Senior Services for South Sound – May 2022 report to the Senior Action Network

by Brian Windrope

 

As we begin May, it is remarkable to look back on the first four months of 2022 and reflect on all the changes around our programs here at Senior Services for South Sound. I’m happy to say that for the last few weeks, we have been fully open our normal hours at the Virgil Clarkson Lacey Senior Center as well as at the Olympia Center. Seniors can come in every day of the week and get a fresh hot meal and participate in activities and programs. We are open 8:30am to 4pm Monday through Friday.

The road to this point has surely been a hard one. While we first opened our doors after the pandemic closure in July of 2021, we were operating only three days a week for most of the time since then. We moved to being open five days a week earlier this year but could not provide meals in Olympia a few of those days due to a shortage of storage space for all the Meals on Wheels that our nutrition staff was also making! Long story short, we’ve solved that problem and are now open normal days and hours. We’ve also recently taken the step of not requiring masks in our centers and programs, though we do still require proof of vaccination and booster for entry.

We are happy to say we’ve not yet had a single case of COVID originate from our centers or programs, due in part to our strict COVID protocols. Since our mission is to improve the quality of life for people as they age, we saw no choice but to take the health of our senior visitors very seriously. We’ve had seniors coming to our centers in Lacey and Olympia from far away parts of the area because they feel safe with us. We take none of this lightly, and have been delighted to drop the mask mandate, at least for the time being.

Most importantly, every program you know and love with Senior Services is up and running. You can take trips again, you can sign up for classes and activities, you can get help with your Medicare questions through our SHIBA program, and we’ve even resumed Bingo! Let’s hope the summer brings more good COVID news. Over 80% of Thurston County adults are vaccinated, and this provides a level of protection for all of us that is reassuring. Get away from the house, come join an activity in Lacey or Olympia, and remember how great it is to socialize with other wonderful people!

Join the members of SAN at the Olympia Senior Center on June 28 th at 8:00 am* as Chris Quimby, Director of the Olympia Senior Center, answers all your questions and provides information about all the Lacey and Olympia Senior Centers have planned for the remainder of 2022 and beyond.
*REAR ENTRANCE*