2019 Viewpoints Series Begins March 4
Marcia C. DuBois to speak on “Aging Well in Virginia”
Marcia C. DuBois, Deputy Commissioner, Division for Community Living, Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), has a long title and a very important job – ensuring programs and services throughout the Commonwealth meet the needs of our aging population.
DuBois said that by 2030, one in four Virginians – more than 2 million people – will be age 60 and older. She will be the first 2019 Viewpoints Speaker in Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury’s popular series. Her talk, “Aging Well in Virginia,” begins at 11 a.m. March 4 in RWC’s Chesapeake Center Auditorium.
In addition to providing pass-through funding and oversight to the 25 Virginia Area Agencies on Aging (including Bay Aging locally), DARS provides a number of services to older adults including its Live Well, Virginia! program, a six-week workshop on living with chronic conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure or chronic pain; Virginia GrandDriver, a partnership with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, designed to keep mature drivers safe and independent on the road; a falls prevention program and more.
DuBois said the good news is that we are living longer, however, she added, how we planned for retirement 30 or 40 years ago will not meet the needs of today’s retirees.
“As Baby Boomers hit retirement age, are our systems prepared for that?” she asked rhetorically. “Do we have enough affordable, accessible housing? Have people been able to save enough for a longer retirement? As we live longer, we will need more intensive and extensive care,” she said.
The Viewpoints series features experts on a wide range of topics of current interest. These free presentations begin at 11 a.m. and are held every month March through June in the Chesapeake Center Auditorium on RWC’s campus, 132 Lancaster Dr., Irvington.
Starting on Feb. 18, you can call RWC at 438-4000 for a reservation for the March 4 event. Attendees are invited to remain after the presentations for a complimentary lunch. Reservations open for each speaker two weeks prior to the event. RWC maintains a waiting list and honors reservations in the order received. Separate reservations must be made for each speaking event in the Viewpoints series.
Here’s the line-up for the rest of the series:
April 1: M.J. Anderson, brewer, business owner of That Damn Mary Brewing Company
May 20: Bill Lohmann, author and Richmond Times-Dispatch news columnist
June 3: Tom Allen, humorist and Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist