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Speaker: Marvin Kalb In the early 1960‘s, the most dangerous years of the Cold War, Marvin Kalb brought the curiosity and excitement of a young American journalist to Moscow, where he kept a record of his daily CBS broadcasts on the building confrontation between Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and American President John F. Kennedy. A Different Russia: Khrushchev and Kennedy on a Collision Course is an unusual memoir, professional but also personal. It relies on Kalb‘s daily broadcasts from Moscow, travels through the communist world, including Mongolia, and reporting on the Soviet leadership, especially Nikita Khrushchev, who often referred to Kalb as "Peter the Great," a story unto itself. It focuses on the darkest moments of the Cold War, when Khrushchev confronted President John F. Kennedy at the Vienna summit in June 1961, the building of the Berlin Wall, the break-up of the Sino-Soviet alliance, and the Cuban missile crisis, which brought the world to the edge of a nuclear war. The book, set for publication on January 15, 2025, has been widely praised by many leading experts, scholars and journalists. TV anchor Ted Koppel described the book as "high drama, nuclear brinksmanship…the pulse-pounding stories of the 1960’s." And scholar William Taubman, who wrote the classic study of Khrushchev, said, "this wonderful memoir combines insightful recollections of Khrushchev’s harrowing clashes with Kennedy over Berlin and Cuba." Marvin Kalb has been a reporter, teacher and author for more than 70 years. He is the Edward R. Murrow Professor Emeritus at Harvard, where he was also the Founding Director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy. Kalb has also been a visiting professor at Georgetown University and The George Washington University. Host Village: Northwest Neighbors Village Limited to 100. Registration is required by Jan 7, 2025 Zoom link will be sent to registrants after registration.

Stroke Smart is a public health initiative to reduce pre-hospital delays and increase timely stroke treatment through simple education and actions. Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke. Effective treatments exist that can leave stroke patients without deficits, but too often, people fail to recognize the signs and symptoms in time to benefit from these interventions. The Stroke Smart Program will teach individuals how to: Spot a Stroke. Stop a Stroke. Save a Life.

In the darkest days of the Cold War, in the early 1960‘s, Marvin Kalb, a young and dynamic American reporter, found himself in Moscow covering a slippery confrontation between Nikita Khrushchev and John F. Kennedy. A succession of near collisions brought the world to the brink of a nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis. Khrushchev thought he had Kennedy‘s number; that proved to be a dangerous miscalculation. Until Kennedy was assassinated, and Khrushchev kicked out of power, both super-powers warily sought to avoid direct conflict, trying to reach an accommodation of interests, if possible. Under Putin, the U.S. faces a totally different Russia, one that‘s angrily turned its back on the West. Kalb has written an unusual memoir, deeply personal and yet highly professional, exploring a profoundly important question: can Russia and America coexist peacefully, or are they doomed to slide into mortal confrontation. Marvin Kalb is a prolific international correspondent with a long history in broadcast news, including the popular Kalb Report, and the author of 17 books on Russia, the media, and foreign policy. The recipient of numerous journalism awards, Kalb served for many years as chief diplomatic correspondent and host of "Meet the Press" on NBC. Founder of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University‘s Kennedy School, Kalb is an expert on media ethics and responsibility. His latest publication is "Assignment Russia: Becoming a Foreign Correspondent in the Crucible of the Cold War.” This is a Zoom event.

Please plan to join us for the first WAVE Plenary Meeting of 2025 via Zoom! New members of the WAVE Board of Directors will be elected, along with a new Board President as Mary Jo Deering completes her term in office. In addition, the winner(s) of the 2025 Finishing Strong Award will be announced.

Many of us want to share what we’ve learned and what we hold dear with future generations. An ethical will (or legacy letter) allows us to pass on our values, stories, and life lessons to our loved ones. It’s a way to express our love and gratitude to those who will carry on after us. Chris Palmer, author of the new book Achieving a Good Death: A Practical Guide to the End of Life and a board member of the Bethesda Metro Area Village, will lead a workshop on writing an ethical will. This process is deeply rewarding, allowing you to preserve your memory and legacy. Your loved ones will find inspiration, comfort, and guidance in these documents, gaining a deeper understanding of who you are. Ethical wills are cherished ways to pass on your hopes and the personal insights you want future generations to know. By the end of the workshop, you’ll have made significant progress toward completing the first draft of your ethical will. Bio: Chris Palmer is an end-of-life activist and a trained hospice volunteer. He frequently gives pro bono presentations and workshops to community groups on aging, death, and dying issues. He founded and leads an aging, death, and dying group for the Bethesda Metro Area Village, and serves on the board of several nonprofits focused on end-of-life issues, including Montgomery Hospice and Prince George’s Hospice, Final Exit Network, and the Funeral Consumers Alliance. This event is co-sponsored by At Home in Alexandria, Arlington Neighborhood Village, and Mount Vernon at Home. Please register for this Zoom event to the AHA office: AHA@AtHomeInAlexandria.org or 703-231-0824.

Continuing Care at Home: A New Model to Aging In Place Thursday, January 16, 2025 3:00-4:00 pm Open to Everyone via Zoom Learn about this unique solution to aging in place that will be available for Montgomery County, MD residents in early 2025. Continuing Care at Home (CCaH) programs were developed over 35 years ago as a way to provide similar services that one would receive in a Life Plan Community but providing them to a person in the comfort of their own home. These programs also provide financial protection similar to a long-term care insurance policy. The presentation will review the program benefits and pricing with Wesley SecureCare, the only licensed CCaH provider in Maryland. Other long-term care planning options will also be discussed. Registration This Zoom presentation is open to everyone. Use the Register Now button to receive the link. If you need help registering, email information.fhnn@gmail.com with Continuing Care in the subject line. This program is organized by Friendship Heights Neighbors Network. Speaker Information Amanda Young serves as the Executive Director of Wesley SecureCare. She is an experienced applied gerontologist and specializes in launching and operating Continuing Care at Home (CCaH) programs. She has extensive nonprofit experience and has earned her PhD in Leadership and Gerontology at Concordia University Chicago. Amanda previously served as Executive Director of BeWell@Home, the CCaH program of the Lutheran Homes of South Carolina. During that time, she was also able to serve as Senior Director of Independent Living of Franke at Seaside, one of Lutheran Homes of SC Life Plan Communities. Prior to that experience, she was the Wellness Coordinator for Pathstones by Phoebe a CCaH program of Phoebe Ministries in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Please join us for a fascinating program from Montgomery History, the county‘s historical society, as we explore the Potomac River and how it impacted local and American history.

Join Jasmine Jackson, PT, DPT, CMTPT/DN, from Process Physical Therapy and Performance for a discussion of building healthy movement habits and practices for the New Year and beyond! Host Villages: Hyattsville Aging in Place, Helping Hands University Park, Neighbors Helping Neighbors of College Park, and Explorations on Aging Registration: RSVP via the "Register Now" button by January 16th. Access: Zoom link will be sent 24 hours before the event

Ruth Kershner will share the hidden resources and benefits that are available to all Montgomery County residents. There are a multitude of services for all, and not everyone is aware of what opportunities they can access. Whether you will start using some of the services right away, or just have them in your tool box for the future, you won’t want to miss the information Ruth will share.  If you are a caregiver now, or may become one in the future, this talk will show some hidden resources available to you. Since 2012 Ruth Kershner, a licensed clinical social worker, has worked for Montgomery County, first in the Ombudsman program, then in the Behavioral Health program, the Services to Senior Adults program and in the Adult Protective Services program. Prior to her Montgomery County employment, Ruth worked at numerous retirement communities as the Director of Social Work- Vantage House, Riderwood, and Asbury Methodist Village. She helped to develop the dementia units in all of those communities. Ruth practiced as a psychotherapist and Director of the Holocaust program at Jewish Social services for many years. She has taught social work classes at the Johns Hopkins Odyssey program, at NASW for social work supervision, and at various conferences and meetings. She continues to provide in-service training and has presented topics for the Montgomery County CCL program on dementia, sexuality and ethics. She is currently working as the National Family Caregiver Support program manager for Montgomery County Government.

Join us on Zoom for a lively and interactive discussion with a dementia neurologist. Learn about this new era in dementia care detection and treatment and hear how these advancements might impact your life, your loved ones or clients. This comprehensive presentation will cover all aspects of memory loss including: Medications which cause loss and the long term repercussions; How that differs from memory loss due to a stroke or heart attack; at what age is short term memory loss common - forgetting words, social obligations, etc; What we can do to exercise our brain and keep our memories sharp; and The complexity of memory loss, Alzheimer‘s vs. dementia, vs. Lewy body dementia.

There is an art to dying well that can be taught and learned. While death is inevitable, dying badly is not. Author and end-of-life activist Chris Palmer explains how a good death is achievable. Bloomsbury published Chris Palmer‘s latest book, Achieving a Good Death: A Practical Guide to the End of Life, in October 2024. Chris Palmer says, "This book started about a decade ago when I realized I was petrified of dying and resolved to confront this fear. My parents and three brothers, including my twin Jon, all died badly, and I was determined that my own end would be different. This book is the result of searching for answers to questions like how to deal with dementia, when it is appropriate to hasten death, and how we can talk about death and dying more openly." Chris is an end-of-life activist and a trained hospice volunteer. He frequently gives pro bono presentations and workshops to community groups on aging, death, and dying issues. He founded and leads an aging, death, and dying group for the Bethesda Metro Area Village and serves on the board of several nonprofits focused on end-of-life issues, including Montgomery Hospice, Final Exit Network, the Hemlock Society, and the Maryland Office of Cemetery Oversight. He has written ten books — the latest, published by Bloomsbury on October 1, is Achieving a Good Death: A Practical Guide to the End of Life—proceeds from all his books fund scholarships for American University (AU) students. Chris Palmer served 14 years on AU’s full-time faculty as Distinguished Film Producer in Residence. He holds advanced degrees from Harvard and University College London. Before becoming involved in end-of-life issues, he spent forty years as a wildlife and conservation filmmaker. To learn more about Chris, visit www.ChrisPalmerOnline.com. Host Village: Northwest Neighbors Village Limited to 100. Registration is required by January 28th, 2025 Zoom link will be sent to registrants after registration.

Montgomery County, MD Resources for Seniors Including Some Free and Low-Cost Services A Montgomery County Commission on Aging Presentation via Zoom Thursday, January 30, 2:00-3:00 pm Open to Everyone Kathleen McGuinness, a Commissioner on Montgomery County’s Commission on Aging (COA), will detail the County resources that support older adults in living active, healthy and independent lives. During this Zoom presentation you will learn about the County’s programs and services for older adults, including wellness and recreation activities, caregiving resources, meal programs, transportation options, and opportunities for learning and employment. Registration This program is open to everyone and is part of FHNN‘s collaboration with Little Falls Village. Please register by clicking the Register Now button. You will receive the link several days before the program. If you need help registering, email information.fhnn@gmail.com with "Resources" in the subject line. Speaker Information Kathleen McGuiness currently serves as a Commissioner on the Montgomery County Commission on Aging (serving through 2026) and as a member of the Board of Directors for FHNN. Kathleen was recently honored with the prestigious Deb Levy 2024 GROWS Humanitarian of the Year Award for Montgomery County. She is a seasoned senior care specialist dedicated to helping individuals and families navigate the complexities of aging in place.