At Home in Scarsdale: A Dynamic Program for Scarsdale's Seniors

Attention older adults ... At Home in Scarsdale Village, sponsored by Scarsdale § Edgemont Family Counseling, is an aging in place, membership-based organization for adults over the age of 60 which promotes friendship, connection, socialization, and independence. With their own transportation van and driver, At Home in Scarsdale Village offers members support, cultural and educational programming, referral service, and transportation to and from essential errands. At Home members are afforded the comfort of a spacious van and an experienced driver in which to ride on weekly group outings which may include NYC museums, plays, as well as local Westchester events. The best part about the trips is the friendships that form while on the van. Members are able to talk to each other about their families, their hobbies, and travels. People recognize each other from trip to trip, but even better, warmly welcome new members.

During Hurricane Sandy, the Youth Outreach Team at SFCS called on many At Home members and used the van to visit members who could not be reached and help those who were stranded by the storm. One of the members recently remarked on how important that phone call was to her in the aftermath of the storm. She said she felt good about At Home and the people who are a vital part of the organization.

As most veteran members know, trips are just a small part of what At Home in Scarsdale Village does in the community. The monthly discussion group, Life, held the second Tuesday of each month, is an important opportunity for members to support each other, offer advice about anything and everything from home improvement to moving companies, and provide a safe expression of life's many challenges. The discussion is often headed by a guest speaker from the area. These talks are about everything and anything from finances, estate planning, and current events to sculpture and more. The next discussion group is scheduled for February 12 from 1-2 pm and the topic will be home safety.

"Healthy Aging in Place Book Discussion" will begin Wednesday, March 20, 2013 from 3-4 PM This will be a bi-monthly talk about a book, fiction or non-fiction, on topics of living and aging. The first book will be Scarsdalian Alex Witchel's book, All Gone. Other books discussions will include Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity by Andrew Solomon and Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo. Book discussions will take place approximately every 8 weeks in Room 303 of The Harwood Building.

For membership information and a full calendar of events, contact Susan Gilbert at (914) 723-4529 or sgilbert@sfcsinc.org.

At Home in Scarsdale Village Winter 2013 Calendar

January 30: Jacob Burns Film Center, Senior Movie Matinees, 1:00 p.m.

January 3: Metropolitan Museum of Art

February 12: Life Changes

February 14: Westchester Broadway Theater, In The Heights

February 20: Guided Tour of United Nations

February 27: Museum of Arts and Design

March 20: Healthy Aging in Place Book Discussion

April 10 or 17: Jacob Burns Film Center, Senior Movie Matinees, Jewish Film Festival