It is time to spread awareness and understanding of Parkinson’s Disease. This is a chronic condition affecting approximately one million people in the U.S. This is more than the number of people living with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and Lou Gehrig’s disease combined. Every year in our country 60,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s. There are 10 million worldwide.

The causes of Parkinson’s are still unknown, but researchers believe it is a combination of genetics and environmental factors. Though only 15-25% of people with Parkinson’s have a relative with the disease, those with first-degree relatives have a slightly elevated risk of developing the disease. Environmental toxins may be a greater risk than any other factor. Rural living, well water, manganese, and pesticides have been associated with an elevated risk of Parkinson’s. Scientists quickly emphasize that although certain neurotoxins may be a risk factor, no single exposure to a particular chemical has been directly pinpointed as a cause.

Treating Parkinson’s disease is more about managing symptoms and slowing the progression than it is about “curing” this disease.

One thing we know for sure is that exercise is medicine for people living with Parkinson’s. Exercise is a physiological tool that protects neurons at risk or compromised, and guides brain health, protection, repair, and adaptation after a neurodegenerative process occurs…otherwise known as neuroplasticity. Once triggered by exercise, these physiological mechanisms have the potential to slow disease progression!

Please join me in raising awareness for Parkinson’s Disease by exercising on National Parkinson’s Day, April 10th. Bike, walk, box, dance, swim—any movement you can do—and think about those who are living with this disease and their caregivers.

Susan Covey is the Acts Bayleigh Chase Fitness Director and Rock Steady Boxing Coach

The Board of Directors at Upper Shore Aging has announced the appointment of Herb Cain as its new executive director. Cain has been a community-minded United Methodist Pastor, leading and serving local congregations on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for the past 14 years. Most recently, he was the pastor of First United Methodist Church and Christ United Methodist Church in Chestertown and a member of the Upper Shore Aging, Inc. Board of Directors, serving on the External Affairs Committee. He has also been a commercial fisherman, operating out of Rock Hall.

Cain holds a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies with a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Wilmington University, an Associate of Arts in General Studies from Cecil Community College, and has completed The United Methodist Church Ministerial Course of Study from Wesley Theological Seminary.

“I have always been committed to providing servant-leadership to organizations that serve their community. Compassion, ethics, and believing in a cause are key personal motivators for me regardless of the vocational setting,” Cain comments. “My goals at Upper Shore Aging are to increase the organization’s financial stability while maximizing outreach to the community to meet the needs of aging seniors in our region.”

Kay Brodie, President of the USA Board of Directors, comments, “The Board of Directors of Upper Shore Aging is pleased to welcome Herb Cain as our new executive director.  We look forward to working with Herb to expand our services to seniors in Caroline, Kent, and Talbot counties so that they may lead happy and productive lives.”

Upper Shore Aging, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that is the designated Area Agency on Aging for Talbot, Caroline, and Kent counties, Maryland, serving a potential market of nearly 31,000 persons over the age of sixty years. Our organization develops and manages a coordinated program of services that work together to help elders to remain, and live well, in the community as long as possible. Upper Shore Aging, Inc. works closely with the Maryland Department of Aging to serve the needs of its clients.

We all know we could not survive without replenishing our body with water, BUT, did you know that water comprises 75% of the brain, it makes up 83% of blood, 22% of bones and 75% of muscles?

Water regulates body temperature and helps carry nutrients and oxygen to cells. It flushes bacteria from our bladder, aids in digestion, prevents constipation, normalizes blood pressure, protects, and cushions vital organs and joints and helps convert food into energy.

Drinking water at certain times of the day maximizes its effectiveness on the body in the following ways:

*2 glasses after waking up helps activate internal organs.

*1 glass 30 minutes before a meal helps digestion.

*1 glass before going to bed, helps avoid strokes and heart attacks.

As for the recommended daily dose, WebMD suggests 13 cups for men and 9 cups for women. However, for more accuracy, you must take into consideration your age, body size and activity level.

FACTS ABOUT YOUR BODY IN WATER:

*In the water, a person only weighs 10% of their land body weight. Thus, water exercise puts much less stress on joints.

*In the water, the heart will beat 15 beats slower than on land due to the pressure from the water surrounding your body.

*Water exercise burns 77% fat calories while land exercise burns only 43%

*30 minutes of “water walking” burns as many calories as 2 hours of land walking!

Other than water walking or swimming laps, there are so many other ways to work out in the water. Using noodles, barbells and/or a flotation belt you can enjoy a cardio routine or perform strength and flexibility, even core exercises in the deeper water.

And, how lucky are those of us who live near Chesapeake Bay, specifically Talbot County? We are surrounded by more than 600 miles of shoreline, the most of any county in the United States. Our long history has always been linked to the water and it remains our biggest draw! Whether you prefer kayaking, paddleboarding, or sailing, please use our waterways this summer.

So, get out there—in your pool or on any of the rivers and bays around us—and enjoy the water!

Happy Summer,

Susan Covey, Bayleigh Chase Fitness Director

Upper Shore Aging (USA) recently honored its volunteers from Caroline and Talbot counties at its annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner at the Easton Volunteer Fire Department. The programs honored included the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP), Senior Center volunteers, and Meals on Wheels volunteers.

Corey Pack, Vice President of the Board of Directors for USA, welcomed guests stating, “There is not an agency that I can think of that will not or cannot effectively do its job without volunteers. So the role that the volunteer plays in the agency is very, very crucial.  So, whether it be an hour of your time a week, or whether it be 50 hours of your time a month, we thank you for that because the agency could not fulfill its mission without the volunteers. What you do allows our doors to stay open, what you do allows those citizens who need services to be served, and it allows those citizens who are hungry to be fed.”

Judy Musch, Secretary of the Board of Directors for USA, reflected on the USA Board and its role, stating, “There are 12 members of the Board – four from each county. Your Board is a very active Board – one of the most active I’ve seen.”

Jennifer Neal, Director of Senior Centers for the USA, who has been at USA for 12 years, gave an overview of Upper Shore Aging’s Meals on Wheels program, volunteering, and honored Wynona “Nonie” Thomas who was Caroline’s Meals on Wheels coordinator for many years before passing away last June. She reflected, “Upper Shore Aging currently has 275 Meals on Wheels participants – 66 in Kent County, 131 in Talbot County, and 78 in Caroline County. While Kent and Talbot have an abundance of volunteers, Caroline has two regular volunteers for Meals on Wheels to deliver to 78 people.  We do have an extra three that occasionally can come in and drive for us if they’re not working. So, to say that Caroline is in dire need of delivery drivers is an understatement.”

“Over the time I watched Nonie take route after route in Caroline County – some days using her rollator. Regardless of how hard it was for her to get around, she told me. ‘I still need to make sure these meals get out – help or no help.’ In the summers and when school was out, her granddaughters helped pack and deliver meals.”

Jennifer shared that since Nonie passed away, she has delivered meals weekly and has also gotten her family involved and her children deliver meals.  She added, “I want to leave you with this – even if you can’t volunteer yourself, get your family involved, get your neighbors involved, get your local businesses involved. To feed our most vulnerable population is something you’ll never forget.”

Childlene Brooks, Manager of the Talbot County Senior Center at Brookletts, shared, “I just want to say thank you to all of our volunteers. From April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, we had 45 volunteers who reported 4570 hours to our Meals on Wheels program. There were 23 additional volunteers who gave 1675 hours to other aspects of the senior centers. This does not include the volunteers from St. Mark’s United Methodist Church Fishes and Loaves Program who help us with our food pantry every Friday.”

Andy Hollis, Upper Shore Aging’s Executive Director, commented, “Your willingness to share your time and your talents speaks volumes about each of you in terms of giving of yourself to your fellow human beings, to your community,  and to each one of us. Every one of you has some other choice that you can make about volunteering, but thank goodness you choose to help out Upper Shore Aging.”

Hollis reported that for Talbot County alone, the volunteer hours would have cost the USA over $75,000 in wages. When he added in all of the contributions from Caroline County, that number was over $100,000.

“We would not have the program if you all were not helping us. So, from the bottom of my heart again, and from those on the board, we thank you very, very much,” he added.

Sandra Owen, Project Director for the Caroline County Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) shared that in addition to the Meals on Wheels volunteers in Caroline County, seniors volunteer for His Hope Ministries – the local homeless shelter; at the Samaritan House – a thrift shop and food pantry in Denton; and at Positive Strides – a therapeutic equestrian riding center in Preston.

Meals on Wheels Volunteer Ron Kornas, a retired contractor, of Easton, has been volunteering three days a week packaging meals and delivering them throughout Talbot County for the last five years. He has met new volunteer Kenneth Fisher, a retired FedEx driver, who also delivers meals two days a week and the two have become friends and like working together at Brookletts Place packaging the meals.

Kornas states, “I like helping people and talking to them, providing socialization.”

Fisher adds, “I like meeting new people through volunteering.

St. Marks’ Fishes and Loaves Volunteers John Morris and Tom Barwick said that the ministry started as St. Mark’s COVID Fund five years ago. It currently has a crew of 11 people who pack food from the Food Bank on Thursdays and they distribute 85 to 90 bags through a drive-through process at the Talbot County Senior Center on Fridays. About 35% of the bags go to seniors and the rest go to individuals and families. Participants get two meats and a full bag of groceries a week.

Morris comments, “When we started this program five years ago, we were doing 35 bags a week. Right now we’re doing 85 and 90 bags a week and for Thanksgiving, we did 100 bags and for Christmas, we did 110 bags.”

Tanya Sherwood of Trappe has been volunteering at the Talbot Senior Center for three years, helping with the craft activity every month, assisting at the desk, and helping with the dining room set-up. She stated, “I get to meet people from all walks of life. It also gives me a place to be social. I love older people and guess I am an ‘old soul’.”

“It’s good to help other people – someday I might need someone to help me,” shared Bessie Faulkner of Marydel.

Another volunteer from Caroline County, Doretha Cook Greensboro, added, “It makes  (me) feel good that I am doing something for others.”

“It makes me happy to volunteer – it’s fun and it makes me feel good helping others,” shared Veronica Hendrix of Seaford, Delaware.

Upper Shore Aging is looking for volunteers in Caroline, Kent, and Talbot counties. For further information, visit uppershoreaging.org/volunteer or call (410) 778-6000.

Upper Shore Aging, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that is the designated Area Agency on Aging for Talbot, Caroline, and Kent counties, Maryland, serving a potential market of nearly 31,000 persons over the age of sixty years. Our organization develops and manages a coordinated program of services that work together to help elders to remain, and live well, in the community as long as possible. Upper Shore Aging, Inc. works closely with the Maryland Department of Aging to serve the needs of its clients.