Could Lodi do more to serve seniors?
Lodi Senior Commission proposes new resource center
The Lodi Senior Commission proposed that the city offer more access to resources and recreational opportunities for seniors during Tuesday morning’s Lodi City Council shirtsleeve session.
The commission proposed a resource center that would offer seniors and caregivers a place where they can be connected to resources. The center would also provide educational opportunities along with a website that would include caregiver resource guides, housing lists, financial resources, care management and health care navigation.
The commission also proposed increasing recreational opportunities for seniors by increasing pool hours and having more instructional classes.
Lodi Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Director Jeff Hood said that Hutchins Street Square currently provides 19 hours a week of senior instruction at the pool and attendance is very low. Hutchins also provides opportunities for senior bingo, art classes, yoga and dancing, and recently started a new program called Walking With Ease for people with arthritis. Hood also pointed out that the LOEL Center also has recreational opportunities such as line dancing, low-impact exercise and yoga.
Hood said the city is always exploring recreational opportunities and often explores opportunities for expanding programs. He said that a new city website is in the works, which could be used to provide information to seniors.
Hood did note that there will be budget reductions in the coming fiscal year, and his department is looking to utilize its resources in the most efficient manner.
Former Senior Commission Chairman Terri Whitmire said that the San Joaquin County Human Services Agency has programs for helping people fill out forms and other services for seniors that could come to Lodi if a location were available.
Whitmire said she gets 100 calls a year from families that are seeking help and having a resource would be very helpful even its only available a few days out of the week.
Whitmire suggested that office space in the Holz Room at Hutchins Street Square would be a good place to host these county services. Hood said that using the office space is a possibility, however the space is currently being rented out to bring in revenue. Hood said the city would have to turn away potential renters to make the space available for those services.
According to Whitmire, during a July shirtsleeve session Councilman Mark Chandler requested that the commission explore the needs of the senior community. As a result, Whitmire said the commission began asking questions and conducting research and surveys to determine those needs.
According to Senior Commission Chairman Julie Whiteley, in the summer 2016, the commission distributed at least 15,000 surveys and 467 were completed. The survey covered topics such as preferred mode of communication, safety, senior services and resources such as housing, transportation and caregiver support.