Commission on Aging members learned about the importance of neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to change structurally and functionally, through a live demonstration during their meeting on Monday, April 21.

Ageless Grace Trainer and Educator Audra Mace led everyone in a seated routine, with commissioners performing physical movements designed to stimulate the brain.

Mace first had COA members and meeting atttendees imagine they were on a boat and swimming in deep water. Later she had them imaging they were professional basketball players to develop their strategic planning, analytical thinking, creativity, and more.

“It’s a participatory demonstration because if you’re just watching me, you’ll be mildly entertained. But if you’re participating, you can feel the buzz going on in your brain and recognize when you are developing your neural pathways,” Mace explained during the meeting.

While Mace has been a Bethel resident for over 25 years, she has also been teaching an adult education program at Newtown Senior Center, and has previously taught at other places around town.

She wanted to introduce everyone to Ageless Grace Brain Health Fitness, a brain-body-based program designed to stimulate neuroplasticity and keep people moving. Routines are performed in a chair and set to music, with participants performing movements that develop and improve bilateral integration skills, eye-hand coordination, sensory processing skills, and more.

More specifically, Mace said these routines have participants practice 21 Simple Tools for lifelong comfort and ease and address factors related to physical aging. These routines have people dribble basketballs, perform backstrokes, or snap and clap along to the beat of music to have fun and encourage them to move.

The seated nature of the program also allows people with limited physical capabilities or chronic disease conditions to perform at their own level of ability.

Mace noted that people with Parkinson’s disease or other motor degenerative conditions face issues with their brainstem, which is largely where people’s motor centers are located.

Ideally, the program is designed to be performed for ten minutes a day to help stop the cognitive decline associated with aging. Mace said it also helps people with disabilities, or those with diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer’s.

“We have brain degeneration largely because of lifestyle,” Mace said. “When we stop moving, we stop playing, we stop building our brain.”

Mace had contacted Director of Human Services Natalie Griffith a week before the meeting, asking if she could give the COA a demonstration on Ageless Grace’s fitness program and talk about the importance of brain health and the lasting positive impact of neuroplasticity.

“Neuroplasticity is a buzzword today and people want to learn more about it and know what they can do on a personal level,” Mace explained. “People have this fear of cognitive decline because we see it all around us ... but there’s something we can do about it.”

Director Report

Griffith started her director’s report with an update on food, as concerns about nutrition and the senior center’s meal program were the focus of the last two COA meetings.

She said COA members have since looked at neighboring senior centers for advice and local restaurants to partner with to support their future endeavors. In the meantime, Griffith said she was alerted by their nutrition provider that there was more funding released to the Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging.

This additional funding allowed Newtown Senior Center to increase its meal service back to twice a week through the remainder of their contract year, which ends September 30.

“Just last week, we hit capacity on both serving days, so that was really exciting,” Griffith said.

She also reported Newtown resident and senior center member Peggy Posteraro, who previously raised concerns to the COA about the senior center meal program, met with Senior Center Assistant Wendy Devereaux and built the menu for April, May, and June based on feedback from other senior center members.

As for transportation updates, Griffith said they finally executed their agreement for $100,000 in ARPA transportation funds. It made it through all of the Town boards, and then had to go to the commissioner at the state level, and later the Attorney General’s office for signature.

The part-time Senior Transportation Coordinator job description has since been drafted and posted. This job was previously discussed during the March COA meeting, and will assist in designing a plan for transportation service, purchasing a smaller vehicle for individual rides, and hiring as-needed drivers. They will also gather information on transportation needs for seniors locally.

“This is step one of the program implementation, and I am beyond thrilled to finally be at this point,” Griffith said.

For more information about Ageless Grace, visit agelessgrace.com.

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Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.