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Support organizations and volunteers allowed the Longmont Senior Center to offer services and help to Longmont seniors during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michele Waite, the center’s senior services manager told the Longmont City Council this week.
The Senior Center closed facility-based operations on March 13, 2020 but continued serving the community by virtual means through the rest of 2020 and beyond, Waite said. On May 3, the center will re-open and offer programs on a limited basis.
Councilmember Polly Christensen said Senior Services provided life-sustaining support during the worst of the pandemic.
“I’m sure you have saved some lives,” Christensen said. “So many people were feeling fragmented and isolated through this.”
Last year, 110 people received counseling services or counseling referrals and 56 sought volunteer-led emotional support and assistance, Waite told the council. And with partner groups, the center offered support for kinship providers, women, those with early stage Alzheimer’s and Circulo de Apoyo for Spanish speakers, Waite said.
The Senior Center also cross-promoted city exercise options, virtual yoga and wellness groups and continued the senior golf program.
The Friends of the Longmont Senior Center helped provide instructors to keep activities free of charge as well as $38,000 in “Last Resort” funds for older adults impacted by loss of income, Waite said. The Friends also contributed $5,000 in tech devices for seniors wanting to stay connected during the pandemic.
Another group — The Longmont Sunshine Club — chipped in $3,626 for oral health care. Support staff saw 526 new clients and made 1,450 telephone contacts, Waite said. At least 74 of those reached were homeless or at risk of homelessness, while 58 received case management to remain housed..
Longmont Meals on Wheels served 127,515 meals to 1,040 different people, she said, and provided invaluable face-to-face contact with isolated seniors.
Senior Services supported 59 end-of-life Spanish participants and offered eight phone sessions relating to end-of-life planning in Spanish. Almost 200 caregiver education and support programs were held in 2020, Waite said.
Tech support became especially important during the pandemic. There were 651 seniors who dropped-in for tech labs at the Senior Center, 249 personal coaching recipients, 285 coffee talks while 293 attended virtual social gatherings, she said.
Senior Services also offered several virtual programs including cheese making, partnered with the 4-H to offer a pen pal program, and facilitated virtual education, philosophy and spiritual programming, Waite said.
