-
Greenwich Selectman John Toner serves a meal during the Greenwich Senior Center's annual Thanksgiving lunch party at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, Old Greenwich, Conn., Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. A traditional roasted turkey dinner was served by volunteers and Greenwich community leaders.
lessPhoto: Bob Luckey Jr. / Hearst Connecticut MediaGreenwich Selectman John Toner serves a meal during the Greenwich Senior Center's annual Thanksgiving lunch party at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, Old Greenwich, Conn., Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. A
... more
Greenwich Selectman John Toner serves a meal during the Greenwich Senior Center's annual Thanksgiving lunch party at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, Old Greenwich, Conn., Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. A traditional roasted turkey dinner was served by volunteers and Greenwich community leaders.
lessGreenwich Selectman John Toner serves a meal during the Greenwich Senior Center's annual Thanksgiving lunch party at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, Old Greenwich, Conn., Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. A
... moreGREENWICH — Senior center leaders — in Greenwich and in Stamford — are preparing to provide food assistance to clients affected by recent center closures due to COVID-19 concerns.
On Tuesday evening, Greenwich Senior Center leaders announced they would close their facility, at 299 Greenwich Ave. “until further notice,” effectively ending on-site programs for clients but allowing staff members to still work in the vacant building.
The next morning, Stamford Senior Center directors did similarly, temporarily suspending all programs “out of an abundance of caution.”
“We don’t want to instill fear,” said Lori Contadino, director of the Greenwich Commission on Aging, which oversees town programs for older adults, including the local senior center. “This is not because anyone has been identified (as infected) in the center or among us in our senior center world. This is a preemptive type of safety measure that we thought was important.”
Four Connecticut residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and there are more than 100 cases in neighboring Westchester County, N.Y.
The fourth, a Stamford resident who returned from international travel, is being treated at Stamford Hospital, city officials announced Thursday.
Also on Thursday, Greenwich Hospital announced a patient, who is from New York state, tested positive. No Greenwich residents have have been confirmed to have the coronavirus.
Greenwich Senior Center leaders are expected to reevaluate the closure after April 15. Stamford Senior Center directors plan to remain closed until March 27. Both agencies will have staff on-site during regular business hours to answer any questions or calls.
Amid the closures, there is concern for frail or isolated clients who rely on their senior center for low-cost meals each day, said Christina Crain, executive director of the Stamford Senior Center.
According to the aging organization AARP, senior centers don’t only work to combat a sense of isolation that many seniors face, but they also provide at least one reliable meal each day to many older adults, who would forfeit them otherwise.
“For some of our members, that is their one well-rounded meal, and at dinner time, they may just have a bowl of cereal, a cup of soup,” Crain said. “For the older seniors that aren’t really cooking much, yes, for many of them, this is the most important meal per day.”
Underlying health issues, dwindling energy, low-incomes and reduced appetites that comes with aging, are factors causing older adults to become undernourished.
A national organization, Feeding America, reported in 2019 that 1 in 12 people — or 5 million older Americans — age 60 or older, are “food insecure,” or are living without consistent access to food, according to AARP.
The Administration for Community Living, a human services agency, provides grants to states that help them support nutrition services for older adults across the country, through programs, such as a congregate meals program, which are available to clients at the Greenwich and Stamford senior centers.
These programs serve food in group settings and are often coordinated with other human services, such as transportation or health screenings, according to AARP.
In 2017, nearly half of all congregate meal recipients lived alone, according to AARP.
Greenwich Senior Center leaders are organizing a grocery shopping trip Thursday, through the Transportation Association of Greenwich, and plan to continue the weekly service amid the closure.
Seniors registered with the center should reserve a space on the van, on a first-come, first-serve basis by calling the Greenwich Senior Center’s main number at 203-862-6700 and should ask to speak to Deana Salerno. Drivers will pick clients up from their homes to bring them to Shop Rite and will return to the supermarket to bring clients back to their residence.
Meals on Wheels is also delivering meals to those who need it, Contadino said.
Supermarketing for Seniors, a program through Jewish Family Services, is also offering free food delivery to people 60 and older.
FreshDirect, Peapod and Top Chef Meals are other food delivery options. Many pharmacies also have a delivery service option, Contadino said.
In Stamford, Crain is working with the city’s Department of Social Services, to create a list of clients who don’t drive, don’t have family members close by to help with food prep and heavily use the congregate meal program at the center. Center staff are starting to conduct wellness checks with clients by phone and will create individualized plans to deliver food or medications to those who need it at a low cost.
Crain said Stamford Senior Center leaders are waiting on employees at the state Department on Aging to confirm a funding source for the new service. The director said she has asked the department to use money for the congregate meals program to fund the new operation.
For more information, call the Stamford Senior Center, at 203-977-5151.
tatiana.flowers@thehour.com
"assistance" - Google News
March 12, 2020 at 10:38PM
https://ift.tt/2QbksyL
Senior centers offer food assistance amid coronavirus closures in Greenwich and Stamford - Greenwich Time
"assistance" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Ne4zX9
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Senior centers offer food assistance amid coronavirus closures in Greenwich and Stamford - Greenwich Time"
Post a Comment