LEFT : Mayor Wild with party goers at our Senior Center Holiday Celebration . BELOW : Residents enjoying one of the many events hosted at the Senior Friendship Center .
varied backgrounds and stages in life . For instance , Marcum noted that they feed about 350 homebound seniors every day ; those seniors are not forgotten and the “ Meals on Wheels ” program is essential to keeping the homebound seniors healthy .
Congregate meals are served daily 11:30a . m . The congregate meal provides a nutritious meal while offering the opportunity to socialize with peers . Residents can reserve a meal by calling 734-722-7362 by noon of the prior business day . If seniors do not make a reservation , and they wish to have a lunch , they can go on standby and depending on availability , they can still usually oblige .
Also , for the nursing home bound seniors who are very frail , and have no family in the area , Westland has the Home Chore Program . This is a free program that provides outdoor supplemental services to assist seniors to stay in their own homes , keeping them out of the nursing homes for a longer period . This program is for seniors older than 70 , unable to physically do the work and unable to financially afford to have it done . Service includes snow removal from drive and walkways ( must have snowed more than four inches ), lawn mowing and leaf raking .
In addition to in-house services , the Friendship Center also organizes travel events using both travel agencies and the in-house bus “ The Friendship Express .”
“ We offer trips that are planned by staff for members who are on a small fixed income and use professional tour companies for those whose income allows more travel expenses ,” said Marcum . Speakers also give presentations and tour trips at monthly programs . The travel agents are just one of many groups Marcum has partnered with in order to provide services .
Marcum also partners with Madonna University and has mentored nursing students for the last six years . “ Often it ’ s the first time many of these students have engaged with seniors beyond their own grandparents ,” said Marcum . “ They come in and check their blood pressure and discuss other health issues , symptom control , loss and grief and other topics seniors regularly might deal with .”
Partnering with the Wayne County Community College District ( WCCCD ) has allowed the center to offer WCCCD classes such as genealogy , computers , tablets and cell phones and has plans to expand as the demand increases . Marcum also hopes to start a history class . “ Instead of having our members go to the college , we asked WCCCD to bring classes to us and it has given us the opportunity to offer a platform of lifelong learning to our seniors ,” said Marcum .
Marcum also partners with local John Glenn High School by engaging students to volunteer their time at the center . “ They help in all kinds of areas ,” said Marcum . “ During the holidays , they help decorate the center .”
Marcum is always trying to develop new programs and testing out ideas . “ Some programs have a shelf life and they eventually end but others last for years , and that ’ s OK ,” said Marcum . “ We are always looking for new ideas , but experience has taught me that partnerships are definitely where it ’ s at . The opportunities are endless .”
She recently implemented a spiritual program called ALPHA . It is a worldrenowned series of interactive sessions that freely explore the basics of faith . “ It ’ s not focused on religion as much as it focused on exploration ,” said Marcum . As people age , their interest in transcendence , what they leave behind , what is going to happen to their “ soul ” and what that means to them , is something people want to explore . What is most important is that people are given an opportunity to explore their own interests regardless of what those might be .
Marcum and her staff are always looking for fresh ideas and new approaches to engage the 50 + residents . “ We are truly here to be a resource for our residents ,” said Marcum . “ We are about improving a person ’ s quality of life through the services and programs we offer . While we can ’ t be everything to everyone , that won ’ t keep us from trying to be .”
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