By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The Wood County Committee on Aging wants local senior citizens to stay independent and involved. That means providing meals, transportation and social activities for the growing gray population of the county.
And that means they need voters’ help. The Wood County Committee on Aging is asking voters to support a renewal 0.7-mill, five-year levy for senior services.
For the owner of a home valued at $100,000, that adds up to $19.31 a year. The levy, which generates about $2 million a year, makes up about 69 percent of the committee on aging’s budget for the county.
“We want to make sure the seniors of the county have what they need,” explained Denise Niese, executive director of the Wood County Committee on Aging.
That is a weighty goal, considering 19 percent of the county’s population are senior citizens. That number is about 25,400 now, and is expected to explode to 32,000 when the baby boomers reach senior citizen status.
The Committee on Aging serves many of those older adults at the seven senior centers in the county, in Bowling Green, Perrysburg, North Baltimore, Pemberville, Rossford, Walbridge and Wayne.
Seniors are offered meals, transportation, social interaction and education programs for those who aren’t done learning.
More than 126,000 meals are delivered annually to 900 individual homes of senior citizens throughout the county. And for those able to get to the senior centers, about 70,000 meals are provided to more than 2,200 seniors a year.
The home-delivered meals provide sustenance and social contact, according to Tom Bamburowski, president of the committee on aging.
“They enjoy nutritious food and they enjoy seeing another human being,” he said. “It might be the only other person they see that day.”
The meals at the senior centers get older residents out of their homes, mingling with others. “That’s the front door to senior services,” Niese said. “They come in for a meal and they stay for other things,” such as exercise classes, lectures or card games.
Transportation services provide an average of 509 rides per month to medical appointments, grocery shopping, senior centers or social events. The demand for those services is expected to grow as the older population living at home increases, Niese predicted.
“I think we’re going to see more of that as our 75 population becomes our 85 population, and our 85 population is going to be 95,” she said.
To ensure that seniors’ homes remain in good condition, the committee on aging also offers a home repair program which can take care of items like water leaks or the need for railings on porch steps.
“That helps keep seniors home longer,” said Jim Stainbrook, director of fiscal and facility operations for the committee on aging.
The senior centers – all of which are housed in community buildings not owned by the committee on aging – also offer several services that improve the quality of life for local seniors.
“If you’re isolated and you don’t talk to anyone all day, you get depressed,” said Roger Anderson, past president of the committee on aging. Visits to the senior center encourage older residents to eat better, take care of themselves and develop support systems.
“They check on each other,” Niese said.
To some, the socialization is a lifesaver.
Colleen Smith, treasurer of the committee on aging, told of an older resident who found friendship and support at the Bowling Green center.
“This is her second home,” Smith said. “It’s made a complete difference in her life.”
The centers also offer educational programs with information on pertinent topics like OPERS changes, open enrollment for Medicare, help with preparing income taxes, legal issues, and how to use the latest computer gadgets.
“Seniors need to come up to speed with 4-year-olds,” Anderson said.
“We’re able to provide a venue for these services to be available,” Niese said.
Health screenings are also offered to check on cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and support groups for caregivers.
Some of the programs are purely for enjoyment, such as art classes, musical entertainment, poetry contests, dancing, day trips and overnight excursions.
The senior centers are staffed with 29 full-time and 13 part-time employees.
“Our people are dedicated and love their jobs. I’m proud of that,” Smith said.
To save on expenses, the committee on aging makes use of about 350 community volunteers every year. The organization also works with several private and public agencies in the county, such as Bowling Green State University, the Wood County Health District, WSOS and area churches.
“We want to be efficient,” Anderson said.
The committee on aging also wants to be accessible, and for that reason the organization is searching for a site for one more senior center.
“We are looking to the future to try to find a suitable location in the northwest quadrant of the county,” Bamburowski said.
