1 00:00:10,57 --> 00:00:14,29 One of the most important things the seniors can do to remain happy and healthy 2 00:00:14,30 --> 00:00:16,70 long term is to engage with others on 3 00:00:16,71 --> 00:00:22,89 a regular basis the busier seniors are the more important the more they enjoy 4 00:00:22,90 --> 00:00:27,60 a higher quality of life yet many of the activities they used to do or those they 5 00:00:27,61 --> 00:00:32,50 used to like to do not always see inaccessible that is where the senior centers 6 00:00:32,51 --> 00:00:37,56 come in they provide an opportunity for seniors to get active enjoy various social 7 00:00:37,57 --> 00:00:42,53 activities and to improve the overall quality of life whether liveable in most 8 00:00:42,54 --> 00:00:44,65 cases senior centers can provide 9 00:00:44,92 --> 00:00:50,26 a wide range of benefits to those that use them senior centers are one of the most 10 00:00:50,27 --> 00:00:55,67 important resources for our aging community. Today senior centers have more to 11 00:00:55,68 --> 00:01:00,15 offer than what you think they're more than just space for seniors to meet and play 12 00:01:00,16 --> 00:01:05,36 bingo or shuffle board many local senior centers offer thoughtful programming and 13 00:01:05,37 --> 00:01:11,01 service to promote positive aging Welcome to the second episode of senior matters 14 00:01:11,59 --> 00:01:15,51 today our guest will give us more insights about council of aging and senior 15 00:01:15,52 --> 00:01:21,22 centers today I'm with the panel Kelly the director of Elder Affairs at the Met for 16 00:01:21,23 --> 00:01:25,90 Senior Center Good afternoon thank you welcome what is 17 00:01:25,91 --> 00:01:30,75 a council of aging and what is their mission and vision of the senior center Well 18 00:01:30,79 --> 00:01:36,48 we are the advocates for the elders in Medford and surrounding communities we are 19 00:01:36,49 --> 00:01:41,30 primary goal is to give information resource. And 20 00:01:41,31 --> 00:01:47,42 a safe environment for not only the senior but their family members and also the 21 00:01:47,43 --> 00:01:52,57 community and caregivers great overall what is the importance of the senior center 22 00:01:52,94 --> 00:01:55,42 Well of course is to have 23 00:01:55,61 --> 00:02:01,85 a place that is safe for the seniors to come for them to socialize for them to get 24 00:02:01,86 --> 00:02:04,73 their resources and just to have 25 00:02:04,74 --> 00:02:10,84 a local community place for them to feel welcome than us what is the process for 26 00:02:10,85 --> 00:02:14,69 someone in the community to be a member of the Council on Aging and how low can 27 00:02:14,70 --> 00:02:19,24 a person be to come to the senior center Well first we're open for anybody sixty or 28 00:02:19,29 --> 00:02:25,61 sixty years of age or older. Or also disabled our facility is completely 29 00:02:25,62 --> 00:02:27,92 handicapped accessible and to become 30 00:02:27,93 --> 00:02:34,03 a member there really is no. There's no fee there's no qualification other than 31 00:02:34,04 --> 00:02:38,43 being sixty over or disabled you just come on down we have 32 00:02:38,44 --> 00:02:40,40 a participant form sign up you get 33 00:02:40,41 --> 00:02:45,36 a little key card to check in and you're on your way so everyone's freezers are cos 34 00:02:45,40 --> 00:02:51,32 there is no cost to be to come to the Senior Center to come in we do have small 35 00:02:51,33 --> 00:02:57,58 fees for example for some of our exercise programs or some of the trips 36 00:02:57,94 --> 00:03:02,55 and. Sometimes our monthly parties may have 37 00:03:02,56 --> 00:03:07,68 a small fee. To have any medical or physical restrictions to allow someone to come 38 00:03:07,69 --> 00:03:14,02 to the center we do not however because we have open door policy. We are very 39 00:03:14,03 --> 00:03:20,25 careful if anybody is starting to show. Dementia type issues 40 00:03:20,74 --> 00:03:26,46 because we have open door policy and there's two major doors to the streets. We ask 41 00:03:26,47 --> 00:03:28,99 if anybody showing signs of dementia to bring 42 00:03:29,03 --> 00:03:35,62 a companion in aide or family member with them safety first absolutely to have 43 00:03:35,63 --> 00:03:39,60 a nurse or any medical staff at the center we do not have anybody on the paid 44 00:03:39,64 --> 00:03:44,45 payroll on the payroll for nursing However we do have 45 00:03:44,80 --> 00:03:47,74 a nurse that comes in weekly that does we call it ask 46 00:03:47,75 --> 00:03:52,86 a nurse and she also does blood pressure checks and if you have any questions she 47 00:03:52,87 --> 00:03:58,51 can help. The family member or the participant so they understand what's going on 48 00:03:58,94 --> 00:04:02,88 their service to also provide transportation for those members that have no means 49 00:04:02,89 --> 00:04:08,02 to come to the center the senior center themselves we do not have transportation 50 00:04:08,06 --> 00:04:12,18 However we're very lucky to be in our community because S.C.M. 51 00:04:12,42 --> 00:04:17,27 Door to door transportation participates with Medford residents where they can pick 52 00:04:17,28 --> 00:04:21,60 them up at their homes and bring them to the senior center and then they have two 53 00:04:21,61 --> 00:04:27,17 options for return time either one pm or three thirty of course we also work with. 54 00:04:28,36 --> 00:04:34,00 The rise in taxi service to the social worker and so if you do what do they offer 55 00:04:34,44 --> 00:04:35,17 Yes we have 56 00:04:35,21 --> 00:04:40,30 a social worker Her name is Karlene buddy Jani she works Monday through Friday nine 57 00:04:40,31 --> 00:04:45,41 am to two pm She is there for nearly anything and everything that 58 00:04:45,42 --> 00:04:50,02 a senior may encounter. As their aging for themselves 59 00:04:50,67 --> 00:04:55,08 a caregiver or family member group in your center What are some of the common 60 00:04:55,09 --> 00:04:59,79 activities or vents that your clients are looking to see and participate in well we 61 00:04:59,80 --> 00:05:06,63 have countless A vents and programs we have everything from yoga 62 00:05:06,79 --> 00:05:12,10 Zumba type She line dancing a walking club 63 00:05:12,14 --> 00:05:16,95 a Corran strength class to strength and balance class we do have 64 00:05:16,96 --> 00:05:23,43 a monthly newsletter that shows all of our programs and of that and the newsletter 65 00:05:23,83 --> 00:05:30,54 in the center has the daily activities then us and we do change this up so one 66 00:05:30,55 --> 00:05:35,57 month could have one program and then change it to do something different to it so 67 00:05:35,58 --> 00:05:38,74 as you mentioned the exercise group what do you think of the older two should do in 68 00:05:38,75 --> 00:05:43,12 their daily routine to keep them healthy well as the saying goes if you don't use 69 00:05:43,13 --> 00:05:49,85 it you're going to lose it so we are always striving to have the senior either take 70 00:05:49,86 --> 00:05:53,21 a class and we for example have two different yoga classes we have 71 00:05:53,22 --> 00:05:56,80 a yoga class for the person who may not be as active and it's 72 00:05:56,81 --> 00:05:58,38 a chair yoga class so they'll sit in 73 00:05:58,39 --> 00:06:05,19 a chair in the instructors that come in are all senior trained so they have been 74 00:06:05,23 --> 00:06:11,09 specifically chosen because they have the technique and the training to understand 75 00:06:11,10 --> 00:06:11,27 how 76 00:06:11,28 --> 00:06:16,63 a senior ages and what they can and cannot do so again yoga class we have two options 77 00:06:16,64 --> 00:06:18,26 a chair yoga class and 78 00:06:18,27 --> 00:06:22,97 a gentle yoga where somebody may have the ability to get down on the floor and do 79 00:06:23,01 --> 00:06:27,11 more poses sounds amazing what are some of the programs that your centers are 80 00:06:27,12 --> 00:06:32,71 providing and how the member benefits from each program. Again we have countless 81 00:06:32,80 --> 00:06:39,55 programs the programs could be we have our classes we have support 82 00:06:39,56 --> 00:06:43,02 groups we have the exercise classes we have 83 00:06:43,89 --> 00:06:49,58 a new program called Train your brain it's for brain exercise. Ises and they really 84 00:06:49,59 --> 00:06:55,14 enjoy doing things we also have an international conversation in coffee hour so we 85 00:06:55,15 --> 00:07:02,14 find that seniors that don't speak English very well may not come to the center but 86 00:07:02,15 --> 00:07:07,26 now offering this international coffee in conversation now we have facilitators 87 00:07:07,27 --> 00:07:13,59 that may speak Italian in English so we welcome anybody that speaks Italian Spanish 88 00:07:13,92 --> 00:07:20,89 French Creole Russian Chinese So we're opening that aspect for many 89 00:07:20,90 --> 00:07:25,39 different nationalities Remus sounds terrific another program I've heard of is 90 00:07:25,40 --> 00:07:31,29 a friend's group sound very interesting program all about well most senior centers 91 00:07:31,47 --> 00:07:32,04 have 92 00:07:32,08 --> 00:07:38,64 a Friends Group which is made up of the seniors in the community who want to do more 93 00:07:38,65 --> 00:07:41,80 for the Council on Aging the Council on Aging has 94 00:07:41,84 --> 00:07:46,24 a budget that's brought in from the city state impossibly the federal government 95 00:07:46,71 --> 00:07:52,71 but it doesn't cover all those extras like the parties maybe the additional 96 00:07:53,95 --> 00:08:00,17 things going on at the center so they are primarily there to raise funds for those 97 00:08:00,21 --> 00:08:04,90 extras that may not be in our budget other than the friends group or some of the 98 00:08:04,91 --> 00:08:10,84 other groups that. Well we have a low vision support group we have 99 00:08:10,85 --> 00:08:14,61 a Parkinson's support group we have an Al anon group 100 00:08:14,65 --> 00:08:17,25 a weight loss support group we have 101 00:08:17,29 --> 00:08:23,83 a new L G B T Q discussion group where always looking to bring in new 102 00:08:23,84 --> 00:08:28,91 things that are requested I always tell people if we don't have it and there is 103 00:08:28,92 --> 00:08:35,51 a need I will add it to our calendar. What is Area aging Area Agency on 104 00:08:35,52 --> 00:08:40,03 Aging and aging services access point what is the role of the senior center and 105 00:08:40,04 --> 00:08:46,68 who's your local sea shore in Medford we fall under mystic Valley elder 106 00:08:46,69 --> 00:08:53,52 services which actually services eleven communities and towns their primary 107 00:08:53,53 --> 00:09:00,08 role as ours is to make sure that the senior stays home and comfortably and 108 00:09:00,09 --> 00:09:06,72 safely as long as possible so they provide resources they provide. Meals on Wheels 109 00:09:06,96 --> 00:09:13,74 they provide in homes services transportation and things like that and we work with 110 00:09:13,75 --> 00:09:14,16 them on 111 00:09:14,17 --> 00:09:18,95 a day to day basis to volunteers in the center and what is their main response 112 00:09:19,55 --> 00:09:25,22 absolutely volunteers are greatly needed again because our budget is somewhat 113 00:09:25,23 --> 00:09:32,17 limited with payroll and staff we rely on seniors who may have. Worked in the 114 00:09:32,18 --> 00:09:38,98 workforce office as delivery people as computer techs or just anything and 115 00:09:39,13 --> 00:09:40,78 we actually have 116 00:09:40,82 --> 00:09:46,56 a volunteer list close to one hundred people that we utilize for anything from the 117 00:09:46,57 --> 00:09:53,06 reception desk delivering newsletters assisting at our monthly events and parties 118 00:09:53,49 --> 00:09:58,54 answering phones selling tickets through someone that is interested in becoming 119 00:09:58,55 --> 00:10:01,56 a volunteer how does that work sure I actually have 120 00:10:01,60 --> 00:10:07,32 a volunteer coordinator on part time on staff and you would come in and have an 121 00:10:07,33 --> 00:10:10,40 appointment with Arlene Carroll she would ask you 122 00:10:10,41 --> 00:10:16,06 a few questions about what you want to do what your availability is and how we can 123 00:10:16,07 --> 00:10:20,44 utilize you at the Medford Senior Center to reflect and with their newsletter How 124 00:10:20,45 --> 00:10:24,43 can the community get their hands on the newsletter OK We have three different ways 125 00:10:24,44 --> 00:10:30,94 to get our newsletter again each month we print over four thousand newsletters and 126 00:10:30,98 --> 00:10:36,40 we distribute through many locations right in Medford so you can pick it up at the 127 00:10:36,41 --> 00:10:42,14 Medford Senior Center at the library at Stop and Shop at many of the stores and 128 00:10:42,31 --> 00:10:49,04 businesses and in the area first way second way you can go online W W W 129 00:10:49,05 --> 00:10:55,29 dot our Senior Center dot com and type in Medford Council on Aging for the latest 130 00:10:55,33 --> 00:11:01,02 up to date newsletter. And third we do have 131 00:11:01,06 --> 00:11:06,32 a mailing subscription so you could pay ten dollars for the year and have the 132 00:11:06,33 --> 00:11:12,72 newsletter mailed directly to your home. And have it firsthand and how do you can 133 00:11:13,01 --> 00:11:15,06 collaborate the activities in your centers of 134 00:11:15,07 --> 00:11:19,42 a community especially with the family members Well of course we welcome everybody 135 00:11:19,43 --> 00:11:25,57 down to the senior center we advertise on the Medford city website 136 00:11:25,89 --> 00:11:32,70 we are also are involved with any or many of the programs that the city has whether 137 00:11:32,71 --> 00:11:39,32 it be Medford day. Through all of the community resources and the churches any way 138 00:11:39,33 --> 00:11:45,63 we can we try to collaborate and how is your center funded Well the Council on 139 00:11:45,64 --> 00:11:49,89 Aging is funded through a city budget. We also receive 140 00:11:49,93 --> 00:11:55,59 a state budget and through grants we 141 00:11:56,21 --> 00:12:02,21 continuously look for local grants to help fund and bring in other programming 142 00:12:02,46 --> 00:12:04,32 group Pema Could you give us 143 00:12:04,33 --> 00:12:08,84 a little bit more detail on the types of groups and the do those work in your 144 00:12:08,85 --> 00:12:15,81 center sure for example our Parkinson's support group is facilitated by. Visiting 145 00:12:15,82 --> 00:12:20,57 Nurse and community care they come in and it's open for anybody not just Medford 146 00:12:20,58 --> 00:12:26,88 residents somebody who has been recently diagnosed or has had Parkinson's for 147 00:12:27,22 --> 00:12:33,88 awhile can come in and talk and have that support from both the people 148 00:12:33,95 --> 00:12:40,08 around them and also the facilitator they get more information and details of what 149 00:12:40,09 --> 00:12:46,06 they can help get through their disease that's one group they meet monthly at the 150 00:12:46,07 --> 00:12:52,61 Senior Center we also have for example train your brain train your brain officially 151 00:12:52,62 --> 00:12:59,11 started by some tops occupational therapy students who came in to we do 152 00:12:59,12 --> 00:13:05,72 intergenerational programs and part of their semester project was to bring in 153 00:13:05,73 --> 00:13:10,91 something new and they started train your brain and it has 154 00:13:11,35 --> 00:13:16,83 a weekly time slot on Fridays where seniors come in and one week they could be 155 00:13:16,84 --> 00:13:17,74 playing something like 156 00:13:17,75 --> 00:13:24,19 a charades type game the next week they could be doing puzzles and. Challenging 157 00:13:24,20 --> 00:13:27,77 their own brain for one on one or in groups it's 158 00:13:27,78 --> 00:13:32,88 a lot of fun I could hear them laughing from two to three pm on Fridays as we wrap 159 00:13:32,89 --> 00:13:35,63 up the question and answer session Are there any special events they would like to 160 00:13:35,64 --> 00:13:39,14 share they're doing awesome audience that you have coming up well we're always 161 00:13:39,15 --> 00:13:44,90 looking to add something new. I am looking to get in touch with a R.P. 162 00:13:44,94 --> 00:13:50,30 Who for another shredding day you'd be surprised how many. People have boxes and 163 00:13:50,31 --> 00:13:55,58 boxes of paper and they don't know how to get rid of it so we try to each summer 164 00:13:55,59 --> 00:13:55,82 have 165 00:13:55,83 --> 00:14:01,07 a shredding day and we offer it free to the seniors and actually the community as 166 00:14:01,08 --> 00:14:07,91 a whole group that's one thing of course we have our monthly parties 167 00:14:08,23 --> 00:14:11,46 and we have many trips we do quite 168 00:14:11,47 --> 00:14:18,21 a few trips at the Senior Center from Atlanta City to the new casinos to 169 00:14:18,70 --> 00:14:25,32 Martha's Vineyard to Maine Vermont foliage trips we want to stay active 170 00:14:25,36 --> 00:14:31,59 and the community is continuously changing and every year there's more and more 171 00:14:31,60 --> 00:14:38,32 people reaching the senior age to be available to come to our center so our goal is 172 00:14:38,33 --> 00:14:44,55 to have as many options and continuously update them and keep them fresh so people 173 00:14:44,56 --> 00:14:48,42 will continue to come at great and remind us one more time with the website is it 174 00:14:48,43 --> 00:14:54,66 broken well you can find our newsletter at W W W dot our Senior 175 00:14:54,70 --> 00:15:01,40 Center dot com and then type in Medford Council on Aging or you can go on the 176 00:15:01,41 --> 00:15:07,32 city website which is W W W dot Medford 177 00:15:07,74 --> 00:15:13,92 a dought org slash departments slash Council on Aging. 178 00:15:15,03 --> 00:15:19,46 Great panel thank you very much for your time appreciate it thank you and research 179 00:15:19,47 --> 00:15:24,00 shows that older adults who participate in Senior Center programs can learn to 180 00:15:24,01 --> 00:15:29,76 manage the daily onset of chronic disease and experience measurable improvements in 181 00:15:29,77 --> 00:15:36,21 their physical social spiritual emotional until economic wellbeing and 182 00:15:36,22 --> 00:15:37,24 I.S.C. Supports 183 00:15:37,25 --> 00:15:41,37 a national network of over three thousand senior center professionals that are 184 00:15:41,38 --> 00:15:46,35 catered to helping older adults remain active and gauged and independent in their 185 00:15:46,36 --> 00:15:48,45 communities and I.F.C. 186 00:15:48,49 --> 00:15:52,73 Is setting the standard for the future of senior centers by promoting cutting edge 187 00:15:52,74 --> 00:15:59,11 research promising practices professional development and advocacy and I.F.C. 188 00:15:59,12 --> 00:16:03,56 Also offers the nation's only national senior center accreditation program 189 00:16:04,13 --> 00:16:07,17 accreditation provides official recognition that 190 00:16:07,18 --> 00:16:12,83 a senior center meets nine national standards of senior center operations to date 191 00:16:12,89 --> 00:16:17,19 more than two hundred fifty senior centers have received accreditation today senior 192 00:16:17,20 --> 00:16:21,87 centers are reinventing themselves to meet the needs and desires of the aging baby 193 00:16:21,88 --> 00:16:28,42 boom generation boomers now can constitute more than two thirds of the fifty plus 194 00:16:28,43 --> 00:16:32,78 population senior centers are developing new programs and opportunities for this 195 00:16:32,79 --> 00:16:38,05 dynamic generation of older adults thank you very much for watching this is senior 196 00:16:38,06 --> 00:16:38,49 matters.