Megan Desrochers Leads Class on Aging in Vermont

Megan Desrochers, the Director of Care and Support South for the Council was pleased to be invited to provide a presentation for students at Northern Vermont University about older Vermonters and the issues faced with aging. Her presentation "Stress & Coping in Later Life" was part of the class "At Risk Families and Individuals" taught by Maria Coviello-Gould.

"When Maria asked me to present information to her class about older Vermonters, I was excited to engage them in a discussion about a generation beyond their own, and to help them grow in awareness. A main message was: "We are all human beings, regardless of age. At new phases of life, sometimes we have to come at life's changes a bit differently, adapt our coping strategies, and rework our supports. At any age, consider people as individuals with choices. "It was a pleasure to educate these students, as well as to learn from them. Most are seeking careers in psychology and human services, and will make a difference as generations age."

Maria Coviello-Gould was very grateful for the information provided by Megan. Her presentation focused on stress that occurs later in life, and life changes that are healthy (socialization, movement, sleep, support groups, and faith-based activities) and unhealthy (isolation, drugs and alcohol abuse, avoiding the doctor, over eating, and non exercise). She also provided resources to encourage healthy life-style choices and assistance that is available from the NEKCOA.

"Megan was incredibly informative and helped our students understand the unique challenges faced by our aging population," said Maria. "She was a wealth of information about resources, and ways to be proactive when working with older adults. Our students were engaged and invested in all the material presented, thanks in no part to Megan and her ability to interact and keep students invested in the material. She is great!"