 Hello, everyone. This is Mary Beth Ogilevitz from the Amherst Senior Center, and we're continuing our caring conversations. The intention of the program and the series of conversations is to introduce you to not only our staff but also experts that are in the community, and to help you to more skillfully navigate this really troubling and trying time of the pandemic. So I have with me today a fabulous guest, and many of you have not had the opportunity to meet her yet because Karen arrived shortly around the time period that we were closing the Amherst Senior Center to the public. But with me today is Karen Reynan, who is our Amherst Senior Health Services Nurse. So welcome, Karen. Thank you. Thank you very much. Glad to be here. Yeah, glad to have you. So this is a wonderful opportunity for the community to get to know you better. If this was not the time of the pandemic, you would be here and you would have a line outside of your office of people waiting to see you and have conversations and receive your support and reassurance around their health needs. And so we thought we would take this opportunity to introduce you to our community a little bit more formally, let them know about your services, how people can access you. And also maybe a few tips along the way to help people navigate. So how does that sound? Sound good? Great. Great. And to let people know we're going to have a special guest appearing on the screen towards the end of the interview. So stay tuned because we have a wonderful surprise towards the end. So Karen, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself? Well, I've lived in Amherst for 33 years and I'm married to a wonderful man. David Rainene is actually a retired music teacher here in Amherst that a lot of people know. And I also have two grown daughters. They are 26 and 29. One lives locally and one lives further away. So yes, I'm very familiar with the Amherst community. I live in South Amherst and I'm just, I'm glad to be here. I'm originally from, you might hear as I'm talking, I'm originally from New York. So my Long Island accent can come on pretty strong sometimes. So yes, you're hearing correctly. It's not totally deleted out of my voice. Nice. So why don't you tell us a little bit about your education and professional background? Sure. Well, as I said, I grew up in Long Island and then I decided I wanted to venture forth and see more of the country. So for my undergraduate degree in nursing for my baccalaureate, I went to Iowa. And that was a great experience being in the Midwest. And then after that, I went to graduate school. I came back many years later. I got my master's in nursing right here at the university. And so I have, I've had lots of different experience. I feel so grateful because I feel like I've had such a rich background. You know, from when I was an undergraduate, I experienced, oh, we had rotations in nursing. So I worked at a tractor plant for John Deere. And, you know, all sorts of different things. And then I was a visiting nurse in New York and I used to go to some people's homes that were mansions and then people had a shack by the water. And I also ran a program up in Franklin County. It was wonderful. People who are uninsured and underinsured. We had two sites at the Second Gangasional Church in Greenfield and one at Mohawk Trial High School. And, and I worked at Mass General for many years. And I had the good fortune I was in, I did neurology and neurosurgery, but then I was in diabetes specialty, pediatric diabetes. And I ended up meeting my husband because he worked at a diabetes camp out in Central Mass. So, and then I also have a certification in diabetes. And I also am becoming a holistic nurse. I've started the certification from that because I'm really interested in what we can do to take care of ourselves and prevention and promotion. So I feel like I've had a really rich experience. And I should say, if we rewind the film back in the day in ninth grade, I was a candy striper for the Red Cross. And that's how I first got interested in nursing. And I'm actually writing a book that takes place in a nursing home based on my experience back when I was in ninth grade. Wow, that's tremendous. So tell, I have to ask, so is the book a memoir, or is it fiction? Is it fiction. And it's based on my love of the people at the nursing home and what experienced and what was great about it is, I was not a nurse then. And so I was a ninth grader visiting my great aunt, who is a resident there and we would have lunch together on my lunch breaks and so it's it's not a memoir, it's fictional, but there's just a lot of truth in there and it's honoring seniors and it's a lot of things. It's honoring humanity, I hope, in the fullness of the book when it comes out. So what brought you to this particular position? Well, I had left my most recent position was I was a school nurse at Granby High School for 13 years. And then I just decided, you know, I'd like to do something a little bit different. And so I saw this opportunity in the senior newsletter here at Emory Senior Center to be a volunteer to do blood pressure screenings. I'm like, you know what, I can do that. So I came and did the blood pressure screenings. And then I heard about that there was a position opening as the nurse at the senior center and I said, you know what, that sounds great. I like working with older people. And it's a part time position and I think it would work really well. So I was just really excited and a thing that I didn't mention about personally is I have a strong faith in God. So I believe that God had certainly part in that in bringing me to this position. Well, we're really lucky to have you. I have to tell you, since you've arrived, you've just been a real wonderful flourish of excitement and interest and real passion and caring for our older adults. I very much appreciate that. Thank you. I often find when people come to this work that there was somebody significant in their life who was an older adult that really touched them or that lit that interest. And I'm just wondering for you, was there a particular person in your life who was an older adult that might have burnished the the inspiration for this present position that you're undertaking. Well, I certainly think my great aunt that was in the nursing homes, he certainly is somebody that comes to mind, but probably the person even more so is my grandpa came to live with us when I was 12 years old. His wife had just died. And so he's, I used to call my Irish teddy bear because he is Irish. And he was just wonderful. He lived with us. And he was very resilient coming to think about it. That he came his wife, like I mentioned just died. And he came to live with us with five children. My goodness gracious. And a dog and a cat and gerbils and everything else that we had. And he was wonderful. He was just a very quiet man in a lot of ways. And as I called them, like I said, Irish teddy bear because his name was William Francis. And I used to do backward summer salts across his bed, going to his room and visit him. And he was very supportive of our family. Sometimes we didn't have money, you know, to baby to buy like a new washing machine or our station wagon. And just not to mention to be able to go out to eat was a big treat and grandpa would take us he take it like, you know, the eight of us, including himself out to eat. And that was a big thing. So he was a steady Eddie, always there, very loving. And, and he's also, he's just a really good example of aging well. When I think about it. Yeah. How so what do you mean by that. Well, I think he was remarkable to me he grew up in Queens in Brooklyn, Brooklyn is a little fella, and then he lived in Queens with his wife. And I think how just being flexible enough, agile enough at his age in his 80s to come live with us. And he took care of himself, he would just take his little blue Nova, and he drive into town. And he got to know people, Fred at the barbershop knew him. They called him Papu at the Greek diner. And he was seen and he was heard and he felt a part of this community which is amazing right he came from Flushing Queens, and then to acclimate himself to Syas at Long Island was amazing to me and you know what, a Mary Beth he, I know you've mentioned the importance of structure in our lives for all of us. He had a structure. He got up like I said with his blue Nova he'd go to the bank, the barbershop, and they would have his soup ready for him at the diner. And then he would come home, and he knew which station he wanted to watch on TV for, you know, so. Yeah, very agile, resilient, and just amazing to me that he was able to become part of our family. And maybe he did feel quite overwhelmed I'm sure he did with all of us the five of us so bubbly talking and everything but. But he took care of himself, and he got himself known and he acclimated himself to this new community. Mm hmm. Nice. So, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It really speaks also to tremendous resilience and like zest for life. Right. So, so you arrived much like your grandfather you you arrived to a new situation. Not a different town but almost feels like a different town. And so, I often, I worry and I wonder how it is that that you can acclimate to meet a community that we can't touch and see and feel. And I think of always like medical visits being so personal and that there's so much that transpires. And you're seeing and being with somebody one to one in person. So I'm wondering, you know, since that's not possible. How, how are you going about or how have you been able to try to reach out to people and get to know our community and and offer what what you know about support and resources and health. I see it as a fun challenge. And I've got ideas now but I really like to hear from everybody else, any ideas that they have so probably a lot of you know about that we, you know, offer meals like some people come and pick up meals at lunchtime and so there's a wall socially distance outside the senior center. So I've tried to come out and say hi to people and answer some medical questions. Also we have different meals on wheels roots, and I've have followed I haven't finished this but I followed the volunteers and I meet people that way. And then I've been trying to just give out my business card, just to different people, you know, like the fire chiefs the police chief anybody that I can think that I can reach. I'm certainly available by phone that people can call and ask health questions. And yes, I think it's a challenge certainly, but I'm here, and I'm really open to see how I can meet the unmet needs of people and Amherst. And what is your phone number. Can you share that how people might be able to get in touch with you either by phone or email. What would be best. Well probably either way but my phone number is 413-259-3257. And so that's I'm usually in the office on Monday and Thursday mornings I know people can't come into the office, but I'm certainly there and then I also can answer calls when I'm not in the office I periodically check my voicemail and working part time but I check my voicemail just to return people's calls. And I'll see Mary Beth if I get this right about why because I'm still getting used to my new email. So, I think it's raining, R-A-N, as a Nancy, E, and then N is a Nancy, K at Amherst-M-A dot gov. So either way people can certainly get in touch with me and I'm going to be trying to get out more sort of in town just to be seen to so that you know when people aren't about they may recognize me and see how I can help them and so forth. Yeah. What services are you able to offer to people so keeping in mind that you know we were able to formally meet with people in person. We're not able to do that any longer so we're not running the blood pressure clinic. But how have you been able to support people. If you could share maybe some of the resources or how you work with people to provide information support. Yeah, people have all sorts of different questions about either COVID or about other health issues or things that they need. So I am able to provide by phone health advice and certainly you know whatever I don't have all the answers but I will certainly say you know or provide resources for people. So probably yeah for right now I think it's certainly any health advice over the phone or probably in the near future being creative about ways how we can get out to people. But because of the experience I've had I feel like I can reach from pediatrics to geriatrics and so perhaps if somebody who's older who has a question about oh my grandchild or whatever that I feel like I'm able to I'm not just you know certainly this is my position as a senior health services nurse but that I can perhaps help people as a resource in other ways as well. Yeah like a whole family system because right we are all part of larger sums and I used to always say that I'm only as happy as my unhappiest child. So what's happening to them is also impacting me and I think that we're really seeing that at this time. You know if someone in a family system isn't well how it impacts all of us. And not only the physical health but I know that you also work with people and serve as a resource for mental health support. One of the things I love and I admire most about you is your ability to think out of the box. And I didn't know if you'd be willing to talk about a cat or linking somebody with a cat that you shared with me. So because I think it really illustrates. Yeah, the way that you work with a person when you talked about holistic nursing and being interested in in looking at a full person. But some of my come in a question on a rash for instance, and then you have a conversation you're picking up other details. And I thought that the cat story was was really a great example of of how you approach your work. Well, thank you. I, you know, we all want to be listened to, we want to be heard about what really matters to us. And so there was this one woman that I was talking to, and I was following up on a following up on a phone call she had a health problem. And then somehow it came up in the conversation that her cat had died. Just, I think within the past six months. So we talked about it more and I realized that she's really missing the cat and she talked about it for a while and what the cat brings to her. And now how the cat helps to fulfill her or did. And so I thought, you know what she she said I wish I could just have another cat, and she was acting specifically what she would like something the cat that's indoors and so forth. So, as I don't know, I think I also think it was a God thing that I just happened to have a neighbor who is connected with the taken animal shelter who knows the flow of animals going in and out so I just texted her, and she was able to connect with this woman, just a cat that might be available. So it meant so much to this person and I just get it because animals provide comfort so many times that you know that people can't and the fact that they just love us and unconditionally. And so, I think it's really listening to people there was a man the other day that he came for his lunch outside the senior center. And what was really important to him was just a health concern. And I was trying to talk to him about other things but he kept coming back to this health concern and I was like, you know what, this is what matters to him right now the most. And so I was able to provide him with resources and, and that's what it's about not that we always get it right, but that we're listening and we're still enough to be able to listen to what's really going on for people. Yeah, that's wonderful. What have been some of the most frequent, I guess, topics of concern from our community. Have you gotten a sense of that. You know, definitely I've learned a lot about COVID through the different people have called and they actually have educated me in the different ways that the COVID that we know so far the virus has affected people so far and so a lot of people have questions about that they want to be reassured about the virus or ask information about it. And like I said they're also sharing their experience which in turn helps me to help other people. So there's a lot of questions about that and then there's more practical questions about they want to be held their toenails cut or they want to shoot I want to be able to do, you know, check somebody's blood pressure. Those are sort of more practical questions. And I think as people get to know more that I'm available that those more those calls will come in. And but what I guess I noticed too that's important is I hear in people's voice that they're lonely and they're so grateful if just to call back and say oh how are things going we talked a couple of weeks ago, and they're so appreciative. And we are right if somebody really cares about us remembers us remembers what was important to us. So, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah the function of reassurance really is wonderful, because there are so many unknowns about this. So are there any particular tips since COVID has risen to the surface as a concern that's been typical among many of your callers. Are there any tips that you could share about trying to stay healthy. Certainly as we head towards fall, things are going to be shifting will be spending some more time indoors. So I didn't know if there any or just even reemphasizing what we know to be true about what's keeping us healthy and well because you know we have been fortunate up to this point with our community in particular community of older adults who are the most vulnerable. You know I find one of the things so far with this virus and you probably do to Mary Beth is that, you know, we all have certain safe boundaries which we feel like in terms of being with other people are not being with other people. And sometimes I don't know if seniors can feel this way. I do being I'm in my 60s that I feel pressured sometimes because some people are like oh come on let's just go out to eat you know it's indoors I know it's it's okay now. Things are all right, and I don't feel comfortable with that. And so I encourage people just to stay strong and who they are and what their beliefs are in terms of this virus you know what makes you feel comfortable. My sister-in-law and husband who are 70. You know we met with them out in Salem mass and they had their masks on and they were very socially distance far away. And they just still kept their masks on and I thought oh shoot did they still, but they feel comfortable that way and just honoring how people feel comfortable and just reassuring people for what they need. So I think I forgot the original question I think it was about COVID right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, no about general general tips for trying to stay healthy during code and I think that that's so true. You know talking about everyone has their own risk assessment. That really being able to to abide by that and not being afraid to affirm that in a in a setting that with others is really really important. Yeah, yeah. And I think Mary Beth you mentioned about structure which I think is important, and it really I really want to encourage people to limit the amount of technology. If I listen to the news, or if I were constantly on my phone, I find it overwhelming. I find it stressful with all that's going on. I have a sister who lives out West. Everybody probably knows somebody with different things going on, either with the virus or other things that are happening right now. So I notice that I feel a lot more relaxed if I just limit as best as possible the amount of time that I'm on technology, especially before going to bed. It's known that an hour before we go to sleep that it really affects our circadian rhythms in terms of our ability to settle down to sleep. So I encourage you if you have a TV in your bedroom to not turn it on, because a lot of people fall asleep with the TV on, and that in itself, again, that interrupts our sleep rhythms. So anything that helps us sort of to to settle down, especially at the end of the day. And again, just eating healthy and I guess one of the things you know you always hear about eating healthy, but we know now that sugar causes all sorts of inflammation and we want to comfort ourselves in this time of stress. And so just be mindful about how you comfort yourself. I'm not saying to not ever eat anything delicious. I had a coconut cream pie the other day for my birthday. And it was delicious, but I can't eat the coconut cream pie every day. I mean, I wanted but so yeah to just think about what we're eating whole foods as best as possible, getting enough sleep. And I think also I think I wrote just focus on really what matters to you. What brings you joy, and even like a little, little pockets of joy is my sister would call it just in the day. What brings you peace and to make sure and search for those things might be the same thing. Every day, like, if I couldn't go out for a walk, I, you know, just to take a little walk or even sit outside in my book with my book and nature in my backyard. That just really helps me it helps to re nourish me. So I really encourage you to be still and to think about that what re nourishes you. What brings you joy. I mean anytime but especially in this time. Yeah, yeah, I think that that's so wise I have to say I had just read an article in the New York Times. It was called unfolding yourself and small comforts and really looking for those little snippets small things in a day and maybe it is just noticing beauty. Maybe it is, you said like sitting down in a comfortable chair with a soft Afghan and reading a magazine or a book or an article that that just brings you a little bit of some pleasure or even engaging in activities of faith and spirituality however that would be conceived by you, because I do think that that drawing upon that helps to balance the rest of the sort of craziness that that we are flooded with. Yeah. And I think Mary Beth, you know about limiting technology really being thoughtful about what you're allowing in what are you exposing yourself to. If there's a friend who of course you love, but they're so negative that they're just doom and gloom oh geez you know, like just let's be careful about what we surrender ourselves with what we read what we watch. So important, you know, a good book. Oh my goodness, I don't have to tell you all of you what a good book does a little escape, and it just helps to calm us. You know, be careful what you watch on TV, you know, if something is really violent or whatever but just again paying attention, what helps you, what refuels you. Yeah, yeah. Early on, I was hooked on CNN, and I used to come home from work and watch CNN like somehow this would all end if I just stayed on top of the news and I quickly began to see that watching news at night fed into that cycle of just really increasing concern and making me more anxious as opposed to sort of helping me to balance it out and see that like, you know, right, we're looking at an extended period of time, and we have to have some leveling of this in order to navigate it so yeah. I'll just put in a plug here that if you are looking for activities that might be uplifting, we have a whole host of exercise classes. And one of the things that I love about them is that they not only serve as that moment of actually moving your body, but that it creates community. And so after the close of a class people usually hang around in that zoom class to talk with one another, sort of sharing tips about all a good place to shop is so and so. And it's just, you know, a lot of it also about creating connection and helping to fight the social isolation so if anybody who's a viewer has any questions about how to link on to a class. So we have things from Shakespeare to exercise classes we're going to be adding in some ukulele singing. Contact us at 259-3060 and we can help you to connect and create a virtual community if you're feeling like you don't have that ability. We're also working to get some technology purchased for seniors so that if you don't have technology, we'll be able to loan out some Chromebooks and you could access it but I think that that it's such solid advice that you've given Karen I really I really appreciate it. And you know what else I think you also let us know about there's, I think for $55 is a university that has several different courses and I think, again, in the New York Times this, I think it was past Sunday. It just talked about what how important it is for us to learn new things during this time my husband and I just got the app to lingo so we're teaching each other Spanish. And I notice it makes my brain feel better it's just interesting, you know, like, and so I just encourage people to learn something new, or it really whether it like you said a class like a zoom class or just taking class or even like I said like the app but doesn't cost me anything on my phone. It's just so fun. We're learning this language and so I'm hoping those of you are Spanish speaking that just, you know, quiz me. I'm trying to learn. That's fantastic. This is funny. I'm learning Russian I just downloaded one. So, I just know a few phrases, and it is, and I drive to work I use it in the morning because I used to listen to news on the way here. And again, that went helpful. So now I'm trying to learn some more Russian so. Yeah. You know, many people have struggled with loneliness and depression. I think that there is this sense of not only loneliness and depression but I think of it as collective grief, because we are continually learning the loss of events of markers of rituals. So those might be the seasonal items they might be spiritual things, kids going off to school and what that means. I hear that frequently as a refrain. And so I'm wondering if, if you also have any advice as to that or whether you think, you know that the advice you've given us already about nurturing ourselves is, is really the way to help us to to mitigate that because I do I do think that that that's going to be something that we might see in increasing numbers as we end up being more sheltered through late fall and early winter. So I didn't know if you had any thoughts about that. I think that doesn't feel good. Does it, you know, when we feel like that we've grief on so many different levels, you know, and loss on so many different levels, and I think it's important to validate that for ourselves that not to even though it's a hard feeling that it's important to, I'd say to embrace it and to validate it for ourselves to say, you know, shoot, because my husband and I always had a Halloween party, I love to get dressed up. I was, was it last year? Yeah, last year, I was poison Ivy. No, my husband was poison Ivy and I was Calamant, Calamant lotion. And we just have so much fun. And they're like, shoot, we can't have a Halloween party. You know, so I think it's important to say that it's important to say, darn, I'm really going to miss that. And of course, other things like Rosh Hashanah coming up for people being able to get together, you know, such important holidays, Thanksgiving, and other things and of course not to mention the people who have lost someone during this time. No, I had COVID or just somehow, you know, another way that maybe they have died, maybe not COVID, but so on so many levels. So I say just to be able to validate that for ourselves. And then yes, Mary Beth, I think using some of the things I was talking about before and surrounding us by things and by people that will will support us and help to lift us. And I think it's important to do this now as we're going into the fall and winter, when we're normally more isolated to just think what kind of plan can we have for ourselves. And that you don't have to do it alone that we're here. There are other people that are here. And, you know, by golly, if we don't have the resource that you feel like you need, we'll be glad to try and find it for you. You know, so just to know you're not alone, and it's real what we're all going through. And we're doing it together. And I just want to encourage you, because I know I don't know where you're at right now in your life, but that you don't have to do it alone that we're all that we're all here and going through this together in different ways. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, because I do think it's hard when you feel like you are the only person having this feeling and I think that that can exacerbate when you start to feel depressed or feeling isolated, and then you isolate yourself more and you retreat more. It's, you know, actually the time that it might be hardest but it's helpful if you can reach out, because that's the best way to try to stem it. I founded this group called the, the, the delight hour, and it was based on the book by Ross gay called the book of delights and he actually spoke, coincidentally at Amherst College at their Convocation. And they expressed the same thought that I did actually bitty Martin did that it might seem like an unusual time to try to rest your attention on what is positive and hopeful, but it's also one of the most resilient things you can try to do with so much grief and loss, and change really just just change you know I've had people remarked to me senior saying that they feel fine if they're in their house but when they go out into the community and they see how things have shifted so much that it's actually jarring for them. And I think that one of the things I really appreciated about reading Ross gay's book was that he talked about, he journaled every day for a solid year about one thing that delighted him during the day. You know seeing a butterfly it could be watching two people carry a bag of groceries together each of them grabbing one of the handles, and how that just represented community and sharing and love and engagement. And noticing those things as he talks about it it's flexing the muscle of delight, and that that's not something that we typically do. And that can also help to curb sort of the influence of so much that is a challenge around us so I really appreciate your, your sentiments. So in our, in our, yeah, go ahead. I'm just going to mention. Yeah, my sister out that I mentioned using the West Coast, we started a gratefulness journal. And so we just even share, like once a week once every week and a half about what we wrote down in our journal, you know what we're grateful for. And so it's not only us thinking, you know, or set myself and my sister, but then I sharing it together. And, and then there's something about looking back on that. You know whether I do that too with answered prayers but to say what you're grateful for and like oh yes I remember like you said. Oh, I saw this golden retriever puppy the other day, you know just writing that down. And then I too, I'm reading emotional agility by Susan David. And that's a great book. It's just just talks about again us being agile and trying to get unhooked from things that hook us in other words and not a positive way that we maybe keep going around and around stuff from the past. It's a fascinating book. I'd encourage people like out from the Jones library. It's just really a shout out to all the librarians and I just want to say I'm so grateful that they're still there and we can still get our books in a safe way. Yeah, yeah, and they will also deliver so if you are an older adult who is home bound and you want to receive your book at home they will deliver it so Amy Ayala there is been our contact and she's absolutely wonderful. She will contact the Jones library and ask for Amy and she will get the book delivered to you if you don't have a way to come and actually get the book. So we have safe ways to keep that that flow going of contentment. Yeah, great. So the book is emotional agility by Susan David. In case you wanted to read it. Pardon me. Yeah, in case they're interested to read it after you need to return it. You can just go on the YouTube. She has a little mini YouTube just you can get a sense of Susan and also what she's about and that intrigued me enough that I got the book. Nice. And tell me a little bit about your gratitude journal. I'm really interested. How do you, how do you work it. What do you do. Do you journal every day something. No, to be honest, not all the time. I'm just tired. Because I have it next to my bed, you know, I'm like, Oh, geez, I'm tired. But when I can, and when things I remember from the day I'll just write it down in this little I have a little book, and I just write it down. So, and I think it also helps right being accountable for keeping this journal because of my sister. And so then we can share it back and forth but it's just very simple. I just write down different things that I'm grateful about. And there's so many things and then of course they've science has shown that when we do take the time to pause and to be grateful that that definitely very much helps us to be able to cope better thinking about the things that we're grateful about. And again, it can be a small thing or something even larger like how about everybody this beautiful weather. I mean it's just been gorgeous lately. Just so lovely and, you know, putting a blanket on at night and cozying up I put on our, my husband agreed to the flannel sheets he's like Karen it's too soon I'm like, No, no, let's. So I'm grateful to my husband for the flannel sheets because he gets so hot. So anyway, just like little things you know. Yeah, that's beautiful. I really love that it sounds like it's very delightful and to share it with another person too. Yeah, I think so fascinating. Yeah, that's a great idea people if you want to try that. Just write down a few things jog them down before you go to bed and then you could share them with a friend or relative. I think that's really beautiful you can even do it with a whole family system, you know, intergenerationally of younger people older people, because I think it's been fascinating the research that is actually showing that older adults are are experiencing less distress than younger folks. So the younger folks are having a more challenging time with COVID. Emotionally, then older adults where we have some experience, I presume to draw upon harder times and how to navigate it. So, yeah, that's great. So, you have brought so much joy and spontaneity yourself to this position and I'm wondering, is there anything else about your vision for senior health services looking forward that you would like to share with the community is there anything that you'd like to grow or add or in the next year or so, and even could be post COVID. I'm just looking forward to getting to know people, you know, getting to be out in the community, hear from people what matters to them, what needs that they have. And I'm looking forward to that challenge, you know, it's, it is a challenge, but, and I'm grateful that I know the community well enough, you know, I can navigate the roads because I've lived here for so long. I think it's for me just getting to know I think it's amazing what the senior center already has to offer I have to say I've just joined on, but it's amazing all the different things that we have to offer already. And then I guess my vision is being able to meet people that I haven't met before, find out what their needs are, and just to be available in a fuller way maybe then we have been before. So, that's it so far, you know, but you know talk to me in a couple of months I think I'll have other ideas when I've been out in the community more. Yeah, yeah. Well that's always the best way to start is by listening and learning from folks. And so this also gives me another opportunity to share that we will be going out in the month of October. We're looking at the community and doing some outreach so we're going to be driving the senior center van. We will be publicizing the locations we're looking to really cover a vast majority of this community in terms of geography and population, so that there are older adults living and making sure that we are also serving vulnerable and marginalized populations, and in that conversation in earnest because we realize people can't be with us here. And so, sort of hitting the road so those of you who are out there, you can have look forward actually to the opportunity to get to know Karen and see her in a socially distant manner. And we'll be coming up with our COA van and we'll be publicizing those dates, both on our website on our Facebook page and also in our newsletter for October, November, so we'll have those those places nailed down. So thanks Karen, and then I'm wondering so this is I guess our time for our special guest. I think that this is for me as someone who loves animals from horses to dogs to cats. This is one of the most exciting pieces of work that you are engaged in with our community. And I'm wondering if you could tell us or introduce us to a new junior staff member. I think so for everybody, it's our puppy. And I'm just going to chat just a little bit first before he comes in, because he'll probably maybe try and bite the laptop. So my husband I did a lot of research we wanted to, even before I knew I was going to take this position, I thought we've always loved dogs we've had golden retrievers, but I was thinking really like to have a dog that could comfort people. Because I saw how our golden retrievers were able to help our daughters and help my husband and me and other people in different ways. Like, so wonderfully, those of you who love animals like you do Mary Beth, totally get it. So I said, could we maybe get a dog that would be able to really comfort people so we did our research and we came up with this breed called a cobra dog, which is its own breed. It's closest to an Australian labradoodle, but they're bred to be therapy dogs are hypoallergenic. They have a disposition that really lends itself to comforting being with people. And the dog is very smart, very easy to train. He learns faster than I do, I just have to say. So, so Scout is his name, and, and he's a cover dog, and they come in different sizes. I know this sounds like a sales pitch. It's not. It's the they come in tiny medium and large, and we got a standard poodle. Well, I'm calling a poodle, but because they do have poodle in the breed. So, yeah, he's going to be the size of a standard poodle. And so he's about five months old. And we've done one puppy class already and in the second puppy class. And we also have a behaviorist and a trainer who's working with us and it was, we were told that he needs to constantly being class in order to be a really good therapy dog. So that's what we're doing. And truth be told, it's like learning a new language for me as a trainer, because it's a lot of those of you have done dog training is that you have to use different markers. And for instance, for him to be able to even to sit, my arm comes down and up, that's to tell him to sit and then I say yes, and then I give him a treat. So it requires a lot of coordination on my part. And I'm being very humbled by this training. It's a lot of a lot. And he's a sweet fella. And like I said, he's just really smart. So he does he catches one quicker than I like he sits there and looks at me like, Okay, Karen, come on, where's the treat? You know, he's, he's so sharp. So anyway, let me just go get him. And you'll be able to meet him. And he's like a stuffed teddy bear. I know I adore him. So while you're going to get him, that's okay, I'll just talk. So folks, if you want to see some videos on our Facebook page, which is town of Amherst Senior Center, we have a couple of videos of Karen and scout, walking out on the fields and getting ready to do their training. And he is absolutely adorable. We also included a photo of him and our last newsletter. So we'll be including some scout updates, but he is really lovely and we've had some real excitement in the community. And as we've announced that Scott scout will be helping us out. And hopefully available in the future when he's a full graduate. Oh my goodness. Oh, I'm really heavy. So he's almost 50 pounds. He is so adorable. Hello, Scout. Hello. Step back so you can see how big he is. Yeah, he's quite bundle. Yeah, I'm trying to think with my laptop, if I can to show you. I just wanted people to be able to see him in person. So I have, I have a golden doodle, who looks quite similar. Yeah, quite similar to him. He's just absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing him. And I'll look forward to hopefully meeting him one day. Yeah. What a pleasure. What a good book. Yeah. Good job. It's our whole house is kind of gated off because I'm a new puppy, right. So thank you that that was for me. That is my, if I was doing a gratefulness journal, it would be this moment right there with Scout, because I just, I love pets. I particularly love dogs. So thank you so much for sharing. Yeah, it's going to be exciting. And so I'm wondering, are there any last things that you'd like to share with the community? I know that you were going to be doing a special talk coming up in November. And could you tell folks about that? Yes, in November is National Diabetes Month. And I am a diabetes specialist, but, and just to say that so I thought I could just give just a little small presentation just about diabetes and I think probably one of the most important things about it is prevention that we know now that we can prevent a lot of times from people from developing type two diabetes which is the type that most people have. By some changes that people can make in their lifestyle. So I'm really excited about that and there's so much new research and evidence supporting that. And so I'll be talking about that a little bit, but I'm certainly available to people if they have questions going forward, you know, after the presentation or people want to learn more. This is really neat thing about, you know, people have diabetes. A lot of times they know about finger sticks about checking their blood sugar, but there's a new so many new devices now, this little desk that people can wear on the side of their arm and it's a continuous glucose monitor and they just wave a little meter and it gives them their blood sugar. So there's so many new advances and so much hope in the field of diabetes. So I look forward to talking more about that. Great, thank you. And we'll have that date where published in our newsletter. It will also be on our website and on our Facebook page. So people are looking to follow us heading into the fall what we're doing. Those are the places to try to catch us on Facebook on our town website page and then also through the newsletter. We'll hopefully be adding in some flyers that will come inside of the emmerced bulletin so that folks can also get a little bit more timely updates between the publication of the newsletters which is by monthly. Thank you so much Karen. I have to say that if it wasn't for Dorothy Gavin, we would not have the pleasure, your employment and so I would be remiss if I didn't recognize that her generous donation is what makes your position possible. And so she has annually funded us for many, many years because she was that committed to making sure that the health of seniors in this community were cared for in a very special way so I am personally indebted and grateful to Dorothy Gavin for funding the position, which makes your presence possible and your presence makes the world much better place here in Amherst. I have to say I'm always fond of you because my mom was a nurse, and I keep a newspaper clipping from, oh gosh, I hasten to say probably late 1940s, early 1950s my mom did public health nursing and there was a photo of her helping an older adult out of their apartment in downtown Hoyoke and I keep that a clipping framed in my office to remember the kind of care that we are supposed to embody and share with the community and and I'm just really grateful that we have you because I know with you here. We absolutely have that a caring and concerned voice and advocate for seniors so thank you so much. You're welcome. Grateful to be here. So, yeah. Thank you and folks if again if you want to get in touch with Karen, her number is 259-3257. Yeah, you can reach here at the Amherst Senior Center and she will be in touch with you and everybody have a wonderful day stay healthy and follow some of Karen's tips and advice for staying healthy looking at the fall in the winter so thanks Karen. Have a wonderful day and give Scout a hug for me. All right, take care. Well, forget everybody to wear your mask when you're out in public. Wear the mask and cover the nose and the chin. That's the hard part right. Yeah, and we do have free masks so we want to make sure that folks know we will continue to provide those we have them hand sewn they're donated by volunteers. So anyone who needs a mask you can contact us and also the town has them available free for residents so have a great day. Bye bye. Bye bye.