We’re offering workshops on retirement and on becoming a health advocate

Community Caregivers is cosponsoring two interesting community workshops for lifelong learners this month.

The first is on Creating a Meaningful Retirement and is designed for individuals who are contemplating retirement or who are recently retired. This workshop will explore the changing definition of retirement and its transformation by the Baby Boomer generation.

We offer this workshop with our cosponsors — the Bethlehem Public Library and Bethlehem Senior Services — and expert presenters Jon Allen, retirement transition coach, and Audrey Seidman, spiritual director.  It will be held Tuesday evening, March 21, at 7 p.m. at the Bethlehem Public Library.

If this topic intrigues you, as it has the Baby Boomers in our office, please register by calling the library at (518) 439-9314 or by going online at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org

For the second workshop, we are joining forces with Albany Medical College’s Division of Community Outreach and Medical Education, the Schaffer Library of Health Sciences at Albany Medical College, and the Guilderland Public Library. The workshop, Navigating the Healthcare Maze, will be held on Saturday, March 25, at 11 a.m. at the Guilderland Public Library.

Participants in this workshop will learn how to navigate online health information and ask important follow-up questions during medical appointments. Many of us are confused by medical terminology but are reluctant to ask for clarification.

This interactive workshop will help participants become effective health advocates for themselves or on behalf of a loved one. This workshop is funded in part by the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health under a cooperative agreement with the University of Pittsburgh, and the Health Sciences Library System.

You may register for this valuable health-information workshop by calling the Guilderland Public Library at (518) 456-2400 or by going online at www.guilpl.org.

Offering educational programs to community members is part of Community Caregivers’ ongoing mission. We hope that each of these programs sparks interest and good conversations.

Please join us. Consider volunteering with us. Studies show that being a good neighbor and volunteering can lead you to live a longer, healthier, happier life!

We offer a welcoming and flexible volunteer experience, helping our neighbors with everyday needs. Sessions for prospective volunteers take place in our office at 2021 Western Ave. in Suite 104. The sessions last about one hour and registration is required.

Orientation sessions are offered the first Tuesday of spring months — April 4, May 2, or June 6, at 10 a.m. They are also offered at noon on the third Thursday — April 20, May 18, or June 15.

For more information or to register, call (518) 456-2898 or go online to .

Community Caregivers Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical  services including transportation and caregiver support at no charge to residents of Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New  Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors.

Our funding is derived in part from the Albany County Department for Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging, and the United States Administration on Aging. To find out more about our services, as well as volunteer opportunities, please visit www.communitycaregivers.org or call us at (518) 456-2898.

Editor’s note: Linda Miller is the Outreach and Education coordinator for Community Caregivers.