Senior Community Center Experience Paper

More people are living much longer lives than in years past. People are very surprised to be living much longer lives than they thought they would. Health care has played a large part in patient longevity. There are many normal changes that come along with aging, however, because people are living longer these normal changes can become chronic problems. Common aging problems that can make the older adult a vulnerable population are reviewed in Gerontological Nursing (Tabloski, 2014) and can include nutritional needs, medication management, sleep changes, oral or mouth care, renal problems and musculoskeletal concerns. According to A Profile of Older Americans: 2013 (http://www.hhs.gov), there are a large amount

Senior Centres- The centres act as a social gathering and networking place for seniors who are able to function on an independent basis. Social, cultural and recreational activities are usually offered. These may also include day trips, matinees at the theatre, communal meals, health screenings, volunteer opportunities and even legal and financial services. Generally speaking services are free or available at a low nominal fee to all participants.

I am grateful that I am a client in the Elderly Services Program of the Council on Aging. The resources that I receive are: case management, electronic medical monitoring, medical transportation, Meals-on-Wheels, and home care assistance. They have become an integral part of maintaining my lifestyle.

The organization I choose is Dignity Health Mercy Medical Center Redding (MMCR), located in Northern California. MMCR 2014 Community Health Needs Assessment Report is easy to read and understand. They provided the picture of the community they are serving and what are the problems that need priority. The hospital catered on communities in Shasta, Tehama and Trinity County. What I noticed is that the community they are serving is mostly Caucasian (79.6%), only 11% Hispanic. Out of the 209, 900 population, 17.3% were uninsured, 21.7% on Medi-cal with 10.9% unemployment rate. Most of the people seeking medical help go to the Emergency Department for non-acute medical services. MMCR priority is to have a community-based collaboration with other non-profit organization will address the existing problem the community is facing and to provide a long-term plan that will benefit the community in the future.

Berks County, Pennsylvania Community Health Needs Assessment. (January, 2013). Public Health Management Corporation, Philadelphia, PA. Retrieved from http://www.uwberks.org/wwwpub/assets/base/ pdf/Commu

The program’s primary target population is local/remote senior citizens that are at risk of and or presenting with social justice, health, emotional, criminal, isolation and or exclusion issues. Consequently, the program’s secondary target population is for carers, families, friends and those responsible for their care (Chenoweth & McAuliffe 2012). Additionally, the goals of the program is for participants to take part in their community by encouraging interactions and friendships amongst the participants and workers, and, maintain, improve or develop healthy living and lifestyle standards and in some cases to provide respite. The day program offers a range of activities and support,

The organization is working really hard to optimize the available resources by engaging volunteers from the university, providing flexible hours for working older adults, introducing various wellness program such as; blood pressure screening, hearing problem screening, exercise classes. The institution has also brought provision for older adults in transportation services, meals on wheel and day care center. These programs clearly promotes ‘ageing in place’ concept and discourage institutionalization of older adults. The older adults who volunteer in the center feel valued as they help fellows with their skills and capacity. Different workshops for one to enjoy their hobbies further promotes their self-esteem and

Individuals 65 and older still make up less than 10 percent of the active Internet universe. However, their numbers are on the rise. In the last five years, the number of seniors actively using the Internet has increased by more than 55 percent, from 11.3 million active users in November 2004 to 17.5 million in November 2009. Among people 65+, the growth of women online in the last five years has outpaced the growth of men by 6 percentage points.

The San Marcos Senior Activity Center (SMSAC) began twenty years ago and their mission has been to provide social recreation, health centered, and educational programs that promote the emotional and physical well-being of independent senior citizens. The senior activity center is open Monday thru Thursday from 0730-1630 and Friday from 0730-1600 it provides recreational, social, and educational services to senior citizens age 50 years and older. The SMSAC services are free of charge and services the communities of San Marcos and Vista. It helps facilitate social connections, personal independence, and life-long learning that enriches the quality of life and supports the vitality for its seniors.

I am a 12th grade student in Village Christian High School.This year I have to do a senior project and the focal point of my project is the Senior Apartment. I hope to do few hours volunteer in Belmont. With an open heart and passion, I love to serve others especially the elders. I talked to Jeanna and assisted her in the beading class before and the experience was really meaningful to me. And I also talked to Mrs.Rodriguez about my senior project recently. I cherish this experience to work with you and gain more skills and knowledge.

Huang, Wang & Yang (2012) showed aged who joined centres satisfied with the services, and felt friendly and kinds of other people. Especially, the elderly who joined centres report higher life than elderly from the general population (Huang et al., 2012). Some studies have found that the elderly who participate in centre activities reported that their quality of life and health improve significantly (Chiu & Fu, 2014). Researchers have also assessed centre operations and leadership and found that the mission and commitment of the core management team were critical factors for successful centre operations (Huang, Kuo & Black,

The ability to support the older people keep up social ties with the use of technical devices such as telephone is vital, and there is indication that older people may benefit from the use of internet as a befriending opportunity (Skingley, 2013). According to Age UK (2009), there is no evidence to effectiveness of services aimed at reducing loneliness and social isolation among older people, but concludes that there is a need to focus on befriending services for older people, in particular the effectiveness of such services in terms of their impact on older people’s quality of life and their overall preventive value.

The issue of the Internet having psychological benefits has two sides, as does any issue. James E. Katz and Philip Aspden present the yes side of this issue. Katz and Aspden used a national random telephone survey to back up their side on the issue. The survey conducted in October of 1995 compiled the individuals who took the survey into five specific groups. The groups consisted of those not aware of the Internet, non-users aware of the Internet, former users, recent users-those who started using the Internet in 1995, and longtime users-those who started using the Internet prior to 1995. The survey questioned community involvement (community, leisure, and religious,) involvement in existing communities (face to face, family, Internet,)

The first effect of using the internet is social isolation. Ordinarily, we have lost our face to face communication with people by social isolation. The outcome shows that people nowadays prefer utilizing the

Due to the unique nature of the association(as a self-financed social enterprise), the potential market for the association should not quite different to normal private companies/ profit-making organizations. The potential market for the association should be surely the seniors in need in the community, but also the generous donors, volunteers, the media and even the Government. Their support on the association will be of paramount importance to sustain the quality service provided to the clients, such as the provision of necessary funding for daily operation, human resources, training and guidance. (Hellinger, 1987)