Kosciusko Senior Center Back Open With Precautions In Place
October 18, 2020 at 10:29 p.m.
Kosciusko Senior Center Back Open With Precautions In Place
By Jackie Gorski-
The Activity Center opened up Sept. 28 and “we’re only getting a handful of people,” said David Neff, executive director.
Social distancing has been put in place, Neff said. People also need to continue to wear masks, and masks are available for those that don’t have one. The Activity Center has hand sanitizers and disinfectant. Seniors are asked not to go past certain doors to help prevent mixing.
“We’ve limited it to one entrance,” Neff said.
When seniors enter the Activity Center, Activities Coordinator Kathy Curtis will write down the person’s name and take their temperature. Neff said if the person doesn’t feel well, they will be asked to go home.
Seniors will be given a chip and put it where they sit so Curtis knows where to clean, she said.
“She came up with that, and I think that’s a pretty smart idea,” Neff said.
The Activity Center is talking about having a sponsored meal Wednesday, the first offered since reopening. It will be limited to 50 people, who are required to RSVP for the lunch at 574-267-2012. The meal will be brought to them.
“Because of the population we’re dealing with, we’re being very cautious,” Neff said. “If precautions need to be loosened later on, we’ll do that, but at first the Activity Center is being overly cautious.”
Neff said he calls the health department at least once a week to get their opinion on what the Center is doing.
The Center is going to limit the number of seniors at events as well. Pre-COVID, Neff said there were 80 to 85 seniors at events. The Center is not going to get that high any time soon. They’re going to start with five to 10 people at events. Neff is going to monitor how things go, and if they go well, the Center will increase how many people can attend events.
“I want the seniors out there that come to the Activity Center to know and make their own choice. This is what we’ve done to ensure your safety. If you want to come here and have a place to socialize at a safe distance, we are available,” Neff said.
The mental health aspect of seniors’ care was the biggest challenge to Neff in making the decision to reopen.
“Isolation leads to despairity and despondency and to physical and mental illness. And we’re seeing that,” Neff said.
The Activity Center has seniors that walk the track and haven’t been able to do that. There are seniors that haven’t seen each other in months that enjoy talking to each other over a cup of coffee, “which is very important for mental health,” he said.
Most of Kosciusko County seems to be opened back up, but Neff said the senior population is “still deeply, deeply worried about this. And there’s a large group that are still staying home.”
Throughout the closure, Neff tasked Curtis with “making calls to seniors just to help their mental well-being, and she’s had conversations just to avoid loneliness.”
During Curtis’ calls, Neff said there are seniors that can’t talk because they haven’t talked to anyone, “so when they talk, their voice cracks. There’s seniors out there that had weight gain issues because they’re sedentary now.”
“So that’s the dilemma that I have been wrestling with,” Neff said.
Neff said he pushed back the reopening of the Activities Center “at least five times just because the situation didn’t merit it. I’m deeply concerned about the spikes that are going on right now. And my board of directors have given me the authority to open and/or close, so if things continue to get worse, it’s possible we close again.”
Neff said the health department agreed with the pushback of the reopening.
The Senior Center’s Mobile Meals and the transportations programs were considered essential and remained open. The seniors that get home-delivered meals are asked to stay in their homes. The meals are made at Kosciusko?Community Hospital, bagged before leaving the hospital and placed outside the person’s door.
“To my knowledge, with home-delivered meals, neither a volunteer has given (COVID) to a senior nor a senior has given it to a volunteer. I’m very proud of that,” Neff said.
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The Activity Center opened up Sept. 28 and “we’re only getting a handful of people,” said David Neff, executive director.
Social distancing has been put in place, Neff said. People also need to continue to wear masks, and masks are available for those that don’t have one. The Activity Center has hand sanitizers and disinfectant. Seniors are asked not to go past certain doors to help prevent mixing.
“We’ve limited it to one entrance,” Neff said.
When seniors enter the Activity Center, Activities Coordinator Kathy Curtis will write down the person’s name and take their temperature. Neff said if the person doesn’t feel well, they will be asked to go home.
Seniors will be given a chip and put it where they sit so Curtis knows where to clean, she said.
“She came up with that, and I think that’s a pretty smart idea,” Neff said.
The Activity Center is talking about having a sponsored meal Wednesday, the first offered since reopening. It will be limited to 50 people, who are required to RSVP for the lunch at 574-267-2012. The meal will be brought to them.
“Because of the population we’re dealing with, we’re being very cautious,” Neff said. “If precautions need to be loosened later on, we’ll do that, but at first the Activity Center is being overly cautious.”
Neff said he calls the health department at least once a week to get their opinion on what the Center is doing.
The Center is going to limit the number of seniors at events as well. Pre-COVID, Neff said there were 80 to 85 seniors at events. The Center is not going to get that high any time soon. They’re going to start with five to 10 people at events. Neff is going to monitor how things go, and if they go well, the Center will increase how many people can attend events.
“I want the seniors out there that come to the Activity Center to know and make their own choice. This is what we’ve done to ensure your safety. If you want to come here and have a place to socialize at a safe distance, we are available,” Neff said.
The mental health aspect of seniors’ care was the biggest challenge to Neff in making the decision to reopen.
“Isolation leads to despairity and despondency and to physical and mental illness. And we’re seeing that,” Neff said.
The Activity Center has seniors that walk the track and haven’t been able to do that. There are seniors that haven’t seen each other in months that enjoy talking to each other over a cup of coffee, “which is very important for mental health,” he said.
Most of Kosciusko County seems to be opened back up, but Neff said the senior population is “still deeply, deeply worried about this. And there’s a large group that are still staying home.”
Throughout the closure, Neff tasked Curtis with “making calls to seniors just to help their mental well-being, and she’s had conversations just to avoid loneliness.”
During Curtis’ calls, Neff said there are seniors that can’t talk because they haven’t talked to anyone, “so when they talk, their voice cracks. There’s seniors out there that had weight gain issues because they’re sedentary now.”
“So that’s the dilemma that I have been wrestling with,” Neff said.
Neff said he pushed back the reopening of the Activities Center “at least five times just because the situation didn’t merit it. I’m deeply concerned about the spikes that are going on right now. And my board of directors have given me the authority to open and/or close, so if things continue to get worse, it’s possible we close again.”
Neff said the health department agreed with the pushback of the reopening.
The Senior Center’s Mobile Meals and the transportations programs were considered essential and remained open. The seniors that get home-delivered meals are asked to stay in their homes. The meals are made at Kosciusko?Community Hospital, bagged before leaving the hospital and placed outside the person’s door.
“To my knowledge, with home-delivered meals, neither a volunteer has given (COVID) to a senior nor a senior has given it to a volunteer. I’m very proud of that,” Neff said.
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