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VILLAGE MEMBER STORIES

Sandra Bisset, New Castle

New Castle’s Sandra Bisset may be retired but she’s not slowing down. This lively Seacoast Village member loves boating off the Maine coast with her husband Wally. Fall is busy as they personally winterize their 38-foot sailing sloop, dinghies, canoes and kayaks. In winter, hibernation has never been Sandra’s habit: she has spent years on Maine slopes teaching folks with disabilities how to ski. “It’s about providing encouragement to people who may not realize how active they can be,” she says. 

So, when the Seacoast Village held its first planning meeting, it was no surprise to see Sandra there. “We all need assistance as we age,” she declares. “I sat down with caring neighbors who want a full range of supports and services available on the seacoast, so they can choose to stay at home as they age, despite changing circumstances.”

Sandra spent more than 30 years working in the field of environmental health and safety, in manufacturing and hospital settings. After retiring from Gillette Manufacturing in Boston, she discovered her passion: medical advocacy for people in need. “Navigating the health care system to determine the best course of action is what interests me,” she says. Now, as a volunteer, Sandra offers health care guidance to aging seacoast residents.

Seacoast Village supported her household as well, when events last spring required her to stay close to home. “Volunteers kept in touch and delivered food to our door,” she relates. “It was a godsend.”

The key to aging in place, Sandra believes, is access to trustworthy, reliable services to address the whole person, delivered when  needs arise. “If we can add value to people’s lives, it makes me happy,” she says with a big smile. “It just makes so much sense!”

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