By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
March 23, 2011

Raising their arms and twisting their torsos, seniors at Holy Cross Senior Center practiced their chair exercises.

Today they were following a video, but on Tuesdays, trainer Myron Frye makes a special visit.

“Everybody seems to enjoy him. He’s got a personality out of this world,” said Mary Workman, a regular attendee.

Four days a week, the center offers an exercise session, but it’s only one facet of the center.

On Mondays, there’s a special speaker, a nurse, a social services worker and throughout the week, there’s bingo, dominos, lunch and other activities.

“We love it here,” Workman said. “The few that do come enjoy it and it breaks the monotony of the day. It gives you some place to go.”

Attendee Mary Counti said it’s a place to meet with friends and share about family.

“We have room for a lot more people,” attendee Bob Mitchell added.

Caring Communities Resource Center (CCRC) has sponsored the center since September of 2009 and aims to help seniors remain independent.

“The program’s goal is to come back to the neighborhood communities where services are lacking and provide a one-stop shop where they can stop in and see a nurse, have health screenings, have case managers to provide social services, information referrals, care plans. We also have counselors that do group and individual counseling,” CCRC Program Manager Monica Burgin said.

“It also allows them to socialize amongst themselves and connect with one another,” Senior Site Administrator Rico Rogers said.

Holy Cross Senior Center also wants to connect to the Latino community, he said, now that staff is available to offer services in both English and Spanish.

“With Rico’s help, we’re in the process of trying to do some outreach in the community to reach the Latino community because I think up until this point, it’s just not been a service that’s been offered. We’re working to transition the senior center to open up to that community.”

Asked about special speakers, Burgin said speakers have included representatives from Kansas City Power & Light, the Kansas City Health Department, among others. All presentations are catered toward the needs of the center’s seniors, she said.

Several times a year, the center takes field trips, which have included the Hallmark museum, New Theatre Restaurant, Lakeside Nature Center, Plaza Branch Library, among others.

“People can’t thank us enough for having the opportunity to go out and enjoy something in their community,” Burgin said. “Transportation is a big hurdle for a lot of these seniors, so when we provide transportation and are able to take them out, they are very appreciative of that.”

Nursing services

For Registered Nurse Sharon Smith, the center’s seniors are like family, she said.

Every Monday, she visits the center, offering free health checks, including checking blood sugar levels, diabetes, glucose, cholesterol screenings, blood pressure, weight, among others.

Nothing is forced, she said, and she only offers her services to those who request it.

“I want to promote their well-being and be their advocate health-wise,” Smith said. “I keep a brief record of what I find each time or what advice I give them, so the next time they come I can ask them about that.”

She’s referred several seniors to other doctors and if she doesn’t know an answer, she’ll find it, she said.

“I’m just kind of guarding their health,” Smith said.

Director of Senior Care Services at Catholic Charities of Kansas City Stephanie Ray summed up the center.

“The senior center really is in a place of evolving with the help of the CCRC program,” Ray said. “It’s more than just a nutrition center where they come get a meal. It’s really some place they can come to socialize. We have medical assistance with regards to copays, prescription purchases, eye glasses, things like that.

“We’re setting up free assistance with tax completion… The list goes on and on.

“We just want the community to remember that it’s available here and to access it because it can be a great benefit to any senior.”

Above: Sharon Smith, RN, checks Bob Mitchell’s blood pressure at the Holy Cross Senior Center. Leslie Collins