Senior Centers Continue Services Despite coronavirus

Many local senior centers remain open with attendance strong despite fears of the new coronavirus, directors reported Friday.

Directors said they have contingency plans to serve clients in case the centers need to close.

The Rogers Adult Wellness Center, operated by the city of Rogers, announced Friday the center will close beginning Monday until further notice. The center remains open Saturday following its regular schedule.

The Springdale Senior Center, operated by that city's government, will close its center to activities and meals until the end of March, beginning Monday.

The center will continue Meals on Wheels delivery and will extend the service to seniors in need who usually come to the center, said Director Lori Proud. Transportation services to and from doctor appointments and grocery stores also will continue, she said.

The senior centers in Fayetteville and Bentonville, operated by the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Arkansas, will stay open until further notice. The agency operates 26 centers in nine counties, including those in the smaller towns of Northwest Arkansas, reported Brad Bailey, executive director.

The agency has always been trained and ready for a health crisis, reads a release from the agency by Angie Dunlap, director of senior center services.

"The current situation is no different. Our staff, in-home services and senior center have been trained in universal standards of safety in providing care and meals to our elderly population. We will continue to use these universal standards of safety and take every precaution in preparing meals and services for our clients."

The agency also asks clients and staff members to stay home if they are sick.

Most centers serve a hot lunch each day, as well as delivering through Meals on Wheels programs. They also provide transportation for seniors to the centers and other locations.

The agency plans to continue service as usual, but does have plans in place should the centers close, Bailey said. He said the centers might serve those noon meals through curbside pickup at the seniors' homes and suspend transportation services.

The agency also provides in-home care to seniors in some communities, which also will continue, he said.

"They're not in a nursing home," Bailey said of the seniors served in their homes. "That's probably the best setting for them right now."

The new coronavirus, covid-19, is a respiratory illness that originated in Wuhan, China in late 2019. The World Health Organization declared the virus a pandemic earlier this week. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control.

Chase Gipson, director of the Fayetteville Senior Activity & Wellness Center, said his center usually serves about 250 people a day, and Thursday's and Friday's attendance seemed steady.

"These are resilient folks," Gipson said. "They're the most vulnerable, but they're also the most determined not to let it interrupt their lives."

"It's in time of crisis that our seniors need us most," said Susan Moore, chief executive officer of the Benton County Senior Activity & Wellness Center, run by the aging agency. "They need us ongoing, no matter what else is going on.

"We take all kinds of precautions, and they do as well," she continued. "They are well-aware that they are susceptible to all kinds of different things."

Some Springdale seniors faced another disappointment, Proud said. About 53 members -- and Proud -- planned a cruise to Cozumel, Belize and Honduras.

"We had to postpone our cruise," she said with disappointment in her voice. "But we're going next March."

NW News on 03/14/2020