QA@H is based on the model of seniors helping seniors to thrive in their community.  

That means that members of both offer help as they can and seek help as they need. 
This reciprocity helps build on QA@H's 3 foundational principles:

EMPOWERMENT, CONNECTION AND PURPOSE

• Get a Plan! Get Organized! 

A centerpiece of our member benefits package is our "Senior Navigation Plan", or SNAP.  In a nutshell, QA@H designed our very own SNAP tool to help our members collect and organize all their important information.  This tool helps address one of the most pressing concerns we heard from seniors (and their families):  “I know I need to get organized, but it’s overwhelming.  Where do I start?”  QA@H members can use our SNAP tool to start creating their “life plan”, collecting and organizing their critical information to ease communication with partners, family members, doctors and others.  

Step 1 is the SNAP binder, issued to every member household.  (New members generally pick up their binder at one of the first events - coffee, happy hour or SNAP chapter - they register for). The SNAP binder is divided into 10 chapters, each of which includes various forms and checklists to make organizing more manageable.  Each household decides how they want to use the tool.  Some choose to keep all their information in the binder itself, others use the tool to record where the information is kept.  And some don’t use the binder at all:  members can download the binder materials from the member section of the QA@H website and store their info digitally in the cloud if they prefer.

Step 2 is our regular SNAP Chapter meetings.  QA@H conducts periodic learning sessions with local senior life planning experts on various SNAP-related topics that, combined with their own SNAP information, help members put their “life plan” together.  QA@H members also help each other out with ideas and tips.  SNAP Chapters include topics such as:

• • Emergency planning 
  • Visualizing and planning for contingencies ("what's your Plan B?")
  • Legal considerations
  • Medical plans and directives
  • End of life options - your preferences, your plans
  • Gathering your key information (medical, insurance, financial and legal records, etc.)
  • Wellness and fitness plans
  • Streamlining to make life easier: sifting, sorting and getting rid of your "stuff"
  • Home safety plans

Over time, as members complete the full SNAP Chapter rotation, they end up with thorough documentation of every major aspect of their life plan.  Each time we go through the SNAP Chapter rotation, members ensure their information is complete and current.

• Get smart! Learn how to adapt to the changing situations you may encounter as you continue to "age well in place". 

  • Find out about emerging technology that will make it easier for you to stay safe, stay well, stay connected, and stay independent at home.

  • Connect with "Tech Pals" who can help you get the most out of your existing technology, like cell phones, social media, etc. 

  • Learn about support programs and resources available through Queen Anne's County

  • Find out about new developments facing seniors, such as research into the aging brain, wellness trends, etc...
    
    

• Get Engaged!  Enjoy social activities and expand your circle of friends with others who value camaraderie, helping each other and staying active and engaged in a life of purpose. 

  • Set up an interest group.  Love the theater? Find other members who share your interest and set up a play reading group.  Or maybe writing novels, memoirs or poetry is more your thing.  Or a current events discussion group.  All it takes is your imagination, passion and a desire to connect with others. 

  • Find a fishing buddy. Or a quilting pal.  Another QA@H member probably loves doing what you love to do, too.  

  • Be part of a "contact tree" to check in on members who may benefit from a "how are you today" call. 

  • Join a QA@H task force to investigate the ins and outs of novel housing models for seniors (co-housing, "boom mates", etc.), or other hot topics where we will help shape our own future. 
    
    

• Offer and get help!  Everyone needs a little help sometime, and seniors are no different.  In QA@H, we have each other's back.  You have skills and abilities that can help others, just as other QA@H members can help you.  When you put in a service request, you'll know that QA@H members who respond are doing so because they want to.  When you can, you might return the favor, or pass it along to another member.  Some examples include:

  • Driving - occasional doctor visits or shopping trips.  (Access to rides are determined by the availability of members to drive).

  • Home mending - minor home repairs (such as replacing hard-to-reach lightbulbs)

  • Home minding - taking care of things while you're laid up for a few days (such as watering your plants).

  • House help - light gardening or housework (finally getting rid of those hard-to-reach cobwebs!), decluttering, putting up or taking down holiday decorations, etc.

  • Local service providers - provide and access recommendations of contractors and vendors who pass the QA@H member-approved test.

• Have fun! Help set up or join in interesting events and outings to exciting places.
  

  • Concerts, plays, other events

  • Behind-the-scenes tours of local businesses

  • Check out local landmarks, like the new Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center, Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, Adkins Arboretum...

• Give back!  QA@H is actively seeking out ways to put our members' experience, wisdom and attitude to work to benefit our larger community.  Some ideas might include: 

  • Be part of an "oral history" project - help younger people understand their roots and place in history while they practice social and writing skills.

  • Be a mentor to a youth who needs some additional support in order to reach his or her full potential.

• Help QA@H grow!  QA@H is member focused and member driven.  We work together to help identify additional services that will help us thrive and plan how to provide that help.