Improving the quality of life of senior residents in Montgomery County, identifying services available to them and how to obtain emergency housing for those in crisis situations are the themes of the latest episode of the “What’s Happening MoCo” podcast. The podcast highlights people and programs important to the residents of Montgomery County.
Podcast guests Sydney Palinkas, the community outreach and education manager for the ElderSafe Center Program, and Maria Brianconn, president of the Poolesville Senior Center, share advice that will empower seniors in Poolesville and throughout the County to overcome the challenges many face such as elder abuse, financial scams and isolation.
The new episode will be available after 3 p.m. today, Thursday, April 1. The on-demand video of the newest episode can be viewed via the What’s Happening MoCo Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WhatsHappeningMoCoPodcast. The podcast also can be heard via several popular podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts at https://bit.ly/whats-happening-moco, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio and others.
In this podcast, Ms. Palinkas talked about how seniors, and caregivers, can get help and advice from the Elder Safe Program. It provides assistance through a free hot line and can help arrange for emergency housing for qualifying seniors. The Elder Safe Program seeks to help seniors in crisis. The Poolesville Senior Center works to ensure that UpCounty seniors feel connected.
Ms. Brianconn asserts that quality of life is an important part of senior living. The Poolesville Senior Center, like other senior centers throughout the County, faced a great challenge to help UpCounty seniors stay active during the COVID-19 health crisis over the past year. However, with tools such as Zoom and events such as pop-up walks, Brianconn said the senior center has found creative ways to continue.
Throughout the podcast, Ms. Brianconn and Ms. Palinkas provide valuable tips that can be of immediate benefit to senior residents and their families.
More information about the ElderSafe Center Program can be found at https://www.smithlifecommunities.org/care-services/eldersafe-care/. More information about the Poolesville Senior Center can be found at https://poolesvilleseniors.org/.
In past episodes, podcast host Derrick Kenny has talked with guests on a wide variety of subjects. The show’s guests have included elected officials, Montgomery employees who specialize in specific aspects of government, business leaders and entertainers who live in the County. New podcasts are released twice a month.
Residents and others interested in asking a question or suggesting a topic to be addressed in a future episode are encouraged to engage via the Facebook page or via e-mail at derrick.kenny@montgomerycountymd.gov.
What’s Happening MoCo podcast episode archives can be accessed by visiting the podcast’s webpage at https://montgomerycountymd.gov/CCM/whats-happening-moco-podcast.html.
