This presentation provides audiences with an overview of resources, equipment, and services available to make life easier for older adults and people with disabilities to safely age in place. Participants will have the chance to learn about common types of useful assistive living tools, from low-tech items that require little to no training, to high-tech items that can make independent living possible and everything in between.  Assistive living services, from reading your mail to reading prescription bottles will also be discussed.  Information on where to find these services will be provided as well.  If you, or a loved one, are struggling with daily tasks and are searching for answers on what is available to assist you, this class can provide some of those answers.  This class is approximately one hour long. 

An in-depth workshop that covers basic investing, types of diversification, the cost of financial advisors, and investing on your own while minimizing taxes. Each two-hour class provides an increasing wealth of senior-focused information for beginner investors. Requires a MINIMUM of 15 pre-registered attendees. Host facility must have large video monitor/projection screen usable with a laptop.  This is a three week class, with two hours in each session.

The presenter of this class is David Bohanon, a retired Navy Commander and helicopter pilot, with a Masters in Business.  David created this class to help seniors prepare for and navigate the investment and tax world with a greater understanding of the terms, advantages and potential pitfalls of handling your own investments. 

This presentation is presented by Cobb County Senior Services to provide participants with information about Cobb County, state, and national organizations and programs that offer resources which help older adults and people with disabilities lead healthier, safer, more independent lives.  Many of these services are free or at reduced cost.  Some will save the senior consumer money for things like utilities, phones, internet service, etc.  This class is approximately one hour long. 

The goal of this program is to help everyone in attendance understand the five key messages about dementia and how each of us can make a difference for people living with dementia. The discussion will center around how dementia affects people, the different types of dementia, how to differentiate between normal aging and dementia and how to effectively communicate with a person with dementia.  This is a one hour class.

All presenters of this class are specifically trained, by Dementia Friends of Georgia, in the subject matter and are able to guide the viewer in how to understand the best way to be a positive impact in the life of people living with dementia. 

Understand what Diabetes is and its associated risk factors, signs and symptoms, long-term health effects, and prevention and management tools to help you get in control of your health.  This class will explain the prevalence of diabetes and how your care team will screen and diagnose for diabetes.  You will learn the various types of diabetes, from prediabetes to Type 1 and Type 2.  Treatment and complications of diabetes will be examined as well.  Also discussed will be what role family history, age and ethnicity play as risk factors for diabetes.  This is a one hour class.

The presenter is Kathy Berkowitz, a retired Nurse Practitioner and certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. She has specialized in diabetes since 1981 having served as a care provider, educator of other health care professionals, clinical research coordinator and finished out her career serving as medical science liaison specializing in diabetes in the pharmaceutical industry.

Dive deeper into understanding and managing your Diabetes during this interactive, 5-week course, meeting weekly for 2 hours. Informative for those with pre-diabetes or a family history of diabetes. Participants will learn and share with others in a safe, caring environment. There are two class structures available.  There is a four week course, with no cooking class at the end, which is free to attend.  There is an option for a five week course with a healthy cooking class held on the last meeting. Participants watch and learn how the dishes are prepared, and then get a tasty lunch! There is a $75 food charge for this option and the host site must provide a working kitchen. A certificate of course completion is presented after attendance of all 5 classes. Requires a MINIMUM of 6 pre-registered attendees.

The presenter is Kathy Berkowitz, a retired Nurse Practitioner and certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. She has specialized in diabetes since 1981 having served as a care provider, educator of other health care professionals, clinical research coordinator and finished out her career serving as medical science liaison specializing in diabetes in the pharmaceutical industry.

Most adults take at least one medication.  Take charge of managing your medications by learning what questions to ask, things to avoid and maybe even save you some money.  This is critical information for those who take multiple medications.  During this class you will learn what medication management is and how to watch out for drug interactions.  You will learn the things you need to consider before, during and after a visit with your doctor.  It will include a discussion on the tools available to help you manage your medications and some safety tips when dealing with medication.  We may even bust a few myths about medications that will help you manage.  This is a one hour class.

The presenter is Kathy Berkowitz, a retired Nurse Practitioner and certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. She has specialized in diabetes since 1981 having served as a care provider, educator of other health care professionals, clinical research coordinator and finished out her career serving as medical science liaison specializing in diabetes in the pharmaceutical industry.

Managing blood pressure is vital for preserving health and reducing risk of dangerous conditions. Learn what blood pressure is, why it is so important, and choices you can make today to lower heart attack and stroke risk.  You will learn why high blood pressure is called “the silent killer”, some of the risk factors to develop high blood pressure and the difference between those factors you can control and those you can’t control.  You will also learn how to measure your own blood pressure and what actions you can take to control high blood pressure, as well as treatments available from your care team.  This is a one hour class.

Cynthia Crowell worked as a Registered Nurse at Piedmont Hospital Atlanta for 20 years, serving in Intensive Care, Dialysis, Employee Health and Urgent Care. She later spent 10 years as a high school science teacher, leading classes in Health, Anatomy/Physiology and Intro to Healthcare. 

Strength, vitality, wellness, and contentment have a common origin. Your gut bugs. Current research demonstrates a link between our gut health and our overall well-being. A robust and diverse microbial environment in our intestines is essential to maintaining an energetic body that is free of disease as well as a calm and focused mental outlook. This class discusses the intricate connection between the gut and the brain and focuses on healthy ways to eat nutrient rich foods that promote intestinal health, emotional well-being, and boost immunity.  The discussion will include the disorders of the intestinal tract and food to avoid, or embrace, that will help the health of your gut.  This is a one hour class.

The presenter is Cheryl Moates, who has worked as a Registered Nurse, providing patient care in a hospital for over 30 years. She has observed the rise of chronic disease in her patients, and personally experienced her own struggle with chronic GI issues. Writing about her own experiences and the treatments that brought relief are the subject of her book, You Can Heal Your Gut. In researching the underlying cause of her own condition, commonly referred to as IBS, she discovered the microbiome.

Caring for a family member or friend with a chronic condition can be physically, emotionally, and financially draining. During the hour, caregivers will learn skills and tools to take better manage their stress as they care for others. Caregivers can share personal feelings and challenges with other caregivers in a safe, open environment. Please note this class is for Caregivers ONLY, not care receivers.

Come learn what cholesterol is and why it matters.  We all need some cholesterol in our bodies. But having too much can clog up arteries and lead to future health problems. Discussion will include the risk factors for high cholesterol, how to eat healthier to lower your cholesterol and what lifestyle changes you should make.  Discover the medications that can lower cholesterol as well.  Most importantly, learn the importance of your role and that of your medical care team.  Whether already taking cholesterol lowering medication or just wanting to avoid high cholesterol, join us to learn how to manage cholesterol through simple, healthy living strategies.  This is a one hour class.

The presenter is Kathy Berkowitz, a retired Nurse Practitioner and certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. She has specialized in diabetes since 1981 having served as a care provider, educator of other health care professionals, clinical research coordinator and finished out her career serving as medical science liaison specializing in diabetes in the pharmaceutical industry.

According to the World Health Organization, good mental health is a state of well-being in which you can cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, realize your potential and contribute to the community in which you live.  What you eat not only effects your physical health, but studies now show just how much diet impacts your mood and mental wellbeing. Participants will learn which foods help boost your mood and which foods to avoid.  Learn the connection between your gut biome and your brain.

The presenter is Cheryl Moates, who has worked as a Registered Nurse, providing patient care in a hospital for over 30 years. She has observed the rise of chronic disease in her patients, and personally experienced her own struggle with chronic GI issues. Writing about her own experiences and the treatments that brought relief are the subject of her book, You Can Heal Your Gut. In researching the underlying cause of her own condition, commonly referred to as IBS, she discovered the microbiome.

Don’t we all have a story inside us?  If you have ever thought you wanted to write a book, whether fiction or nonfiction, this is the class for you!  Bring your dreams of writing, big and small, to fruition and leave a legacy for generations to come. This is a course to solve your writer’s block and inspire you to put pen to paper whether writing your own story or a legacy fictional novel.  You will be shown how to get started and get serious about writing your story.  There are two class structures available for this presentation.  There is a one hour introductory class.  For the more seriously interested, there is a five week course, meeting one hour each week.

Presented by author Michelle Peach, who will share her story of writing a spy thriller and where the inspiration to write it came from.  Michelle has many years’ experience as part of the UK’s Foreign Office, in Syria and Lebanon.  She put that experience to good use to write her novel and will share some of the tips she learned during that process to help you begin and keep going.