Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Editorial

Senior centers offer more than bingo

There are more questions than answers surrounding the pending closure of the drop-in center where Los Gatos seniors congregate to share conversation and a cup of coffee or to play a game of cards.

Why didn't the Adult and Child Guidance Center apply for available funding from the town? Can a weekly visit by a case manager really provide the kind of support the community owes its aging population?

The town is scrambling to keep the doors to the drop-in center open. That's good. Keeping the center open is vital, even if it's staffed only with volunteers and is only visited by a case manager once a week.

But that's not good enough.

A senior center is a vital resource for older adults. When seniors attend programs at these centers, it may look like they're simply playing cards or sharing a cup of coffee with a friend, but that's not all that's going on.

Social isolation is a devastating aspect of aging for many. As lifelong friends die or move away, it's easy for older people to fall into patterns of isolation and depression.

In many ways, old age is best characterized as a time of loss. Old people face not only the loss of friends but the loss of health, livelihood, income--things that contribute to a sense of worth.

To not even offer a place for older people to congregate and socialize in the community is unthinkable. To settle for a one-day-a-week visit from a case manager is just about as bad.

Case managers are trained social workers. Yes, they answer questions when asked; that's something a case manager could do on a weekly visit.

But the real value of case management is that a social worker can spot problems before they reach the crisis stage. For seniors, in particular, a single problem can quickly multiply.

A friend who provided transportation moves away, and the elderly person suddenly has no way to get to the grocery store, the pharmacy, the doctor's appointment. Or the weekly bingo game at the senior center.

Would a once-a-week case manager notice that a regular at the bingo game hadn't been around for a month?

Los Gatos' seniors deserve better than that.

The West Valley Women's Club has been working quietly behind the scenes to turn the building at 550 Hubbell Ave. into a senior center. The club is in the process of applying for 501C-3 nonprofit status for its fundraising efforts. Once an active meeting place for seniors, the building is now home to a weekly card game for a handful of seniors.

A meeting between the town, the West Valley Women's Club and the town's seniors might be a good place to begin a dialogue about a senior center. It's a conversation that desperately needs to take place.

[ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ]