As people age into senior citizens, they generally need more support. In order to address that and raise more awareness about services in the area, Cherry Hill held a senior resource fair on March 19 at the Carman Tilelli Community Center.
Al Shaffer attended the event, enjoying the ability to find information about what is available locally in one place.
“It’s great that Cherry Hill is doing it now,” he said. “And I’ve talked with some of the other offices before, and it’s great to have all them together, to be able to speak to and put the name to the face … I think it’s great to have a focus on the seniors, too, because sometimes we’re the forgotten population, but we’re important with the experience.”
The fair was dotted with rows of folding chairs set up for attendees and area resource organizations had tables of pamphlets, flyers and booklets describing their services. Information on township and county agencies that provide social services and human resources was also available, including for senior caretakers.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s office was represented, with information on avoiding scams and fraud, while local nursing homes and long-term care facilities offered facts on signs of negligence and abuse, as well as ways to prevent mistreatment.
Other organizations included Cherry Hill police, who distributed fire and crime prevention tips and advice for seniors, and the Camden County Veterans Affairs Office, which offered booklets of discounts for veterans. Cora Williams is a senior township resident who was at the resource fair and appreciated the presence of the Surrogate Court to help her find answers on an issue she has.
“It was such a beautiful turnout,” Williams noted, “and it was so good seeing other people, senior citizens.”
Mayor Dave Fleisher arrived about an hour into the event and spoke with attendees and county and township officials.
“We have hundreds of people coming through,” he observed. “It’s bringing people together, and it’s been a great source of information and resources for our seniors … knowing who to call when they need something, and hopefully finding an opportunity to get involved and be an even greater part of our community.”
Before leaving, Fleisher made a brief statement.
“It’s the first of many events that we have throughout the year to reinvigorate a sense of pride in our community,” he explained, “bring people together, and, again, hopefully provide some terrific resources that you can use.”
Following his remarks was a session with therapist Katie Gaunt, of 3D Physical Therapy, which has several locations in the South Jersey area. She offered free balance screenings for seniors and demonstrated ways they can test their own balance and use safe exercises to improve it.
“Basically, what it does is we’re going to take you through a couple of different tests,’ she explained, “and based on how you score on this test, we would tell you if you’re at an increased risk for falling or not, if you would benefit from more formal physical therapy.”
Tests for balance involve timing how quickly a person is able to go from a sitting to a standing position without the use of arms, walking 10 feet to an object, walking around it and returning to the chair. The longer it takes for a senior to complete those tasks, the higher their fall risk.
Exercises to improve balance that can be done at home were described as well. Putting one foot behind the other and holding that position before switching feet, modified jumping jacks, repeatedly sitting and standing up from a chair without arms, and holding on to a stable surface while balancing on one foot.
As the event wrapped up, attendees took water bottles and plastic cups of lemonade from a table.