GREENFIELD — For senior citizens, feelings of loneliness and decreased connection to the community are becoming more common. Feeling alone can be more than just unpleasant, especially for older people.
It can also have health risks. According to a survey by the University of California San Francisco, 45 percent of senior citizens reported feelings of loneliness or isolation. For those people, the health consequences include a greater risk of death and a 59 percent increase in the odds of physical or mental health problems.
In Hancock County, a group is attempting to combat that problem. Established by Hancock Health community education coordinator Linda Garrity, weekly Senior Socials groups are giving older adults a chance to connect with each other as well as with community resources.
“I realized every little town used to have a senior center years ago, but they don’t anymore,” Garrity said. “Greenfield does, but the small towns — Fortville doesn’t have one anymore, in McCordsville there’s nothing. Some of these towns there’s not really any good gathering places. There’s maybe a diner, maybe not.”
The Senior Social events attempt to fill that void. The group meets at 10 a.m. every Wednesday at the Hancock Wellness Center in McCordsville. The group does not have any age requirements, and participant do not need to be members of the Wellness Center.
A different event is scheduled each Wednesday, with the first Wednesday of the month being a game day with prizes; the second featuring a guest speaker on a variety of topics; the third being dedicated to exercise tips; and the fourth to nutrition. In months when there is a fifth Wednesday, the group has a brunch and bingo event.
Elder law attorney and Central Indiana Council on Aging member Pamela Bennett spoke at the meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 16, about different services provided through CICOA.
Garrity said although the informational aspect of the meetings is important, she always advises speakers to leave plenty of time for the attendees to socialize as well.
“It gives them some place they know they can gather to have coffee and talk,” Garrity said.
Lou Lowder and Donnette Gibson have been attending the group for about four years. Both said connecting with other seniors is their primary motivation for attending.
“I like the socializing, just talking and having fun — laughing. But the information too is good,” Lowder said.
Gibson said she often invites friends and other community members to attend the meetings because she believes they provide an important sense of connection. She said for some of the members, attending the group is a form of therapy.
“I look forward to every Wednesday morning because of this. It’s something you can look forward to every week,” Gibson said. “You know you’re going to have to get up, and you’re going to have to get cleaned up, and you’re going to have to go somewhere. Whereas if you don’t do it, I know lots of times at home I’ll stay in my pajamas all day.”
“You have to have a reason to get up and get out, and this is a good reason,” Lowder said.
McCordsville resident Loreen Guthrie said she would encourage more people in her area to attend the group. She said dealing with common problems seniors face is easier with advice from others who attend the group.
“You interact with other people, you get to know about problems and things — you can learn from other people, mostly. They have the same things we have, the same problems,” Guthrie said.
In the future, Garrity hopes to add a second group when the new Wellness Center in New Palestine opens, sometime in 2020.
“Some of the doctors know about it, so if they see someone that’s really struggling, they’ll say, ‘Hey, go and check it out,’” Garrity said. “We have people that schedule a ride through Senior Services to be here every week. I’d love to see it grow and have even more people, but there’s a nice core group.”
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Senior Socials are held at the Hancock Wellness Center in McCordsville at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays. Here is the schedule for November events:
Nov. 6: Game Day with Prizes, sponsored by Springhurst Health Campus and Greenfield Healthcare Center.
Nov. 13: Hancock Regional Hospital physical therapist Sean McNulty will give a presentation on preventing falls. Sponsored by Traditions at Brookside.
Nov. 20: "Make a Move" exercise discussion, sponsored by Hancock Wellness.
Nov. 27: "Fascinating Food Facts" exercise discussion, sponsored by Suburban Home Health.
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