INCLUSION THROUGH ART ... The Oshman Family Jewish Community Center's Music in the Afternoon series will feature Ensemble SF at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15. The string and piano quartet, which calls itself a collective "dedicated to inspiring a more inclusive world through art," will perform works of Brahms, Shostakovich and Nazaykinskaya in the JCC's Schultz Cultural Arts Hall. Cost is $20 at the door, or call 650-223-8700 for advance tickets. Doors open at 12:30 p.m.. For more information, contact Michelle Rosengaus at [email protected]

EXPANDING THE VILLAGE ... With an annual price tag of $1,040, membership in Avenidas Village, a dues-based support network for local seniors who want to age in their own homes is unaffordable for many. The group, which marks its 15th anniversary this year, hopes to expand its circle by offering half-price memberships for those with incomes below $60,000. A $25,000 donation by longtime Palo Alto resident Bill Reller, matched by other member donations, will help sustain the subsidized memberships, the group announced last month. Avenidas Village offers regular in-person social events, zoom presentations and screened vendor lists for its 340 members. The group holds regular "coffee chats" and "wine & cheese meet & greets" for seniors who might be interested in joining. For more information, go to avenidasvillage.org.

GLITTERY GALA ... A 75th anniversary celebration last month raised nearly $1.2 million for Menlo Park-based Peninsula Volunteers Inc. , now known as PVI. The group serves thousands of local seniors on a daily basis through Meals on Wheels, the adult daycare center Rosener House and Little House, which was the first suburban senior center in the United States when it opened in 1949. Tony Award-winner Kristin Chenoweth performed Broadway classics for 300 partygoers at the Rosewood Sand Hill on Oct. 1. A surprise, $250,000 donation was announced from Richard Levy, former CEO and board chair of Varian Medical Systems.

COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT MEASURE ... Columbia University researchers have found that " almost 10% of U.S. adults age 65 and older have dementia. while another 22% have mild cognitive impairment, Science News reported on Oct. 24. Rates of dementia and mild cognitive impairment rose sharply with age: 3% of people between 65 and 69 had dementia, rising to 35% for people ages 90 and over. The study was based on data from 3,500 individuals in the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study. Between 2016 and 2017, each participant completed a comprehensive set of neuropsychological tests and in-depth interviews, which were used to develop an algorithm for diagnosing dementia or mild cognitive impairment.