Overview
Caring Connections is a collaboration among Riderwood residents and Riderwood’s Resident Services Department (Social Workers). Originally developed by the Continuing Education Committee, it is now a stand-alone group guided by the following mission: We educate residents and empower them and their families and supporters, in advance of need, to act on and gain peace of mind about the various transitions experienced in the aging process.
Courses
Navigating As We Age: Changes and Choices
The Committee sponsors this 12-week, 30-hour course designed to inform and support resident transitions and decisions about how we want to spend the rest of our lives, select advocates for our wishes, and communicate those wishes to them. The next time the course will run is March 18 through June 17, with breaks on April 15 and May 20.
Financial Security: Money Management as We Age
The Committee developed this 9-session, 22.5-hour course to equip residents with a sense of control over their present and future financial situations, through improving the organization and management of their finances and documenting information for their supporters. The next time the course will run is January 7 to March 11, 2026.
Register online from 9 am on Tuesday, December 2 to Friday, December 5, at 5 pm. Applications will be available a day or so earlier, for viewing and filling out. [link to registration page]. They may not, however, be submitted before 9 am on December 2nd. The applications are time-stamped and earlier applicants will go to the end of the line.
How do the two courses differ?
Both courses address issues of aging and building a support team ahead of need. Navigating covers a broader range of topics on health, legal, and financial decisions with additional content such as emergencies, driving, and social engagement. Financial Security focuses more deeply on the understanding, organization, and recording of personal financial information to create peace of mind later in life.
Some content will overlap: Riderwood terms, Finance Department policies, and legal documents are presented in both courses. The repetition of these topics is usually a welcome review.
Navigating utilizes the Life Ledger, designed to facilitate the documentation of personal data and preferences in a format that makes it easy to share with members of your personal support system. Financial Security also promotes the value of the Life Ledger for all residents.
Affinity Group: Solo Agers