Our Featured Site: the Northeast Area Senior Center

The Northeast Area Senior Center is located in the former Main Street Church, at 705 N. Main St. in Walbridge, Ohio. The site, managed by Sandy Hart since May 2001, is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.




Dorothy Heuring has been coming to the Northeast site since the beginning. A mother of four and Tai Chi instructor, Heuring was asked to begin teaching classes at the Northeast site. Still today, she teaches Tai Chi and joins in on the fun when not teaching.

“I’ve made a lot of friends from teaching Tai Chi over the years,” Heuring said. “The people here have always been so gracious and welcoming.”




Lunch participants at the Northeast site.

In addition to teaching Tai Chi classes, she enjoys eating lunch at the site and participating in educational programs.

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Heuring encourages anyone to check out the Northeast site.

“I’m always telling people about this place,” she said. “I tell people the meals are great and the people are so nice.”

Ben Waggoner started coming to the site for health recovery after suffering from a stroke. Since then, he has participated in Tai Chi, an exercise program he says makes all the difference in his physical capabilities.



Ben Waggoner participates in Tai Chi.



“Tai Chi really helps me,” Waggoner said. “If I don’t do it regularly, I tighten up, and I know it has helped many others here as well.”



Waggoner’s favorite meal at the senior center is the roast beef and he enjoys staying active in his community, including as a member of the WCCOA board.

When asked what he would say to someone thinking about coming to a senior center, he simply said “Come and enjoy, you’ll like it!”

For more information on the Northeast Area Senior Center, contact Sandy Hart at (419) 260-3228.

Seven Tips to Avoid Social Isolation

Studies have proven that social isolation can be detrimental to your physical health.  With that in mind, we must all make efforts to remain engaged in outside activities, not only for our mental health, but also for our physical well-being!

What is Social Isolation?  When a person experiences too much solitude or feels socially isolated from others, he or she may develop feelings of loneliness, anxiety, depression, and hopelessness.

We can find ourselves in social isolation after an illness or injury, loss of a spouse, extended severe winter weather, or when experiencing bouts of depression.  Suddenly, we find ourselves at home, with little or no contact from the outside world.  This decreased interaction with others and lack of mental stimulation from the environment leads to lackluster feelings and the potential spiral into negative health consequences.

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Making a conscious effort to remain engaged with others is crucial to combat social isolation and benefit our physical health.   Consider these tips to avoid isolation:

1. Take stock of hobbies you enjoy and share them with others.  Not only is it important to do what we like, but pairing that with social interaction doubles the benefits obtained.

2. Volunteer.  Moving outside of ourselves to help others can create a strong sense of satisfaction and reward.

3. Try doing something new every month.  Try a new recipe and share it with someone who is homebound.  Check the newspaper for community  events  in your city.  Attend a free lecture.  Walk the mall.  Visit the library.  Seek out places where people gather and join in with the group.

4. Help out a caregiver.  Giving a caregiver  two or three hours of your time so they can leave the house and run necessary errands, or take care of their own medical needs decreases the social isolation for the caregiver, the care receiver,  and for you too!

5. Invite people to your home if getting out is a challenge.  Keep it simple.  Brew a pot of tea. Arrange a tray of cookies.   There are proven psychological benefits from sharing a snack or meal with others.

6. Volunteer to call others who may be at home and need someone to check on them.  Not only are you providing socialization for others, you are getting some for yourself!

7. Visit your Senior Center and partake in the myriad of activities offered.  You may run into old friends or make new ones!

This Month's Recipe

WCCOA chicken macaroni casserole

serves 10

INGREDIENTS

·         1 cup Mayonnaise

·         1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup

·         1 can (3 oz.) mushrooms, drained and chopped

·         1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken

·         2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

·         1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

·         1/4 cup chopped pimientos

·         1/4 cup chopped onion

·         4 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

·         1/2 cup cracker crumbs

DIRECTIONS

1.       Preheat oven to 375°.

2.       Combine Mayonnaise, soup, mushrooms and chicken in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except macaroni and cracker crumbs. Stir in macaroni. Turn into 13 x 9-inch baking dish, then evenly top with cracker crumbs. Bake 30 minutes or until bubbling.

Golden Care Awards 2015

Wood County Committee on Aging, Inc. (WCCOA) will host the Golden Care Awards in partnership with Brookdale of Bowling Green, Ohioans Home Healthcare, The Waterford at Levis Commons and Kingston of Perrysburg. The event, in honor of National Caregivers Month, will be held on Thursday, November 5 from 5-8 p.m. at Greystone Hall, located at 29101 Hufford Road in Perrysburg, Ohio.

This event, celebrating caregivers, will include dinner provided by Brookdale of Bowling Green and refreshments by Gentiva Hospice, entertainment by the Jake Pilewski jazz trio, and an awards ceremony. Recognition will be given to caregiving heroes who are professionals working in a facility or home care setting and those community members who assist older adults in the neighborhoods. All nominees will be honored at the event.

The Golden Care Awards recognize the caregiving heroes in our neighborhoods and we are seeking your assistance to help identify these caring individuals. The two award categories have been developed to identify the compassionate caregivers working in a facility or home care setting (including physicians, nurses, and the support team), and to identify those in the who are community caregivers tending to the needs of their neighbors, friends or loved ones.

The criteria to nominate a professional caregiver consists of their employment in a long term care/ assisted living facility or home care setting that cares for older adults and that they have been an active caregiver during the 2015 calendar year. These professionals must have a minimum of 5 years of experience working in with older adults. These caregivers will be recognized for their commitment to the quality of life of their clients.

To nominate a unpaid caregiving hero in your community the individual must have been an active caregiver for a family member, friend or neighbor within the 2015 calendar year and they must not be paid for their time. The care recipient must reside in Wood County and the caregiver must provide direct care and tend to the need of an older adult so that they can remain in their homes.

You can help us honor these individuals by submitting your special caregivers name to the 2015 Golden Care Awards. Self-nominations will not be accepted.

 Nomination forms are available at all Wood County Senior Centers or on the WCCOA website (www.wccoa.net) or by calling 419.353.5661 or 1.800.367.4935

Deadline for nomination is Friday, October 16, 2015. Completed nomination forms with photo must be submitted to: WCCOA, 305 N. Main St., Bowling Green, Ohio 43402.