BGCAP - News Releases
The Anderson News
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 Edition
(reprinted with permission)
"Senior Center to host Caregiver Conference"
The Anderson County Senior Center will host a Caregiver Conference on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be at the center, located at 160 Township Square.
The conference will focus on how caregivers can handle their busy days with patience and compassion, according to a news release.
The Rev. Paul Prather and Rev. David Hilton will lead motivational sessions. David Bassoni with Bluegrass Area Development District will discuss local resources available to caregivers, and Chuck Ellestad, chaplain with Hospice of the Bluegrass, will discuss advanced directives such as living wills, power of attorney, guardianship and "do not resuscitate" orders.
The cost of the conference is $10 per person.
On-site respite care will be provided free by the Anderson Adult Day program to assist caregivers. Contact Nicole Wilson at 800-456-7671 if respite care is needed.
A light breakfast, lunch and access to resource tables are included as part of the conference. Door prizes will be given away.
Flu shots will also be available from 8 to 9 a.m. on the day of the conference by the Anderson County Health Department. Caregivers should bring their Medicare and/or Medicaid cards, otherwise a $20 fee will apply.
For more information, call the center at 502-839-7520.
Volunteer Awards at Anderson Senior Center
Dorothy and Henry Meier are honored last Wednesday for their volunteering efforts at the Anderson Senior Center. Mayor Edwinna Baker presented each of the Meiers with a volunteer award signed by Gov. Steve Beshear. The awards were presented during a luau at the center to celebrate Senior Center Month.
By: Shannon Mason Brock, News Editor
The Anderson News
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 Edition
(reprinted with permission)
"Anderson Senior Center to celebrate Senior Center Month"
Ask anyone who frequents the Anderson Senior Center and they'll quickly say it's definitely more than just a place to play bingo.
To Noraine Janeski, who recently moved here from Wisconsin, it's almost like home. "You feel at home when you go," She said. "The food is delicious and everyone is very friendly."
To Berla Bragg, it's a chance to escape monotony. "It gets me out of the house, and I don't have to be by myself," Bragg said.
To Eugene Satterly, it's a place to hide from boredom. "We're always doing something," he said
And to volunteer Thomas Vaughn, it's a second family. "I like the people," he said. "I've been doing this for three years and I've formed relationships. It's like family - you can't quit."
This month, the senior center is celebrating what it means to all its patrons and volunteers during Senior Center Month.
In any given week, around 80 seniors make their way through the Anderson center, and employee Opal Phillips wishes it were more.
Most of the patrons are in their 80's, which is wonderful, she said, but Phillips also hopes to draw in some of the younger seniors (anyone over age 60).
People tend to think of senior centers as places where "old people sit around and play Bingo," Phillips said. But that's just simply not the case. Yes, patrons can play Bingo if they choose, but the center offers so much more, she said.
Volunteers at the center deliver around 30 meals to homes of seniors who can't get to the center every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The program requires doctor approval, and First Christian Church takes over the duties on holidays. Meals are available at the center for seniors each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as well.
The center also offers a home care program, which is not a medical program. It is available through self-referral and doctor-referral and is aimed at helping seniors stay in their homes. Home care workers come to the homes and help out with light chores. "It's very cost effective," said Debbie Lottes, senior center director.
Seniors can also get transportation help through the center, its buses and volunteers. "Volunteers take people on their own time, and some have gone as far as Louisville," Philips said.
The center also participates in a senior companion program that gets "seniors helping seniors," Lottes said.
The center offers blood pressure checks, exercise classes, games and a Rook club on a weekly basis as well as many other recreational activities. "We try to get the seniors to do things they used to do," Phillips said, adding that at times they play darts, balloon volleyball and have guest speakers to keep the seniors' minds engaged.
The center also has a benefits counselor, Sheila Smith, who is trained on a yearly basis to help seniors with any benefits questions they may have.
One event on the calendar this month is a luau, which is scheduled for 11 am on Sept. 16.
Caregivers should also keep an eye out for the Caregivers Conference, which is scheduled for November.
For more information or to learn about other programs the senior center offers, call 839-7520.
The senior center exists for the betterment of Anderson County seniors, Phillips said. "We want to bring out the best in seniors that they don't even know is there," she said. "We want to open them up to something new."