| Center built for Active Boomers, Seniors |
By HOLLY WISE Murray Ledger & Times Newspaper
|
|
The Murray-Calloway County Senior Center began preparing their facility
for the baby boomer generation long before Gov. Ernie Fletcher
initiated the Kentucky Elder Readiness Initiative (KERI) in 2005.
A lot of the foresight goes to Center Director Eric Kelleher.
When the initial Weaks Center burned almost seven years ago, Kelleher
participated in the architectural design and furnishing of the new
building, which would again house numerous community agencies including the Senior Center.
Despite the loss of the old building, Kelleher said he saw the project
as a good opportunity to design the new building with baby boomers in
mind. Kelleher said he presented a “wish list” of everything he wanted
to include in the new facility and he got just about everything he
asked for. “The only thing I asked for and didn’t get,” he chuckled, “was a
swimming pool.”
KERI was launched by Gov. Fletcher to raise awareness of the inevitable
elder population boom. “Planning is successful only when adequate
information is available upon which to make decisions,” Fletcher was
quoted as saying. “That's exactly what the Kentucky Elder Readiness
Initiative gives community leaders — valuable insight and the unique
perspective of people who live in their areas and who plan to grow old
there as well.”
Last month, the Purchase Area Agency of Aging heard Mark Birdwhistell,
secretary for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, address the
Purchase area’s preparation for the elder population increase. Calloway
County has taken a very active role due to the general aging of the
region’s population, retirement lures of the lakes area, Murray State
University, housing costs, etc., as well as the 1987 Rand-McNally
designation of Murray and Calloway County being the prime retirement
spot in the U.S.
According to Kelleher, the Murray-Calloway Senior Center has three
principles on which it’s focused. The first is nutrition, in which the
Center provides one meal a day to seniors who visit the facility and
also through Meals on Wheels. Meals on Wheels delivers to 105 residents
and there is a waiting list.
The second principle the Senior Center focuses on is socialization.
Kelleher said that most people get their socialization from work or
school, so when a person retires that they have something to do through
the Senior Center.
In the design of the building, Kelleher had glass windows installed in
the activity rooms instead of solid walls. “I wanted people to feel
like they weren’t isolated,” he explained. “This way, they can feel
like they’re still a part of what’s going on.”
Education classes are also utilized. Kelleher said the center offers
two or three educational classes a month, such as a senior crime class
regarding financial scams was presented by the Calloway County
Sheriff’s Office. Computer classes are also taught periodically in the
Center’s well-equipped computer lab.
The third and final principle is wellness, which Kelleher said is the
Center’s main focus. Some of the things the center offers are exercise
classes, dance classes, an exercise room, shuffleboard and a basketball
court.
Kelleher said when the building was being built, he asked for a
basketball court because a study found that a large majority of baby
boomers played basketball in college and that was one thing they wanted
in a senior center. “The way of playing may change,” said Kelleher, “but you’d still enjoy 3-on-3 (pick-up ballgames).”
According to Kelleher, the changes to the Center have been well
received but he cautioned that they have also been mindful of others
they serve.
“You can’t just change all of a sudden and say the baby boomers are
coming and forget your World War II vets,” he said. “You have to
continue to provide for them while trying to come up with new programs
the baby boomers will enjoy.” The center offers bingo once a week and Kelleher said there are about 30 individuals who participate.
|
|
Printer-friendly format
|
|
