Boothbay Health and Wellness Foundationʼs Elder Empowerment group will meet next on Monday, Dec. 16 at 4 p.m. at the Boothbay Town Office. We are actively seeking more members. If you have an aging parent who wants to stay in their own home, or if you are a senior or a disabled person who could use some extra help to live your life to the fullest, and/or if you enjoy helping others, please join our group to help shape our local program to coordinate volunteers and resources to assist elders and the disabled to live full lives while remaining in their own homes.

If we are lucky enough to live long enough, disability will be within each and everybody’s lifetime experience! None of us will live to a ripe old age with full strength, coordination, balance, eye-sight, hearing, cognitive speed or perfect fitness.

The Boothbay Region Health and Wellness Foundation is a community group focused on using our best assets, resources and human capital to benefit the Boothbay region, the businesses, and all residents who live on the peninsula year-round and the people who visit our region.

We hope to work collaboratively to become a leader and model in the sustainable heath and wellness field, and we need many more members who are interested in using our political will, business acumen, technical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, creative energy and community commitment to help rebuild health and wellness security in a sustainable way that benefits all community members.

That is why we are seeking people of all ages and representing consumers, healthcare providers, businesses, churches, community leaders, common people, elderly people who will need services, the disabled, adult children of elderly parents and students who want to share their good ideas for a sustainable future.

We are very blessed to be able to live in the Boothbay region, even with below freezing temperatures, creaky bones and cars that wonʼt start in winter and fear of going out because of slippery walkways. These are common issues for older people; their wish is always to be able to remain in their own homes for as long as they are able.

The good news is that we are looking at ways to help so everyone might be able to do this. Much of what we need is not medical in nature, but social support. We might need help in dressing, going to the store, cleaning the house, changing light bulbs, walking the dog, etc.

So join our group and help us harness all the wonderful volunteer and for profit services that are already available on our peninsula and help us identify needs and mobilize resources to provide a world-class, affordable, sustainable live-at-home retirement experience for all of our elders. Come to our next meeting at 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 16 at the Boothbay Town Hall, or contact Jeannie or Carl Hamrin at 207-633-7369.