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SANTA CRUZ COUNTY'S FALLS PREVENTION RESOURCE TO HELP KEEP YOUR KITE FLYING Community Service Program of Seniors Council of Santa Cruz & San Benito Counties (831) 688-0400 or fallsprevention@seniorscouncil.org Welcome fall with a commitment to doing something new and staying active By Britt Bassoni, Seniors Council As we move into fall and then on into the holiday season remember to stay active and engaged in meaningful activities to maintain both physical and emotional health and well-being, as well as to help avoid falls and maintain on-going independence. For some, chilly weather is no friend and discourages walks we love taking. For others, the shorter days and diminishing sunlight take their toll on outlook and overall disposition, some to the point of worsening depression. And, for still others the holiday season is difficult owing to the loss of loved ones or the loss of more carefree times, thoughts which can frequently pull individuals inward, making it less likely that they'll want to engage with others. Our tendencies in these moments and with grayer days can also be toward cozying up, hunkering down, and ploughing through our late year reading list, and for those that find this satisfying or even restorative it can be a welcome moment to slow down during a busy year. But, slowing down doesn't have to mean stop- ping altogether, so take some time to get up and move about your home as you are able. Find chores, common ones and the ones commonly put off to get you moving and help move you towards a newer New Year. As always, it is important to be sensi- ble and work within the range of your body and at tasks appropriate to your strength and ability. Take short or even longer walks, and invite other would-be hermits you know to be that much less hermit-like for a moment. As my three-year old fre- quently intones while try- ing to coerce me into more play, "It's so much more friendly with two, Dad," blatantly plagiarizing A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh. Remember though, just because a portly bear said doesn't mean it isn't so. Invite someone to be Pig- let to your Pooh. Walking and talking with a friend has been practiced since time immortal, or maybe time bipedal, because it works. Learn something new, and even better share it with a friend, or with someone you wish were a friend. Go shopping at late season Farmers Markets - - appropriately masked and distanced - - to find beautiful fall ingre- dients for everything from sautés to stews. Cook in amounts you could never possibly eat so you have some to freeze, as well as for sharing with a fortu- nate neighbor or friend of your choice. Better still have that same friend or neighbor help to prepare a feast you can share together. Split the cost of a couple flats of berries and make jam. There's something inherently sustaining in the making jam. Then introduce yourself to people with toast. And, if you're feeling really decadent to those who have butter. Do a solid. Get out there and do something good for someone else. Not charity, for that presumes a relationship of unequals, but because you selfishly benefit by having someone besides yourself be today's lucky winner! Pay for the coffee of the stranger behind you in line? Sure. But, you could also take a Thermos-full across the street on a foggy morning to give to the Public Works employees laboring to fix or replace whatever the rest of us have used up or broken. Tell them if they bring you back the Thermos when its empty you'll send them home with a jar of jam too. What do you think they'll have to share with their families around the dinner table that evening? I mean, besides the jam. Go to your local library. Even if you don't read much, go to your local Public Library. Walk there, if possible; safely, and within your ability, but go to the library. A Public Library is nearly always an inviting place, and it is even more so in the fall and early winter. It is especially valuable for people who want to be around others, but not necessarily to talk. You know, kind of like, "I can if I want to, I'm just choosing not to today, but it's actually a really possibility because I'm here around all these other people!" Just the sort of choice one would never be confronted with at home alone with the cat. So, the way I see it then is that going to the library is a real edgy undertaking, full of wild possibilities, and the books may just very well be the least of them! Being active, being engaged, and doing something(s) new this fall and during the holidays can help you remain fall free and maintain your independence. By calling the number listed, your call will be directed to a third-party with licensed and certified Medicare agents, Van Berg Insurance Services; CA License #0G30664. For accommodation of persons with special needs at meetings, call (877) 833-4253 TTY: 711 Recently eligible or would like to learn more about Medicare? Attend one of our ONLINE, free, no-obligation seminars to understand your Medicare options. Visit our site to join an educational Medicare 101 Webinar canopy.vanbergins.com (877) 833-4253 TTY 711 Partners in Health about Medicare?

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