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ACoR – March 2025 Newsletter

Marching into Spring with ACOR

Monthly Celebrations:

  • Irish American Heritage Month
  • Women’s History Month
  • Social Workers Month

Weekly Celebrations

  • 2nd week of March is Crochet week

Day Celebrations

  • Ramadan starts March 1st
  • March 3rd Caregiver Appreciation Day
  • March 10th International Day of Awesomeness
  • March 20th Earth Day + Spring Equinox

Spring Cleaning:

Spring is a great time to do some spring cleaning! It’s even in the name! Spring cleaning allows for a fresh start for both you and your loved ones. As the days grow longer and the air fills with the smells of spring, it’s the perfect time to think about what else one can do to bring a fresh start to the new season. Spring cleaning isn’t just about dusting shelves—it’s an opportunity to create a safer, more comfortable space for aging adults and their caregivers. From decluttering to prevent falls to organizing medications and important documents, small changes can make a big difference in daily life.

In this month’s newsletter, we’ll share practical tips on making spring cleaning easier, safer, and more meaningful. Whether you’re a caregiver helping a loved one or looking to simplify your own space, a little effort now can bring peace of mind all season long. Let’s embrace this time of renewal together!

Tips:

  • Decluttering: As Mario Kondo says, “see if an item sparks joy”. Spring cleaning is a great time to take inventory of what you have and reflect on the memories and experiences that can be stored within an item. If you feel inclined to, write out the stories associated with that item so that you can remember them and reflect so others can get a glimpse into the importance of an item.
  • Organizing medications: Check expiration dates on your medications! It is so easy to have an overflowing cabinet or storage container of various medications because you need certain ones for specific purposes. While you are at it also take stock of what you or your loved ones are low on and needs to be refilled soon.
  • Organize paperwork: Are there documents that need to be filed in the right place? Or old grocery lists that are clogging up counterspace? Find a system that works for you and try throughout the year to keep these important papers organized, safe and accessible.
  • Upkeep/Maintenance: Check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Make sure lightbulbs are working to ensure good lighting which can decrease the rate of safety incidents.

 

Center Events with the Aspen Club

The Center for Healthy Aging will be partnering with the Aspen Club to bring some free events for our community. All events do require registration by calling 970-495-8560. You can read more about these events on our Event’s Page.

  • Balance Screenings will be hosted at the Center in Room 1423 once a month from 9am-12pm.
    • Wednesday, February 19, 2025
    • Wednesday, March 19, 2025
    • Wednesday, April 16, 2025
    • Wednesday, May 21, 2025
  • Medications, Supplements and Lifestyle will be on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 from 2:30-3:30 pm in Room 1418 at the Center for Healthy Aging. Taught by UCHealth dietitian and health educator Deanna O’Connell and pharmacist Gina Harper, this class will teach participants how medications, supplements, and lifestyle habits affect personal health.
  • Stress Management & Mindful Self-Compassion for the Caregiver in You will be a weekly class on Friday, March 14th, 21th, and 28th from 10am-12pm in Room 1418 at the Center for Healthy Aging. This 3-part series can help those who have devoted so much of their time and energy to care for others learn stress management tools, learn self-compassion, and overcome isolation.
  • Mind Over Matter: Healthy Bowels, Healthy Bladder will be a 3-part series held in Room 1418 at the Center for Healthy Aging from 10am-12pm on Tuesday, April 22th, May 6th, and May 20th. This course is designed to give women the tools they need to take control of bladder and bowel leakage problems.
  • Health Coaches for Hypertension Control is a weekly course held on Mondays from May 19th until July 21st (skipping Memorial Day) from 10-11:30am in Center for Healthy Aging’s room 1423. These nine weekly classes will help participants with goal-setting, self-monitoring, and education on lifestyle factors to improve blood pressure. Throughout each 90-min. session, a trained facilitator will guide this small group through topics including nutrition, physical activity, healthy sleep habits, stress management, and more.

 

Celebrate Women Caregivers

  • An estimated 66% of caregivers are female. In fact, the value of the informal care that women provide ranges from $148 billion to $188 billion annually. In fact, women are more than twice as likely as men to say that they would benefit from talking to someone about their caregiving experience.
  • Free ideas for how to show your appreciation:
    • Tell them!
    • Write a thank you card!
    • Engage in one of their favorite activities with them
    • Encourage them to engage in a self-care act of their choice (if you’re feeling up to it, do it with them!)

Women Of Fort Collins:

To celebrate Women’s History Month this section will highlight some of the wonderful women who have had the privilege of calling Fort Collins their home! Click on their name to open a short video about them from Fort Collins Museum of Discovery.

  • Hattie McDaniel lived in Fort Collins from 1901-1903. She was the first African American woman to win an Academy Award.
  • Isabelle Knopf was born and raised in Fort Collins. She had an amazing career from working at Heart Mountain Japanese Internment Camp to working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  • Polly Brinkhoff was a long-term resident off of Poudre Canyon. She was an artist who used many mediums from painting an ice saw blade to a piano!
  • Elizabeth Case – Fort Collins volunteer extraordinaire and major contributor to Fort Collins history.
  • Virginia Corbett – a passionate advocate for college women for over 30 years.
  • Elizabeth “Libbie” Coy Lawrence – the first woman to graduate from a higher education institute in Colorado.
  • Sarah Ellis Eddy – a teacher, bookstore owner, and much more.
  • Betty Herrmann – who left a legacy at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery through her work and donations.
  • Carmen Johnson – a noted Larimer County Home Demonstration agent for the Extension Service.
  • Elfreda Stebbins – the city’s first librarian.
  • And More (Click here!)