New Programming Now Available For Older Adults
Monday, March 17, 2025
The Cambridge Council on Aging and Public Health Department (CPHD) are always focused on the health and well-being of older residents in our community. In support of this, staff offered various initiatives this year specifically for adults age 60+, including music jams and cooking classes.
House band Bobby Tynes and Friends has been jamming at the Senior Center each month, providing a musical celebration for attendees. The band was the constant; musical guests and audience participants changed each month. These sessions provided an opportunity for older adults to meet fellow community members and engage in music and dance that stimulated creativity and got them moving. Residents were invited to join in with their own instruments, sing along, dance, or just relax and enjoy the festivities.
Feedback from the music jams was resoundingly positive. Participants reported that attending made them feel closer to their community, improved their mood and well-being, and even gave them better awareness of the Cambridge Public Health Department. “This is a warm and friendly environment…The music is just wonderful,” said one community member. Another participant said simply “I just love it all!”.
Interested in joining? Look for information about 2025 jam sessions, which are scheduled to begin in March 2025.
If cooking is more your speed, keep an eye out for CPHD’s work with the East End House (EEH). CPHD collaborated this year with EEH to pilot nutrition and cooking-based events. Staff presented food preparation demonstrations (baked white bean pasta at one, and sweet potato and chicken stuffing and baked pears for the holiday edition!) as well as cooking workshops. Cooking workshops were held at the Foundry’s Food Lab. Each workshop involved preparing two recipes designed to be easy to follow and use ingredients that participants could find at the EEH pantry. CPHD staff demonstrated recipe steps, incorporating nutrition and health topics along the way. Once dishes were prepared, the class enjoyed them together. With practicality in mind, workshops took into account participants’ cuisine preferences, nutrition topics of interest, equipment availability at home, and household size.
Visit the Council On Aging’s website for the latest programs and services available to older adults in Cambridge: www.cambridgema.gov/CouncilonAging.
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“New sessions provided an opportunity for older adults to meet fellow community members and engage in music and dance.”
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