Flying solo

At 84, Jan Tarrant continues to challenge herself daily.

She joined Shoreline Village CT to get “out of my comfort zone,” said Tarrant, who witnessed her mother slide into serious dementia. She also suffered from arthritis as she aged, the reasons Tarrant is active in ways that may save her from a similar fate, she said.

“There are things I do physically, mentally,” said the Guilford resident, who has lived here for 60 years, 56 of those years in the same twolevel house in heart of Guilford.

Tarrant can’t imagine how some people willingly move away from well-known people and places, leaving for destinations such as “South Carolina or wherever,” she said.

“I love seeing familiar faces,” said Tarrant, who walks steps to the historic Guilford town Green. “People see me and call me by name, and I call them,” said Tarrant who walks to twice-weekly stretch and balance classes, and has weekly sessions with a personal trainer.

The state’s Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut offers similar resources, minus the annual fee charged by SVCT. Five Area Agencies on Aging exist in the state, divided by region. They operate as private, nonprofit planning agencies, according to the state website.

Established in 2013, the state Department on Aging works to ensure that “Connecticut’s elders have access to the supportive services necessary to live with dignity, security, and independence, according to the state. Tasked with planning, development and administration of a “comprehensive and integrated service delivery system for older persons,” the agency connects residents with a host of services, including supportive, in-home services, and home-delivered meals.

The agency also administers programs that provide senior community employment, health insurance counseling, and respite care for caregivers, according to the website.