Soup, Socks and Sunshine
December 13, 2024 - The Harrisonburg/Rockingham Region of VPAS is offering an opportunity for the local community to provide Soup, Socks and Sunshine to their Meals on Wheels recipients. Spreading a little warmth, kindness, and sunshine to those that may be left feeling down after the holiday season and during cold dark winter days, could be just what the doctor ordered!
Members of the community are encouraged to bring canned soup, new men's and women's socks, cards, drawings or notes of encouragement to the Harrisonburg VPAS office at 985 S. High Street in Harrisonburg. Items will be delivered to those in need between January 2nd and 17th.
For more information, call 540.615.5341.
Maury River Pickers and Singers Holiday Concert
November 7, 2024 - The Maury River Pickers and Singers will present a Christmas Concert on December 20th at 12:00 noon at the Maury River Senior Services office, 2137 Magnolia Ave., Buena Vista, VA. Join this group of talented musicians who have a long standing history of making beautiful music weekly as a part of VPAS' programming in Buena Vista. For more information please call 540.261.7474.
Prioritize Self-Care During National Caregivers Month
November 1, 2024 - It is 10 a.m. You have made and managed breakfast for your husband, who is living with Parkinson’s Disease. You remind him to scoot his hips forward on the chair, make sure his feet are firmly planted before he stands, then begin the process of helping him get dressed for a doctor’s appointment. You have given him his medicine, paid the bills, and started a load of laundry.
What you have not done is take care of yourself. It has been one week since you have had more than five hours of sleep at night. As you adapt to the rhythm of what feels like a 36-hour day, you have forgotten to fix yourself a balanced meal, opting instead to snack on whatever is available. You feel depleted and irritable.
You are not alone. Unpaid caregivers are the backbone of long-term care provided at home. The burden of providing this care is heavy. According to AARP, in Virginia, there are close to one million family caregivers providing 920 million hours of unpaid family care. More than a third of family caregivers are 65 and over, so they are managing the challenges that come with aging in their own lives at the same time they are caring for a loved one.
In order to provide the care your loved one needs, it is important to take care of yourself. Here are a few ways to build a path toward wellness:
• Identify what mental patterns are holding you back from prioritizing your own needs. Do you feel selfish? Do you think others will perceive you as incompetent if you ask for help? Is anxiety about time management making you believe self-care is not practical? Journal, or talk with friends or professionals to begin to work through these barriers.
• Try positive self-talk such as “I am good at cooking meals Mom will eat.” Or, “I deserve time to rest and recharge.” Over time, your brain will believe this internal dialogue.
• Schedule some time just for yourself. This can be a walk around the block, an online art workshop, a phone call with a friend, journaling, or reading a chapter of a book.
• Consider some gentle, meditative exercise like tai chi or yoga. Both reduce stress while providing other whole-body benefits.
• Connect with a caregiver support group online or in-person. This is an opportunity to share joys and frustrations, learn new caregiving methods, and access resources that can be helpful in your journey.
• See your health care provider for routine screenings and vaccines. Tell your provider that you are a caregiver and share concerns you have about the impact caregiving has on your health.
November is National Family Caregivers Month – a good time to start celebrating the care you provide and get the help you need. Visit vpas.info/caregivers or call 540-615-5341 for support.
More than Four Decades of Dedication
September 30, 2024 - Teresa Wilkerson retired from Valley Program for Aging Services (VPAS) on September 30, 2024 after 48 years of employment. Teresa held multiple positions within VPAS' fiscal office over the years. She was the "go to" person for all questions that related to the budget, spending, and preparing grant budgets for applications and reports.
Hired in September 1976 after a one-year stint as a math teacher in Portsmouth, the Madison College graduate worked with five other administrative staff members in three very small rooms on the top floor of the Waynesboro City old municipal building. The accounting system was done manually with ledger books and the units of service were kept on big sheets of grid paper.
Several accounting and record keeping software programs later, VPAS operations have modernized. Teresa’s skill and understanding of how VPAS operates were a valuable asset through those decades of change.
“She has an amazing mind and VPAS has benefited from her institutional knowledge of how the VPAS budget works. She did a great job at managing VPAS' many funding pots and the requirements and restrictions that went with each,” said VPAS executive director Beth Bland. “She was also very patient answering the many questions that came her way,” Beth added.
Over the years, Teresa remained devoted to the VPAS cause and in particular how the people at VPAS help older adults to remain independent. “The best thing VPAS does,” Teresa says, “is enable more people to stay at home as they age.”
Teresa’s dedication extends beyond the halls of VPAS. She has been actively involved at Grottoes United Methodist Church as the treasurer, adult Sunday school class teacher, and in other roles. Her activity level slowed after a multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2006, but she continues to attend JMU football and basketball games.
We are grateful for Teresa’s unprecedented 48 years of service to VPAS and older adults in our community. If you see her at a JMU basketball game tell her "Hi" and that we miss her!
Deputy Commissioner, Division for Aging Services with DARS Visits VPAS
September 4, 2024 - Kiersten Ware, Deputy Commissioner, Division for Aging Services with the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services visited the Waynesboro VPAS office on September 4th. In her new role, she is making a concerted effort to visit each and every Area Agency on Aging in Virginia.
In the morning, she met with the VPAS Board of Directors and Advisory Council, which concluded with a luncheon. In the afternoon, VPAS staff were invited to meet with her in a very casual, meet and greet session at the Waynesboro VPAS Cafe. She was very gracious with her time talking to each and every staff person individually. This was a wonderful opportunity for VPAS staff to showcase the great things happening across the VPAS service area as well as the opportunity to learn about DARS and how their work supports VPAS.