Hospice volunteers are an important part of a team of caring individuals providing support for patients and families. Hospice is a program of care and support for individuals at the end of life and their families. Our focus is on helping our patients have the best quality of life possible in the time that they have left. Hospice care is not just for cancer patients and not just for someone’s very last days, but is available for anyone with any type of life-limiting illness within the last six months of their life.
CT VNA’s Hospice is a not-for-profit, Medicare approved, JCAHO-certified hospice program providing care throughout CT since 1999. CT VNA’s interdisciplinary teams offer a wide range of services for patients and their families, including a complementary services program specifically focused on activities that provide comfort and enhance quality of life.
Our volunteers contribute to quality of life by providing companionship and socialization, respite for weary caregivers, a helping hand with chores or errands, or simply holding a hand and being a good listener. Specialized volunteers provide gifts of music or art, or visit with their trained and certified pet. Volunteers visit patients within their own community on a schedule that is flexible and determined by the patient/family and volunteer.
Free hospice volunteer training is provided and gives a solid base of information to prepare you for working with hospice patients and their families. The training covers what hospice is, clinical information about death and dying, communication skills, spiritual care, grief and bereavement, and the role of the volunteer. Classes are offered several times a year and are usually held at 12 Case Street in Norwich. Our September class will be offered at Gladeview Health Care in Old Saybrook.
Volunteer opportunities are also available for administrative support, for special projects such as planting flowers or plants to brighten a patient’s room, or to visit with our homecare patients.
Our volunteers will tell you what a remarkably positive experience it is to share time with our patients and their families. For information about how you can become a CT VNA volunteer, please call 860.859.4133, or visit our website, www.masonicare.org. For information regarding hospice care or to make a referral, please call and ask to speak with a hospice nurse.
Just minutes away from the heart of Mystic, the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center offers something for everyone. We are a combination wildlife sanctuary, natural history museum, and educational facility set in a 300-acre nature preserve. Visitors can experience the diverse woodland, wetland and meadow habitats and native wildlife of southern New England through a combination of interactive displays, live animal exhibits, or by hiking or walking our more than 10 miles of trails.
View live snakes, turtles and a variety of frogs in our indoor exhibits. Learn what happens outside after the sun sets in our “Night in the Meadow” theatre. Investigate life under a log, or learn to identify bird flight patterns and migration paths. Touch and feel items from our bog display — our newest exhibit which depicts the changes that take place as a pond transforms to a bog and eventually a forested swamp.
Step outside and visit our resident birds of prey in outdoor flight enclosures before exploring the trails that criss-cross brooks, forests, meadows, ponds and rocky outcrops. Whether you’re interested in birding, plant identification, plant life, hiking, or nature photography, you’ll find a way to enjoy our 300-acre preserve. You can search for bluebirds in the meadow, painted turtles or bullfrogs in the pond, admire our summer wildflower garden or simply enjoy a peaceful walk in the woods all four seasons of the year.
Looking to learn more about the world around you? DPNC offers a variety of year-round environmental education programs for all ages. Our programs offer unique opportunities to learn about ecology with the guidance of our professional education staff. From discovery, after-school classes and summer camps for children, guided hikes and workshops for families, and kayak, wildflower, and hawk watching trips for adults, DPNC provides class participants with an expanded appreciation for the natural world that leads to responsible stewardship.
The Nature Center’s facilities include an outdoor treehouse and picnic area that may be used in warmer weather. We also stock a selection of unique educational nature items and hard-to-find field guides at the Nature Center Store.
The Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center was founded in 1946 by the Dension Society. We are open year-round, Monday thru Saturday from 9a.m. to 5p.m., and Sunday from 10a.m. to 4p.m.. We are located at 109 Pequotsepos Rd. in Mystic. For more information, please visit www.dpnc.org or call 860. 536.1216.
Sincerely, Jennifer Johnson
Director of Marketing & Communications
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center
Rain or Shine - You’ll Have A Good Time at The Dinosaur Place!
Okay, the weather this summer has been, well, New England weather, to say the least! Some days have been stormy, but many have turned out to be A-OK, so come on out with your family this summer, and enjoy some quality time together regardless of the forecast!
Outdoor Adventure at the Dinosaur Place is an attraction on its own. The life size dinosaurs are always entertaining, New England’s largest aquatic playground called Monty’s SPLASHPAD® is guaranteed fun in the summer heat and the playscape speaks for itself. But did you know that The Dinosaur Place offers a day full of fun indoors even if the weather outside isn’t great?
Once you walk into Nature’s Art, your eyes will widen with excitement at the unique items located in the gift shop. Shop around within the jewelry and gift section before you check out the toys and of course, dinosaur related merchandise. Browse in the Fossil and Mineral Gallery, surrounded by life-sized prehistoric skeletons and breathtaking crystals from the four corners of the globe. Check out the Cobalt Café and grab lunch or a coffee during your visit.
Downstairs is the indoor Activity Center. There, children and adults of any age will have a blast with a plethora of educational fun! Children and adults love to dig for gems in Jackpot Mine or Pan for Gold in Thunder Creek, keeping all the treasures that they find as a souvenir of a great day! Take an adventure in paleontology and unearth a dinosaur skeleton in our Bone Zone, receiving a collection of genuine fossils to take home! Create something memorable while participating in the Arts and Crafts Station that offers Sand, Candle and Spin Art. How about being the first to see what’s inside an ancient volcanic gas bubble that is more than millions of years old? In the Activity Center these gas bubbles, otherwise known as geodes, are available for sale, cutting included. The amazement is unleashed after you pick the lucky bubble, cut it open and be the first to see what’s inside.
If you can’t make it for the entire day, consider taking advantage of the August special, Monty’s Strike it Rich Deal. Offered after 3pm, the child package includes a ticket to Pan for Gold, admission to Outdoor Adventure including the SPLASHPAD®, and a gift card for $4.50, all for only $20, it’s a value of $30! Parents receive discounted outdoor admission of $14, a value of $18. So, don’t let those long afternoons of summer drag, visit The Dinosaur Place and “Strike it Rich” after 3pm!
For even more fantastic family fun, be sure to check out nearby attractions in the Mystic Country region of CT. Spend the day at New England’s finest beach and boardwalk, Ocean Beach Park in New London, or enjoy a trip through history on the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat ride in Essex, … the possibilities are endless- visit www.mysticcountry.com for ideas!
The Dinosaur Place is located at 1650 Hartford-New London Tpke., Oakdale. Call 860.443.4367 or visit our website for hours, admission prices and special events: www.thedinosaurplace.com . See you soon!
Join us at the Senior Center and you will find everything under the sun for those 55 and older. There is a wide selection of classes and programs to choose from. Our monthly LIFELINES newsletter lists the many programs and services available. We offer programs from Fitness and Cards to Computers and Wii bowling. Here is a quick summary of what you can expect in the next few months:
August: The Dick Campo Big Band will entertain on Friday, August 8 at the Groton Municipal Building. Open to all ages. Registration for fall classes will begin in the mid-month. The Senior Club Luau will be on August 12. Baby Boomers A to Z will present “H is for Housing”. Or join us for Waterfires in Providence, RI.
September: Attorney General Richard Blumenthal will be speaking on Identity Theft at the Groton Inn & Suites as our “I” in the Baby Boomer A to Z program. All are welcome. Try a trip to the Putney Inn and see the Friesians of Majesty (Vermont’s answer to the Lipizzaner Stallions)
October: Start your month out with a free day in New York City on Oct. 4 or join us for a trip to see the races at Suffolk Downs on Oct.8. Baby Boomer A to Z will be “Jobs: Redefining Retirement”.
November: Look for our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon on Nov. 18. Don’t want to go all the way to NYC to see the Macy’s parade? Take a trip to see the giant balloons before they head to the parade on Nov. 23. Baby Boomer A to Z will be “Keys to Safe Driving”.
December: Bring your family to the Santa Breakfast sponsored by the Senior Club. Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be making an appearance for pictures with the kids. Join us for the US Coast Guard Band’s annual concert in New London. Senior Club holiday luncheon at the Groton Inn & Suites. Baby Boomer A to Z will be “Leisure”.
There are so many more exciting things happening under the sun. They include Computer classes (just drop in), trips to the Rose Parade, Alaska, Savana/Charleston, and the Imperial Cities of Prague, Vienna and Budapest. We also provide transportation to medical appointments, shopping, the bank and the center if you don’t drive. We’re here to serve you. Come check us out! For more information, call 860.441.6785.
There’s a World of Possibilities at the Groton Senior Center!
In today’s economy, more and more people are opting for staycations - visiting local attractions and rediscovering the wonders of their own backyard, in an effort to save money. This is a great time to experience some of our favorite, affordable, summer spots and annual events.
Many of the top summer attractions are under $10 a person, including Fort Trumbull State Park and Ocean Beach Park in New London, the Children’s Museum of SECT in Niantic, Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center in Mystic, Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich and the Old Lighthouse Museum and Capt. Nathaniel Palmer House in Stonington. For an action packed family outing, catch a game with the CT Defenders or CT Sun, both offer ticket prices starting under 10 bucks!
And, what can be better than fun for free? In Mystic Country you can visit the Historic Ship Nautilus, Fort Griswold State Park and Bluff Point State Park & Coastal Reserve in Groton and the Custom House Maritime Museum in New London, for free. Listen to great live music all summer long at free concert series in Norwich, Colchester, Olde Mistick Village and Esker Point Beach. Or, take a step back in time with Ocean Beach Park’s weekly Cruise Nights, classic car show, which is always free to the public.
Mystic Seaport, Mystic Aquarium and Olde Mistick Village recently launched the Mystic Pass Card, which gives discounted admission to both attractions, significant discounts on hotels, restaurants and shopping, a free T-shirt and a free fountain drink at each attraction. The pass card is $49 per adult and is over $250 in value.
The summer season is jam packed with great events. Here are some of the annual favorites:
Hospice volunteers are an important part of a team of caring individuals providing support for patients and families. Hospice is a program of care and support for individuals at the end of life and their families. Our focus is on helping our patients have the best quality of life possible in the time that they have left. Hospice care is not just for cancer patients and not just for someone’s very last days, but is available for anyone with any type of life-limiting illness within the last six months of their life.
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