Building Connections and Care at Council on Aging Martin County

Dear Friends,

Our home at the Kane Center is always buzzing with activity. Our Memory Enhancement Center and Adult Day Club have become so popular, in fact, that we’re expanding them to serve our community better.

In this edition of our Connections newsletter, we give the project details and a quick guide to how the Council on Aging Martin County can help the people you love as they cope with dementia.

Don’t miss out on all of the fun events coming up, including our always-fabulous Poinsettia Power Luncheon.

Gratefully,

Karen Ripper, President and CEO

The current expansion project at the Council on Aging Martin County focuses on two key additions: a larger and more welcoming Memory Enhancement Center, and a more private and secure Adult Day Club.

“Both of these programs are growing,” said CEO Karen Ripper. “We’ve used our creativity to reimagine the existing footprint of the Kane Center. The project will enable us to add 830 square feet of program space to meet the needs of our community and to provide a better experience for our clients.”

The Memory Enhancement Center will have its own entrance, similar to a hotel lobby. Spaces where clients work with staff to increase their memory functions will be open, airy, and attractive. Clients will feel like guests as they enter the building.

The Adult Day Club will also grow in space, security, and privacy. A separate entrance will open into the activity areas. The entire space will be refreshed and designed to appeal to the special needs of Day Club clients.

Construction will run through mid-October. During that time, both programs will continue to operate at the Kane Center. All construction will take place after hours and on weekends.

Generous donors have contributed to the Council on Aging Martin County to make the project possible: Nancy Angsten, Mr. and Mrs. George Barngrover, and the Wong Family Foundation. Their care and concern for our seniors will make a substantial difference in the lives of every client and family member who need the services of the Memory Enhancement Center or the Adult Day Club.

In a recent column in the local online newspaper Friends & Neighbors, CEO Karen Ripper helped educate the community about the resources available through COA for individuals coping with dementia and their caregivers on what can be a long and difficult journey.

The Adult Day Club

The Adult Day Club is the ideal setting for seniors with mild or moderate dementia or mobility issues. It offers our clients meaningful social activities with peers, specialized therapies, memory care, brain fitness and enhanced care to meet all levels of need and interest.

The GUIDE Program

When loved ones are coping with dementia, they and their caregivers need guidance and support. The GUIDE (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience) program is a FREE Medicare program that offers comprehensive, coordinated dementia care to improve the patient’s quality of life along with caregiver respite.

Martin County HUGS

It takes a community to create an environment where individuals living with dementia and their caregivers are treated with respect and dignity. Martin County HUGS (Help, Understanding, Guidance and Safety) provides opportunities, education and awareness to make Martin County a dementia-friendly community.

Caregiver Resources

Caregivers face many unexpected challenges and need to make a lot of decisions. Our Care Navigators provide guidance and counseling to help lead to the best choices. Caregiver support groups give caregivers an opportunity to share tips, resources, and experiences.

To learn more about these programs, go to our website www.coamartin.org.

Please reach out to us if someone you love is experiencing signs of dementia. Call us at 772-283-7800. We are Your Hub for Senior Resources and ready to help.  

Florida residents know to prepare for hurricanes—but what if an evacuation order comes too?

The new Hurricane Emergency Jump Kits provide essential supplies for evacuations during hurricanes, storms, or other disasters.

Each kit includes:

• Waterproof sealed container
• AM/FM weather radio with crank charger & USB ports
• 2 blankets, 2 pillows, and sheets
• 72 hours of food – Meals Ready to Eat ((MREs)
• 3 hygiene kits
• LED flashlight
• Local street map (for Martin or another county)
• Sealed container for valuables and important documents

Each kit is valued at $500. We’re raising funds to provide them to clients who can’t afford the cost. The program launched at our End of Summer BBQ & Bingo Blast on August 28.

Interested? Call 772-283-7800.

Ladies and gentlemen, mark your calendars! Our fabulously successful annual Poinsettia Power event is scheduled for December 2 at Hutchinson Shores Resort. Tickets sell out fast, so be prepared!

Our Poinsettia Power Committee has been hard at work to make this year’s 20th Anniversary event even more of a holiday treat. Thanks to Donna Haines, Francesca Morgan, Marney McKee, Joanna Mangan, Devon Senical, Jill Ball, and Melinda Galley for their energy and creativity. 

How can you be sure to secure a great table and have the most fun? How about making it a neighborhood event? Be an ambassador from your local neighborhood or gated community and build a table of 8 or 10 fun folks who are eager to get into the holiday spirit.

Poinsettia Power is not just an incredible lunch, amazing shopping, and a stunning fashion show. It’s also a fundraiser for Meals on Wheels, bringing a hot meal and a warm smile to some of our most vulnerable seniors.

A Table of 8, at $1200, covers the cost of 20 meals. A Table of 10, at $1500, covers 25 meals. And you’ll have a great time while doing good.

Sponsorships are still available. Contact Amber Ducote 772.284.3007 or Michele Leigh Jacobs 772.223.7803

Start planning now. December 2 is just around the corner!

Donna Haines, Poinsettia Power Committee Member,
Takes Us to the Heart of Event

“No senior should be hungry.” This strong statement of principle brings Donna Haines back year after year as an active committee member of the Poinsettia Power Luncheon to benefit the Meals on Wheels program.

As Donna describes Meals on Wheels, it’s not just about the hot food delivered daily, although healthy nutrition for vulnerable seniors is essential. It’s also about the human touch. “This might be the only visit a senior gets in a day,” Donna said. “It brings a smile and also a quick check on the senior’s wellbeing. If things aren’t going well, here is a chance for Council on Aging care navigators to step in and bring needed resources.”

This year’s Poinsettia Power Luncheon promises to be the best ever, although Donna admits it will be hard to beat last year. The event raised $140,000 for Meals on Wheels. “People are so generous when we ask them for auction items or offer them a chance to set up a booth for their wares,” Donna said. “So many of them tell us a personal story about how the Council on Aging helped them or their parents or a neighbor.”

Every member of the Poinsettia Power Luncheon committee brings a unique talent and a huge supply of positive energy. Take Donna’s word for it: the 2025 luncheon is going to be amazing! Gather your friends and start planning now to get your tickets early. 

Seniors in the Memory Care program had a wonderful time assembling 45 backpacks for the children served by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County. With lots of colorful materials on the tables, they chose each item with love and perhaps a few memories of their own first days at school.

Lela Abbate of the Boys & Girls Clubs expressed her gratitude to Council on Aging Martin County and the Memory Care participants. “What a perfect way to make a connection between seniors and our young people!”

Thank you to Teresa Martinez and Amy Garrison from Brain Matters Research for their sponsoring donation of $250, and to Nancy Ginden our Memory Café Coordinator.

Kindness and generosity are alive and well among the clients, families and staff of the Council on Aging Martin County.

Just this month we learned of two shining examples of people caught caring.

🌟 A Meals on Wheels client passed away with a credit still on his account. His family graciously donated that account, more than $900, to the Meals on Wheels program in his name.

🌟 Another example from the Meals on Wheels program: our driver Julio Norueras was delivering meals as usual but found himself faced with an unusual situation. An oxygen delivery driver was demanding immediate payment from one of our clients, who had just been released from the hospital and was feeling unable to respond on the spot. Julio reached into his own pocket for the payment and resolved the immediate problem for a very grateful client. 

The generous contributions you make to the Council on Aging Martin County directly support our Mission. When you make a gift to benefit our programs, you help seniors reduce loneliness, anxiety and depression. By supporting our work you help build a sense of purpose and social connection for our community's seniors.

You can make a gift today or plan for the future. Please contact Michele Leigh Jacobs, Chief Philanthropic Officer, to discuss opportunities that best suit you, your philanthropic priorities and your passion for our senior community.

Email: mjacobs@coamartin.org
Direct: 772.223.7803
Secured Online Giving: www.coamartin.org

About the Council on Aging Martin County

For seniors, their families, and caregivers, the Council on Aging Martin County is their trusted and comprehensive hub for the resources they need for a safer, healthier, and happier life. 

From services like the Adult Day Club and Day Primary Care Center to exercise classes, games to improve memory, concerts and social events, the Kane Center on Salerno Road is a beehive of activities. Services also take to the road – like Meals on Wheels, providing a hot meal and a warm smile to more than 500 homebound and needy Martin County senior residents in their home each day, or Senior Dining Centers at locations throughout the county in East Stuart, Jensen Beach, Indiantown and Hobe Sound, offering a healthy lunch and socialization through exceptional programming. The Elder Care Mobile Outreach Bus, the newest member of our family of care management services, brings knowledgeable and compassionate staff directly to seniors in local neighborhoods. 

For 51 years, the Council on Aging Martin County has been working tirelessly to inspire a community that embraces, uplifts and encourages seniors to maintain lives of quality and purpose. 

We invite you to visit us in person, explore our website at www.coamartin.org, or connect with us on social media to learn more about the wide range of services offered by the Council on Aging Martin County. Our staff and volunteers are ready and eager to help.