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By Larry Stombaugh
For the Clemmons Courier

Senior Services Inc. of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County is dedicated to helping aging adults in our community remain at home, living with dignity and aging with purpose. The organization that is located on 2895 Shorefair Drive near the Fairgrounds in Winston-Salem offers several programs to meet physical and emotional needs of senior citizens in the local community.

Among the services that are offered are the following:

Help Line. This service provides information on local resources for seniors, their caregivers, and the community at large.  Aging resource specialists provide information, counseling to seniors and their caregivers on topics such as in-home services, housing options, community resources, and long-term planning. Anyone interested in this program can call 336-724-2040 to speak with an aging resource specialist.

The Elizabeth and Tab Williams Adult Day Care Center. This is an adult day care and health center that provides activities and care for older adults living with memory loss who cannot be left alone during the day. Participants can engage in arts and creative projects, music, and various forms of physical activity. The phone number for the Williams Center is 336-724-2155.

Meals-on-Wheels. This program provides hot, nutritious meals each weekday to older adults who are homebound and having difficulty preparing meals. Volunteers also provide a wellness check. The Forsyth County program was established in 1962 and is the oldest in the Southeast and the third oldest in the country. There are 71 routes throughout the county and over 250,000 meals are delivered each year. Call 336-725-0907 for information about this program.

Living-at-Home. A Medicaid-waiver program offering eligible applicants who are living with disabilities and at-risk of nursing home placement — a comprehensive case management service designed to coordinate care that will help program participants remain safely in their homes as long as possible. Call 336-725-0907 to speak with a Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP-DA) representative.

Home Care. This program provides certified nursing aides under the supervision of a registered nurse to deliver personal care including assistance with bathing, meal preparation, dressing, and light housekeeping of the participant care area. Call 336-725-0907 to learn more about the Home Care service.

Senior Lunch. This program operates three days a week — Monday, Wednesday and Friday — and has four sites in Forsyth County including three in Winston-Salem and one in Kernersville. Participants receive a hot, nutritious meal and can participate in a variety of activities including games, exercise, dance and arts and crafts. There are also guest speakers who provide information about age-related topics. The contact phone number for this program is 336-725-0907.

Senior Services maintains a monthly calendar of events for seniors on their website at seniorservicesinc.org/events. The calendar includes events offered by Senior Services of Forsyth and many other agencies and groups as well. These events include various classes, book clubs, group activities, exercise programs and support groups. The backbone for services offered by Senior Services are the hundreds of volunteers who give unselfishly of their time. Volunteers range in age from young children to individuals in their 80s.

Holly Beck is the volunteer and community engagement manager for Senior Services. She noted that the Meals-on-Wheels program alone has 1,500 volunteers and that at least 71 are needed daily to cover the routes in Forsyth County. She indicated that volunteers serve in various capacities including administrative assistance, cleaning, making wellness calls and leading activities such as dance or exercise programs. The agency is always looking for more volunteers to assist. Contact Holly at 336-721-3411 to learn about ways you can get involved.