From Fall Prevention to Podcasts, JCC Focuses on Senior Programs

Over the past couple months at the JCC, some highlight senior adult programs have been organized. In September, the JCC partnered with the Allentown Health Bureau to host an 8-week fall prevention workshop following The National Council On Aging’s A Matter of Balance (MOB) curriculum. MOB is an evidence-based program that works to reframe how one views the risk of falls, transforming it from a fear to a manageable and controllable aspect of one’s life. In addition, MOB encourages participants to increase their activity levels and implement practical strategies to reduce fall risks at home. The small-group setting fostered meaningful discussion and mutual support among participants.

In October, Alzheimer’s Association Community Educator Lee Ann Kriner joined JCC community members for the second in a series of three educational lectures on Alzheimer’s and dementia. October’s talk—titled Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia—focused on breaking down how the diseases affect the brain and impact individuals and their families. Lee Ann covered demographical statistics, risk factors, the stages of disease progression, current FDA-approved treatments, and promising new avenues of research the Alzheimer’s Association is supporting. Lee Ann is a captivating presenter and fosters a warm and welcoming environment, which allowed attendees to ask numerous, thoughtful questions. The final talk in the series is the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s and will likely be presented at the JCC in early 2026.

Finally, many of you readers may recall the Hess’s Patio Podcast program hosted at the JCC at the end of July, wherein attendee’s listened to a presentation on Hess’s Department Store and were then invited to sit with the podcast’s host Kate Kareha to share their own memories of Hess’s. At the time of writing, the first episode of the JCC edition of the podcast is live with the second episode soon to be released. The episodes can be heard on the podcast’s website (hesspatiopodcast.com) as well as on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.