Join us at EPOCH this week for some great learning opportunities. We will offer ConnectedLiving discussion groups to help you feel more comfortable using the computer and navigating the Internet. We’ll hold these groups throughout the month and cover a variety of topics. This week’s topic will be baseball. Those interested in local history should stop by for the presentation “The History of Attleboro,” led by the executive director of Attleboro Area Industrial Museum. Dr. Steven Kane will return to EPOCH to discuss the lives of Big Band-era performers Dinah Shore and Artie Shaw Dorsey. This discussion is a must for Big Band fans. Finally, Boston University students will entertain us with a French horn recital. Keep reading to learn more!

ConnectedLiving Discussion Groups at EPOCH on Blackstone Boulevard (April 1)

Many studies have indicated that decision making and financial skills decline with age, making seniors particularly susceptible to fraud and identity theft. However, a new study by MetLife yielded more positive results; according to the study, the ability to make conscientious, informed decisions actually improves with age for most people.

The first study of its kind, “Healthy Brain, Healthy Decisions” assembled a research group of 72 healthy adults aged 50 to 79. Participants took extensive tests regarding their decision-making abilities. The results indicated health rather than age impacts decision-making skills. The 79 year olds who participated in the study could make decisions just as well as the 50-year-old participants. While seniors suffering from mental health issues may have a more difficult time handling finances and be more vulnerable to scams, mentally healthy seniors do not share these issues. The study indicates that more seniors have sound mental health than you may have thought – as many as 87 percent, according to the National Institute of Aging.

We have another great lineup of events this week at EPOCH. Bookworms and history nuts will want to join our book club’s discussion of David McCullough’s “The Johnstown Flood,” which chronicles the tragic Pennsylvania flood that became a national scandal. We are also offering a free blood pressure screening, which everyone should take advantage of. Later in the week, the excellent art awareness program Art Matters will return to EPOCH to enlighten us about the works of Alexander Calder. Stop by and learn more about the artist’s famous kinetic sculptures. Martin Luther King Day is this week and we are hosting a special presentation to honor the iconic civil rights activist. We’ll end the week with our popular annual event, “Hot Coffee, Cool Jazz.” Enjoy delicious cappuccinos along with the musical stylings of the talented Allen Livermore Trio. Keep reading to learn more.

EPOCH book club to discuss ‘The Johnstown Flood’ (Jan. 14)

A new report by the United Nations Population Fund, portrait of global aging, illustrates the rapid rate at which the elderly population is growing worldwide. With such rapid growth, we are presented with the question of how we will care for the elderly.

It’s true that people are living longer than ever. Most of us have heard that before. But many mistakenly attribute this increased longevity to technological advancement and assume most people living longer reside in the US or other wealthy countries. Not so. In fact, developing countries are actually seeing the fastest growth in their aging populations. In Africa, Asia and other regions, 2 in 3 people are 60 or older. And by 2050, the United Nations report estimates that 280 million people in developing countries will be 80 or older. The elderly population in developed countries is expected to be less than half of this, at only 122 million.

We’re hitting the ground running here at EPOCH as we launch into the New Year. Below you’ll find some highlights of events happening at our communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island this week, from musical performances to historical re-enactments to a Parkinson’s Support Group in Providence. All of these events and gatherings are free and open to the public, to stop by if you can, or check out our events page for more happenings across the EPOCH community. Click 'Read more' to see the events.