Baltimore County, MD Time of Your LIfe, 1 Mar 2022

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From YouTube: The Eating Together Program: Celebrating 50 Years!

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Divya Selvakumar, PhD, RD, Manager, Nutrition Office,
Baltimore County Department of Aging

Hosted by Ethel Rasmussen, MA, Manager, Office of Communications,
Baltimore County Department of Aging

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Welcome to the time of your life with the baltimore county department of aging.

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I'm your host, ethel rasmussen. as always,. The time of your life is about sharing resources for living. Your best life.

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And dedicated to keeping you well-informed about the programs and services.

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That are exclusively designed for you..

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You can also connect with bcda through the agencies,.

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Multimedia platforms that include our website,.

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Facebook,, the time of your life, digest,, flickr, and map., as well as abundance of printed resources.

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connections to bcda, will keep you in the know..

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Please take advantage of the many options we offer.

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Today's show connects you with three wonderful programs offered by bcda,.

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Along with two special events that will immediately place you on your calendar.

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Vishnu desai digital inclusion coordinator for the baltimore county department of aging is on the show to share information about the digital divide, as well as special technology programs and classes to support your device use and skills.

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This is a wonderful segment to learn about the many options that are available.

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Our show continues with information about bcda's volunteer, program,.

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Including an exciting special event, called, sounds for a brighter tomorrow, concert to honor both county and city volunteers.

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Alison vogrin,, the director of the retired seniors in volunteer program,.

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Also known as rsvp, at the baltimore county department of aging, will share information about rsvp and our special event. Concert.

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To start today's show,, we are pleased to welcome dr. divya selvakumar,.

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Manager of the nutrition office at the baltimore county department of aging.

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We know you'll enjoy hearing about the benefits of the eating together, program,.

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Including news about a special celebratory event.

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Divya, welcome to the show.. Thank you so much., it's a pleasure to be here.. Let's start by talking about the eating together program.

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At baltimore county department of aging., can you share information about the origin of the program and how it is subsidized?.

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The eating together program has been around for almost 50 years.

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Next month is going to mark the 50th anniversary since 1972.

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It is a program that was created and it's supported currently by the older americans act.

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For the purpose of providing nutritious, wholesome and healthy meal,.

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To seniors from 60 years and older., it had been doing in serving the baltimore county for now,.

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For the 50th anniversary,, which we plan to have a really wonderful celebration coming up sooner or later, next month.

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What does the eating together program provide, and why is the program so important?.

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One of the main reason is that, as people get older,.

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Nutrition is something that we have to really all think about in our life.

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Many of our major diseases that causes diseases obesity,.

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Diabetes, hypertension, and now the covid pandemic,.

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Which has been ongoing for nearly two years? Now,.

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Basically pretty much depends on the nutritional health of the individual.

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Of a person, if they want to really recover and even with covid,.

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Despite all of the problem that it has created all around the world,.

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They have vaccination, and people have recovered.

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But the rate of recover is from eating well,.

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Taking care of yourself, sleeping properly, as well as doing physical exercise and client, to have a positive outlook in life.

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With a purpose of keeping your life stress free as possible.

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For that reason,, the eating together, program,.

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Provide nutritious meal as a way to save money on a shopping and cooking,.

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And taking a break from preparing meal, in addition to that,.

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It also gives an opportunity for seniors to enjoy delicious meal with other people.

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Hence the whole program is called eating. Together.

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Covid has changed the lives of everyone.

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Can you share why the pandemic has had a severe impact on older adults and their nutrition?, despite the fact that many older adult may have retired or whatnot.

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In the beginning and early days of the pandemic,.

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The disease basically targeted individuals who were much older and who are not in good health..

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Many of these individuals as seniors,.

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Especially upon hearing about covid,.

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Many of the facilities started to close down and they were not able to do their daily activity, and almost a sense of hopelessness had spread all across the country,.

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As well as throughout the world., because of that, there's got to be an isolation.

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They started to limit their interactions with their friends and their family.

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It's also increased the problems with.

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That they may have previously had been depressed or anxious,.

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Struggling with other mental illnesses,, it exacerbated the situation, which is very unfortunate.

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While the vaccinations have come about, and it has helped significantly slowed, the deaths of people.

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Who have been suffering from covid still we're not out of the worst.

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It is also more important that seniors.

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Particularly, they have to take care of themselves because aids deaths,.

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As a person gets older,, the person becomes more vulnerable to illnesses.

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They have to be more watchful with their diet..

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They have to also be careful a lot of certain things.

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Food is something and having that coming together,.

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And eating meals, as well as interacting with their friends.

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And their families and doing activities, etc.

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is very important and very critical.

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Dr. divya,, there is a social component to the program..

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Can you talk about this important element?, as I mentioned,.

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Eating together is for allowing for people.

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To come together as a whole to sit and have a meal.

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One of the most wonderful thing is that, instead of eating alone,.

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People when they eat with another,, they have an opportunity to talk with each other, just on any topic and engage in small talk.

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Human beings inherently, are supposed to be social creature.

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They have the opportunity to talk to individuals.

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Language is something that we have developed over the last almost million years.

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Since human beings have come on the planet.

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The importance of social interaction basically not only elevates your physical health, but also your mental health.

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When you eat with people,, you get an opportunity to meet new individuals..

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You get an opportunity to sail on people..

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Think of the days when you go back into the time when you were in school,, you meet new kids,, you socialize with them,. You go and interact with various different people.

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Then, when you go into the university environment and throughout the world,.

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You have that opportunity to develop relationships.

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That's what eating together is about., it's also about eating nutritious foods and sharing ideas,.

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Sharing different opportunities to interact with each other in the future, etc.

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As well as participating in activities,, games, and other forms of entertainment., how would someone participate in this,? Is there a cost?.

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There is no particular cost for this program.

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If a senior is 60 years and older,.

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They have an opportunity either. if they happen to be disabled,, even though they may be under the age of 60.

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They do have an opportunity to eat at a senior center.

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Or a nutrition site throughout baltimore county.

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if they have some disability or that they're accompanied by a participant,, not necessarily having to be a relative,. They have an opportunity to eat.

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as long as they do come for a meal, and they would like to eat,.

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They need to register as long as they are able to provide all the necessary information,.

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Then they will be definitely welcome into the program with open arms.

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Wonderful., dr. divya,.

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Can you share information about the range of available locations.

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In which the eating together program is offered.

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Baltimore county constantly had 20 senior centers.

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After a little bit over a year,, they finally reopened during the summer of 2021,.

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Due to the covid pandemic, so that's a wonderful thing..

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We have also currently 14 nutrition sites.

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These meals that are provided are just regular meals, as well as casual meals,.

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For about four of our site, one senior center, as well as two nutrition sites.

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Then we also have one other site, that is the islamic society of baltimore that provides halal meal.

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Senior participant is welcomed to go to any of these sites, either a nutrition.

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Site or senior center for having a meal.

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If they want to do that,, all they have to do is to register and the information and everything can be found on our website.

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The eating together program is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

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How will bcda celebrate this wonderful program and the milestone anniversary?.

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We are planning to have a super special meal.

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That the meals have for both cultural and regular meals,.

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That it's going to be done on tuesday, march 22nd.

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We have also just in the process of doing some activities and games.

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And what we're going to be doing in terms of what's in the pantry,.

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The names of those game as well also doing anything.

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That related to nutrition education., we'll plan to have a lives during cooking demonstration.

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That's going to be taking place sometime on march 15th.

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It will be like have an opportunity where people can celebrate.

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And then also others senior centers throughout the day.

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They also have the individual events., they can check the local newsletters, and the nutrition site will also have an opportunity to eat there.

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This is going to be a milestone because, basically, one of the pinnacle of achievement with regards.

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To serving the senior population throughout the baltimore county or so.

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Even though, during the dark days of the pandemic,.

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And there had been so many like a senses of hopelessness,.

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And there had been sadness and tragedy,.

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We want to tell the public out there that baltimore county department of aging truly dealt care for our seniors.

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And disabled population- and we want them to have the time of their lives in terms of celebrating this pinnacle achievement.

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I'm certain reviewers would like to know more.

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who should they contact?? You need to go to baltimore county.

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If any of you have or the senior centers.

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And participants have access to the internet,.

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You can log on to www.baltimorecountymd.gov/eatingtogether.

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Or you can call our office here.

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bcda the area code, 410-887-3052.

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If you do not remember the name of the senior center or the nutrition site,,.

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All you have to do is google or put on bing or other search engines on the internet.

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Put the baltimore county department of aging and all the information is there.

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Again,, we are here at your service and once again,.

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Our number is 410-887-3052.

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Dr. divya,, thank you for being on today's show.

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Thank you very much,. It's a pleasure. we're going to take a short break,, but first,.

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Please consider subscribing to bcda's newspaper, the time of your life digest,, which is now in its 43rd year..

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The digest is a newspaper filled with news, the latest government happenings, columns and articles from the county, executive, county council and other baltimore county agencies.

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you'll learn about medicare services, nutrition, recipes,, health-related, subjects,, travel,.

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Senior center programs and events, volunteer opportunities, and so much more.

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subscription rates for the baltimore county resident is five dollars. Annually.

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For more information about the time of your life digest,, please visit the newspaper's website or call for 410-887-3050.

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If you are a business owner,, this is your opportunity to outreach to a target audience.

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When we return, learn about bcda's effort to help close the digital divide.