Aging BIG at Home

Fostering Connections Among Seniors

As far as Nancy Angus is concerned, aging is nothing to fear. She has worked with seniors for more than 30 years, and learned valuable lessons about living a good life from her own mother, Sis Angus, who lived to be 102.

As a member of the “seasoned” crowd now herself, Angus was inspired to create a social program for seniors based on the principles that governed Sis’s life: hug, smile, walk, talk, help. The Age BIG program aims to connect people 60 and older through bold, inquisitive, and grateful (BIG) actions and to help people live and age in place, in their own homes. Along with providing social connection, engagement, and friendship, Angus and her team develop events, programs, and services that align with seniors’ needs, values, and interests.

“I think some people are afraid of aging, but there are things you can do to be proactive in your life and your homes to stay healthy,” she says. “The ‘bold’ in Age BIG, to me, is always lifelong learning. Instead of a bucket list, I like to think of it as a bouquet—things you’d like to try in your life, or revisit to add to your bouquet.”

Angus intended for Age BIG to be full of in-person social gatherings, but that plan was scuttled by the pandemic. Instead, she leaned on her two young and tech-savvy team members, Melissa Dafoe and Kassandra Fernandes, to set up Age BIG @ Home as a 13-week virtual session. It worked phenomenally. Over the last year and a half, participants have enjoyed everything from cooking lessons and haiku writing to discussions on bird watching and geology. The exercise component is always popular, Angus says, particularly when modeled by fellow seasoned people. They also appreciated one-on-one coaching to learn how to use their devices and navigate Zoom meetings more confidently.

“One of the biggest compliments I think we had was hearing that people were scheduling their [medical] appointments around their Age BIG sessions,” laughs Angus. “They didn’t want to miss it! We call ourselves the cosy couch community, and I think they really felt included and comfortable. That was really important to us.”

As part of their strategy to encourage aging well at home, the team also offers sessions on “Little BIG Home Hacks,” where people share tips and hacks they use in their own homes to make things a bit simpler or easier to use. They also share information on trustworthy local businesses that can help out with things like yard work, cleaning, and decluttering.

The fall session of Age BIG @ Home is underway, but there are more sessions to come. The next “Little BIG Home Hacks” presentation is free, via Zoom, on November 19 at 10 am. There will also be a presentation on “Bubble 8: Building Your Age-in-Place Team” on December 3 at 10 am.

For more details and to register, visit agebig.com or call 627-3564. All are welcome.