailored to address the audience where we sing. We perform mostly at senior living communities and venues where citizens are in rehab or dealing with dementia. Many of these residents are unable to get out and enjoy live music. Quite simply we bring the music to them. 

The chorus welcomes men and women of all ages who enjoy singing to take a look at our group. Visit our website at www.baycountrychorus.com or just drop in at one of our rehearsals. Our weekly rehearsals are fun-filled and create camaraderie and friendships within the group. We meet most Monday evenings at 6 pm  at Brooklets Place, the Talbot County Senior Center at 400 Brooklets Place in Easton. For additional information or to schedule a performance contact 

John Crovo, 410-820-4761. 

Why not join us as we “Keep the Whole World Singing.”

As you probably know, a weak core impacts everyday life…but maybe more than you think.

If basic functional movements like getting out of bed or walking to the car and getting in and out of the car are becoming a challenge or feeling nearly impossible for you, it may be a sign that your core is too weak.

In order to remain mobile and independent, you cannot ignore your core. And crunches are not the only answer. After all, your core is much more than just your abdominal muscles. It includes the gluteal muscles in the butt and hips, the lats and traps in the middle and upper back, and the erector spinae muscles around the spine. Your core is responsible for keeping you upright and this is why poor balance is one of the more obvious signs that your core is weak.

Here are some less obvious signs that you need to watch for:

1. Do you need to use your arms to get out to a chair or bed? If so, it is likely that your core strength is lacking. To transition from lying or sitting to standing, your abdominals and deep core muscles must be able to brace, while your glutes must be strong enough to propel you to your feet. (“4 Sneaky Signs You Have a Weak Core – Silver Sneakers”) (Michelle Barnett, D.P.T.at TRIA Orthopaedic Center)
2. Have you ever caught yourself standing or walking with your lower back arched and your pelvis jutting forward? This is a signal that your core lacks the stability and control to keep your spine in a neutral position. If your core is weak, other muscles will compensate to hold you up but the overarched position will eventually lead to lower back pain.
3. Tilting and swaying while walking is a sure sign that your core is weak. If your obliques are not strong enough to control your torso, your pelvis ends up dropping to one side.
4. Do you hold your breath while performing core exercises? If so, this could be due to a weakness in your diaphragm which works closely with the surrounding core muscles to control movement and breath. Holding your breath increases abdominal pressure while not engaging those muscles for stability.

To help avoid these problems try including the Pelvic Tilt, the Bridge, the Squat, and the Clamshell exercises in your weekly routine. You can find descriptions of these exercises online at Silver Sneakers.

Susan Covey is the Acts Baleigh Chase Fitness Director 

In a world where human beings are inherently social creatures, the value of community and social interaction cannot be overstated. The power of companionship and engagement becomes even more evident as we age, and the consequences of isolation can be profound. That is the Spy’s reason for checking in with Irma Toce, The CEO of Londonderry on the Tred Avon, as part of our ongoing”Ask Irma” series.

This video is approximately 3 minutes in length. For more information about Londonderry on the Tred Avon please go here.

There is a reason why the Peachblossom YMCA family pool is named in honor of Ellen S. Rajacich. At 92 years young, Rajacich has a spirit and energy that puts most people half her age to shame. Despite being a great-grandmother, she still teaches water fitness classes three days a week at the Y, motivating her students to stay active and healthy. Her dedication to health and commitment to helping others achieve their goals has earned her a reputation as a local legend and a true inspiration.

There is another reason Rajacich is so unique, and it started in 1969 when she volunteered to teach a women’s exercise class. She had recently moved to Easton, was raising her children, and wanted something to do. Her husband, Nick, then the Chief Administrator at the Memorial Hospital, encouraged his wife to volunteer at the newly built Y. Rajacich had a nursing degree from John Hopkins and, even though she never practiced nursing, wanted to use her education. “I’ve always been very interested in how the human body works and what you can do to make it work better.” Teaching an exercise class seemed to be a perfect fit. Half a century later, she is still an avid instructor. She is also still a volunteer and has never wanted to be paid for her services. “I was fortunate not to need the money,” she said.  

Easton Y’s Executive Director, Wendy Palmer, is grateful for the many years Rajacich has been a part of the organization. “The YMCA has a long tradition of volunteerism dating back to 1861, and the YMCA will be here long after we are all gone. Ellen continues to lead others in water aerobics, but we all know she leads with love in her heart. I hope her story will inspire others.”

Her story and career as a fitness instructor include over 15 certifications, attendance at multiple conferences and training programs on behalf of the Y, and teaching over 30 different formats of land and water exercises. But it is her expertise in aqua dynamics and deep-water exercise that has kept her attention, and those of her students, since 1986. 

Even today, you won’t find Rajacich at the poolside, shouting instructions. She is in the water, illustrating what to do and working out with the class. She uses water barbells to strengthen and encourages her students to continue attending class. “Working out in the water is a really great form of exercise because you have to overcome water resistance,” she says. Rajacich also sticks by the exercise program that has worked for her classes for over 20 years. It involves raising their heart rate, followed by a workout focusing on the legs, arms, and core.

Gale Shehan, who has been taking Rajacich’s classes for over ten years, said that the message students take away from her classes is that it’s never too late to start and always to keep working on it. “She’s very concerned about our fitness and helping us maintain that. At the end of the class, she will often tell us to ‘fight gravity’ because gravity is what kills us all in the end. We’re all quite devoted to her, and she to us.”

Rajacich’s point of being stronger and healthier extends beyond her class. Sandi Whitehurst, who teaches Deep Water HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) at the Y, said, “As a fellow water fitness instructor, I continue to be impressed with Ellen. She is a picture of health and a motivator and mentor.”

Even at 92, Rajacich enjoys being self-sufficient. “I’m capable of anything. I’m capable of taking care of myself,” she said. Despite that determination, her children decided she should stop driving six months ago. Nevertheless, she keeps busy seeing family, sewing, caring for her house, and sailing and racing with her son.

When asked about secrets to her longevity, Rajacich is quick to respond. “My diet consists of meat and potatoes and vegetables. My bedroom is on the second floor of my house, and the only way to get there is to climb the stairs, so I climb. That’s something I also encourage my students: always keep climbing.” 

Anything else, we asked, besides a good diet, fighting gravity, and climbing? Yes, she said, keep smiling.

Now that’s a piece of advice we can all follow.

Val Cavalheri is a writer and photographer. She has written for various publications, including The Washington Post.  Previously she served as the editor of several magazines, including Bliss and Virginia Woman. Although her camera is never far from her reach, Val retired her photography studio when she moved from Northern Virginia to the Eastern Shore a few years ago.. She and her husband, Wayne Gaiteri, have two children and one grandchild.

For many of us, sitting is a huge part of our day. In order to alleviate the physical consequences of being in one place for long periods, consider the following exercises:

ARMS BACK: Sit up tall, bring your arms straight out in front of you. Turn the palms up. Now move your arms away from each other out to the side keeping the hands shoulder height. Now bring your arms back as far as you can and pull your shoulders back sticking your chest out. This stretches the chest and shoulder muscles and strengthens your upper back muscles that get stretched out from being at the computer too long.

NECK PULL BACKS: Stick your neck out and jut your chin forward, then pull the head back as far as possible tucking the chin in. This is strengthening the muscles in the back of your neck that hold you head back where it’s supposed to be instead of jutted forward.

WRIST STRETCH: Extend one arm out in front of you with palm down. Bend the wrist, fingers pointing down and use the other hand to pull those fingers towards you. Repeat on other side.
TWIST: Twist as far as you can to one side like you were trying to look straight behind you. Grab the backrest of the chair and hold there for about 30 seconds. Then twist to the other side and hold.

BRIGHT BREATH: Lift your arms and cross your wrists above your head, fingers pointed up. Bring the back of your head between your arms. You may feel a slight backbend in your upper back. Inhale to a comfortable level. Then begin short, sharp breaths out of the nose with mouth closed.

Remember that when you’re sitting too long especially leaning forward, the pressure in your lower back changes a lot and can lead to back pain. Try to get up every 30 minutes and stand tall or walk around for a couple of minutes to allow the pressure in your lower back to be redistributed.

Susan Covey is the fitness director at Acts Bayleigh Chase in Easton