The Boothbay Region Health and Wellness Foundation will be kicking off its new speaker series, entitled ‘Third Thursdays,’ with Dr. Allan “Chip” Teel.

Teel will talk about aging gracefully in your own home. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17 at St. Columba's Episcopal Church on Emery Lane.

There are currently five million people in the U.S. over the age of 85. By 2050, there will be 21 million of us. Life expectancies are also increasing. There isn’t enough money, time, or people to build and staff enough nursing homes and retirement communities. But we can use high tech and high touch to empower people to live full lives at home until they die. Teel’s book, “Alone and Invisible No More” tells us how.

Teel has been co-designing better living arrangements with his elderly patients for 25 years in Midcoast Maine. Solutions have run the gamut from nursing homes to assisted-living facilities to co-ops to the current model, which is preferred by his clients and is the least expensive of all: let people age gracefully in their own homes.

“The Maine Way” (a combination of high-tech monitoring, high-touch outreach and elder volunteerism) was co-designed by a group of several hundred elderly people who participated in shaping and evolving this program.

This evening will appeal to many people in our community: those of a “certain age,” families with aging parents, caregivers, and people who are looking for a way to be involved in meaningful volunteerism. One need not be a member of the foundation to attend and there is no admission charge.

‘The Listening Post’

In an effort to document community healthcare needs and plan for the future, the Wellness Foundation will soon be launching a volunteer driven call-in line. Still in the planning stages, The Listening Post should be up and running before the end of the year.

In light of the change in services at the St. Andrews Campus of LincolnHealth, some clarification seems in order.

Arrivals after hours. If one should arrive at the urgent care center when it is closed, there is a telephone on the building which is 911 specific and will connect directly with the Lincoln County dispatcher. An ambulance can be sent to the St. Andrews Campus to take the patient to an ER for assistance. The dispatcher may keep the caller on the line while the ambulance is on its way.

What happens when you call 911 from another location? The dispatcher in the Lincoln County Sheriff’s office will answer you. The dispatcher knows, automatically, the address from which you are calling. You should tell her why you are calling and, if it is a medical emergency, she will immediately dispatch an ambulance. While the ambulance is on the way she will stay on the line, possibly ask you some questions.

Based upon what your emergency is, she might make suggestions about what you can be doing while the ambulance is on the way. Even if you are unable to speak, either you or someone with you should stay on the line so that she can advise the ambulance crew of any change in your condition. The ambulance should arrive within 10 minutes.