Programs for Older Adults this Fall

You have more life experience– but maybe you are still working, are busy with caregiving, and you like to play video games too. We get it, which is why we recommend a variety of programs and services, especially for older adults!

At the library, you can attend a financial planning seminar, preserve your family photos, or meet with our community partner to learn more about Medicare. We can also teach you how to 3D print or get started using the Adobe Creative Suite if you take one of our classes in the Digital Media Lab. Join one of our popular book discussions or start your own by borrowing a Book Club Set!

Please note that some programs may require registration with your library card. You can do so online, in person, or by calling any of our locations. Registration begins one month before each program.

If you have a loved one experiencing dementia and are interested in Memory Care programs at the library, be sure to read past the program listings here to learn about library resources for people with dementia, as well as an exciting author event happening this fall sponsored by the Rick Sharp Foundation.

Upcoming Programs

Senior Real Estate Downsizing Seminar
Varina Area Library
Tuesday, October 8, 2019, 6:00 PM
Join Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) Ollie Chambers for a free seminar on downsizing, designed specifically for people over fifty. An SRES has unique training and experience in helping homebuyers and sellers in these situations. Whether retiring, downsizing, or adjusting to a major life change, an SRES can guide you through the process of selling your home while making the transaction less stressful and more successful.

Fall Candle Holder
Fairfield Area Library
This program will be at the new Fairfield Library, 1401 N. Laburnum Avenue.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019, 7:00 PM
Make a candle-holder perfect for the fall season. All materials will be provided. Registration required.

Celebrate a Gilded Age Christmas
Sandston Library
Wednesday, October 23, 6:30 PM
Many of the traditions associated with our modern Christmas celebrations trace their roots to the 19th century. Enjoy lavish images and lively commentary by Nancy Lowden, Maymont Mansion's Manager of Historical Programs as she describes a Victorian Christmas. Discover how the many new inventions and advancements in areas such as printing, transportation and marketing at the turn-of-the-20th-century helped to create the holiday we know and love today.

Medicare 101
Gayton Library
Saturday, October 26, 11:00 AM
Learn about how Medicare works with independent agent, Mary Kate Creasey.

Create a Family History Archive
Tuckahoe Area Library
Saturday, October 26, 2:00 PM
If you are working on your family history, you have probably acquired a lot of photographs, papers, and files. You may also have some family heirlooms you'd like to preserve for future generations. Erica Borey, Collections Manager at Wilton House Museum, will discuss some good ways to organize and store your family heirlooms and papers.

We have more programs for older adults scheduled through the end of the year, including some from the Alzheimer’s Association in December. To find more programs for older adults, search using the keyword “seniors” on our monthly events calendar to see all of our latest offerings.

Memory Care at the Library and Upcoming Author Event with the Rick Sharp Foundation

If you are caring for someone with dementia, check out one of our Caregiver Kits. The kits contain a variety of media, books, and photo cards to spark conversations. They are perfect for spending a nostalgic afternoon together. Kits can be can be check out from any library location, see the full list and place a hold on one here.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and affects almost 6 million Americans and approximately 50 million people worldwide. Of those, almost two-thirds are women. A new case develops every 65 seconds in the United States. As a progressive neurodegenerative disease, Alzheimer’s causes physical atrophy of the brain and can attack the brain for up to 20 years before the first symptoms manifest themselves. It affects not only Alzheimer’s sufferers but their families as well.

Rick Sharp was a local business leader and philanthropist whose diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in 2010 ignited a passion for finding a cure for the deadly disease. After Rick passed away in 2014, the Rick Sharp Foundation continues this work by funding groundbreaking research. On November 13, the Foundation will bring author Lisa Genova, the neuroscientist famous for her TED Talk and bestselling book Still Alice. Check out a copy of Still Alice from the library, and check out the author event at the University of Richmond on November 13.

Alzheimer’s Day in RVA 2019
Modlin Center for the Arts, University of Richmond
Wednesday, November 13
The Rick Sharp Foundation is excited to present author Lisa Genova as the keynote speaker for this year’s Alzheimer’s Day in RVA. Be sure to save the date and check https://ricksharpalz.org/events/ for updates.