Send announcements to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is Friday, two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Jennifer Lesinski at 703-917-6454.
This free listing is reserved for activities and events that are open to the public at no or minimal cost.
A support group for people with hearing loss, tinnitus or Meniere's disease meets at the Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling, 2 p.m., the first Friday of each month. Call 703-430-2397. The next meeting is March 3.
The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department at Inova Loudoun Hospital is offering a new exercise class called Mommy and Me. This is a program designed to meet the needs of new mothers and to help them get back in shape after having a baby.
The class is for new mothers and babies ages 6 weeks and older. The techniques used in the class are all interactive with the baby. The class is on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from
1:30-2:30 p.m., and meets in The Birthing Inn. A total of 12 sessions are offered for six weeks, and sessions begin March 7. The cost of the program is $130.
To register for this class, call the Family Education department at 703-858-6360, or register online at http://www.thebirthinginn.org.
The staff from Lenscrafters at Dulles Town Center will provide eyeglass care the second Wednesday each month, from 1-2 p.m., at the Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling. Call 703-430-2397. The next visit is March 8.
Susan E. Johnson, senior Medicare/Medicaid Patrol with the Virginia Association of Area Agency of Aging, will present "Medicare Fraud and Abuse," Thursday, March 9, 10:45 a.m., at the Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling. Free. Program will be in English and Spanish. Call 703-430-2397.
The Man-to-Man Prostate Cancer support group meets on the second Tuesday of each month, from 6:30-8 p.m., at the Senior Center at Cascades marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling. Call 703-430-2397. The next meeting is March 14.
The Loudoun HealthCare's Mobile Health Van visits the Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling, the second and fourth Tuesdays each month, from 9:30 a.m.-noon, to take blood pressure and glucose testing along with other medical needs. Call 703-430-2397. The next visits are March 14 and March 28.
The Loudoun County CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder) parents support group will meet the second Tuesday of every month, from 7:15-8:30 p.m. SuccessLab Learning Centers is hosting the meetings and providing refreshments. SuccessLab is located at 20660 Ashburn Road in Old Town Ashburn near the fire station.
The purpose of the support group is to provide a place where parents can come to be heard, be understood and help each other with their struggles and also learn about the amazing qualities children with ADHD possess. Contact CHADD Loudoun County coordinator Kirk Martin at 703-508-7908 or e-mail at kirk1martin@aol.com. meetings are slated for March 14, April 18, May 16 and June 13.
The Social Security Administration is accepting applications from older adults and people with disabilities who may qualify for extra help paying for the new Medicare drug benefit.
The extra help will pay some or all of the monthly drug plan premiums and deductibles, and most of the coinsurance for prescription drugs covered by the new Medicare drug benefit. It is expected to provide an average of $2,100 per year in assistance.
Call the Medicare Hot line, 703-737-8036, at the Loudoun County Agency on Aging to request an application, to get help in filling out the application and for income requirements.
People with Medicare can apply for the subsidy by mail or in person at a local Social Security office. The application will also be available online at www.ssa.gov.
The Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit begins Jan. 1. The enrollment deadline is May 15. The average premium is expected to be about $37 per month for people who do not have the low-income subsidy.
Joan Cassidy will be at the Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling, Thursday, March 16, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., to provide assistance and answer questions about hearing loss. Call 703-430-2397.
Teresa Tupaj from Blue Ridge Speech and Hearing will be at the Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, the third Tuesday of each month, from 10:30-11:30 a.m., to clean, make adjustments and minor repairs to hearing aids, and perform hearing screenings. Call 703-430-2397. The next visit is March 21.
Home Care Delivered, a home-delivery medical supply company, will present an educational program on how to get the best medical supplies home delivered, Thursday, March 23, 10:45 a.m., at the Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling. Free. Call 703-430-2397.
Catherine Stuart, a licensed psychotherapist and mental health nurse, will speak on "Laughter the Best Rx," Thursday, March 30, 10:45 a.m., at the Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling. Free. Call 703-430-2397.
A support group for persons suffering with Alzheimer's and other dementia diseases as well as other mental illnesses, and their caregivers meets the second Monday of each month, from 7-8:30 p.m., at Galilee United Methodist Church, 45425 Winding Road, Sterling. The meetings are open to the community. Call 703-430-2203 or visit www.Galileeumc.org.
The YMCA Loudoun County, 6 Fairfax St., S.E., Leesburg, is offering Forever Fit. A gentle, but effective exercise program for seniors age 55 and older for men and women. Improve strength, flexibility, endurance, posture and balance through walking, marching, strength exercises, stretching and relaxation. Wear comfortable clothes and supportive rubber-soled shoes. Mondays and Wednesday, 9-10 a.m. Cost $8 per class. Call 703-777-2275.
Ashburn Presbyterian Church is beginning a cancer support group for those diagnosed with cancer, their family and friends. All are welcome. The group will provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere whose purpose is to support individuals affected by cancer by encouraging them to connect with God, resources and one another.
The group will meet from 6:30-8 p.m., on the second and fourth Thursday of every month, beginning Oct. 13. There will be no meeting on Thanksgiving. The meeting will be held upstairs at APC, 20962 Ashburn Road, in room 209. Child care will not be provided. Call the offices at 703-729-2012, or visit the Web site at www.ashburnpresbyterian.org.
The Epilepsy Foundation of the Chesapeake Region is sponsoring the following support groups for adults diagnosed with seizure disorders and caregivers.
Free of charge. Call 703-425-6660.
* Reston Epilepsy Group meets the second and fourth Friday of each month, from 7-8:30 p.m., at Herndon High School, Entrance 5, Room 123, 700 Bennett St., Herndon.
* Northern Virginia Epilepsy Group meets every Wednesday, from 7-8 p.m., at Falls Church High School, Room 100, 7521 Jaguar Trail, Falls Church.
The Loudoun Association for Children with Hearing Loss (LACHL) is a nonprofit association with a mission to support families of D/HOH infants and school-aged children through networking and sharing information about the issues that face our children. Meetings are the second Friday of the month from September through May. Visit www.loudounhearing.org or call Mary Photinakis at 703-327-5026.