Cherry Hill Sun

Tag: senior

  • Connection over coffee for township seniors

    Photos by Abigail Twiford
    Seniors got dance lessons at the Carmen Tilelli Community Center on Oct. 8 during the township’s first Senior Coffee and Connection event.

    The township provided apple cider, donuts, fruit and coffee to older adults at its inaugural Senior Coffee and Connection event on Oct. 8, the first of its kind in Cherry Hill.

    Participants at the Carmen Tilelli Community Center not only ate, but learned about available senior clubs and activities.

    “This is one of the best events that we have for seniors,” said Councilman Daniel DiRenzo. “We were able to give them a lot of information that will be helpful to them.”

    Every week, clubs for seniors meet to play Bingo; hear speakers on topics relevant to older adults; play cards; or line dance, among other activities. The Maturity, Retirees and Super Seniors clubs are also resources for the kind of community and social engagement that can lead to longer life spans.

    Pat Kenny, president of the Super Seniors, set up a display at the Coffee and Connection event showcasing its activities.

    The Super Seniors Club displayed information about its actiities at the senior event.

    “We try to involve our seniors in deciding what happens in our club,” she noted. “Our first meeting of the month is what we call a business meeting, and it’s usually based around the theme of the month.”

    September’s theme coincided with Hispanic Heritage Month, so the club made burritos, read poetry in both English and Spanish and lunched on food from Spanish speaking countries. Kenny said that members without transportation can get help from others who drive, as well from the Cherry Hill bus service for residents 62 and older with a reservation.

    Senior Coffee and Connection also provided dance lessons to attendees, led by Gene Naidas.

    “I think dancing is one of the best things for seniors because you become physical,” Naidas explained. “So you move … you exercise your thinking, because you’ve got to remember the dances … The most important thing is like, when you make a mistake, there’s a smile on your face.”

    The township conducted a survey at the end of the event on the needs of seniors and services that would most benefit them, and the Super Seniors Club held one of its meetings.

  • Tips on keeping your balance at the library

    As the population ages across the country, communities have to focus on different areas of wellness than they did before.

    Among those concerns is balance and fall risk for seniors. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of injury in individuals 65 years of age and older. That statistic was addressed on April 17 at the Cherry Hill library, when it partnered with 3-Dimensional Therapy – a local physical therapy source that offers free balance screenings – to hold a community conversation on the subject. 

    The session offered tips and exercises that seniors and other adults with balance concerns can easily do at home. Physical therapist Katie Gaunt ran the event and demonstrations and went over some of the common causes of balance problems: eyesight; muscle weakness; and medical conditions like stroke, Parkinson’s and diabetes.

    “Neuropathy is a very common side effect of diabetes, so it happens a lot in your hands and feet,” she explained. “So obviously, we’re concerned with your feet. You lose sensation in your feet, so it’s going to throw off your balance if you can’t feel what’s under you.”

    Gaunt also described a test that can be done for balance, where an individual sits in a chair and tries to stand up without the use of their arms. The faster and easier a person is able to do that, the better their balance. 

    Gaunt also advised that anyone who feels dizzy when they sit up in the morning should move from bed slowly and wait until they feel steady to stand and start moving. Other recommendations to decrease the risk of falls include not carrying heavy objects or loads, wearing glasses and using walkers or canes if they are needed, ensuring adequate lighting, removing throw rugs and installing handrails by the toilet or in the shower.

    Judy Hymowitz is a local resident who was on hand for the library conversation. She goes to physical therapy once a week after tearing tendons in one of her quads three years ago. 

    “I just like to exercise as much as you can with it when, when it starts to hurt, you stop,” she said. “But it was very informative.”

    Hymowitz was also glad to hear Gaunt recommended the brand of walking shoe she uses with her orthotics. 

    Gaunt recommended other tests for balance. One is to stand on one foot with arms crossed over the trunk of the body and lean to each side. The length of time that takes varies by age. She also offered simple exercises, especially for those with little prior knowledge of them. They include kicking one leg to the side, practicing standing without use of arms and arm circles.

    More advanced exercises involved the use of foam pads while standing on one foot to practice balancing on softer surfaces.

  • ‘Important experience’: Township offers resources for seniors

    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.

  • Senior holiday party

    Cherry Hill seniors can celebrate the holiday season with food, friends and festive music at their annual holiday party on Thursday, Dec. 12, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Cherry Hill.

    Included will be a buffet, DJ, dancing and a photo booth. Tickets for the event include lunch, and must be purchased prior to Saturday, Nov. 30. Visit www.chnj.gov/SeniorParty for more information.