Comments on: The senior center shuffle http://ellensmith.org/blog/2008/08/31/the-senior-center-shuffle/ I'm Ellen Smith, member of the Oak Ridge City Council. Thank you for visiting my blog and reading my views on public and private life in and around Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This website is my own; content here does not represent the official policies or views of the City of Oak Ridge. To add your own comments, click on the topic title to open a comment box. To read posts about a particular topic, scroll down to "Categories" (in the sidebar) or use the "Search" box in the sidebar. Look under "Archives" to see collections of past posts organized by date. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:38:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: janet britt http://ellensmith.org/blog/2008/08/31/the-senior-center-shuffle/comment-page-1/#comment-37340 janet britt Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:37:22 +0000 http://ellensmith.org/blog/?p=115#comment-37340 Ellen, I enjoyed reading your article; however, I am shocked that there has not been a louder yell from the seniors in Oak Ridge. In January, my mother, a young 92, had some health issues and I began looking for resources to help as I live in Atlanta (Jonesboro, GA) with locating the services that I needed for Mom. I was shocked to find that there were so few services available to assist with her needs. I learned from the senior center that the best answer was to move my mom to Atlanta, which was not an option to her. Luckily, my husband and I were able to work something out coming back and forth to take care of her needs and now most of her health issues have been resolved, but I see in the future problems that we will have to deal with. In Oak Ridge there is no transportation, other then taxi vouchers, that is available. She told me that there is another transporation service available but that you have to notify them days ahead. Now if there are services out there, they are not easily found if you are searching the internet. I am sure that there are other baby boomers out there who are now having to deal with or soon will be, with the same issues that we have dealt with and they are going to be in for a rude awakening as there is no where that you can turn in Oak Ridge for answers. Even the Methodist Church where she has been a member since 1960 could not direct us, only told us to move mom to Atlanta. My mother has lived in Oak Ridge since 1949 and many more have been here even longer then that. As you stated in your article, 65% of the population in Oak Ridge are 45 and over and someone needs to show them the truth and those who are still young enough need to start looking for better resources. It appears that if the City Manager was doing his job, grants should have been easily located to help build a senior center, come see the ones in Clayton County that were built by the SPLOST fund (I think that is all of the letters.) We have one facility that has a full indoor pool that offers swimming, water aerobics, etc. As you continue through the center you have exercise rooms, card rooms, computer rooms, meeting rooms and into a huge social/dining room and it was built with SPLOST Funds. Please come and visit and we will give you a tour of some beautiful facilities in Clayton County. Why are facilities such as these not being made available to the senior's in Oak Ridge and again why are the senior's not out having their voices heard. In The Oak Ridger I read that 100 seniors where at a meeting for the Senior Center; however, 100 seniors do not represent the population, but if the word is not out how will they know where to go to have their voices heard and where do I go to have my voice heard. It is time for Oak Ridge to take care of the people who built this city, not send them to other cities. I realize that I am not a voter in Oak Ridge (anymore) but Mom is and she is still here, so for her and for many more of the seniors that need their voices heard I am speaking to the city of Oak Ridge for them! Call me anytime --- 678 358 7440 or email me @ mombritt@aol.com Janet Britt Ellen,

I enjoyed reading your article; however, I am shocked that there has not been a louder yell from the seniors in Oak Ridge. In January, my mother, a young 92, had some health issues and I began looking for resources to help as I live in Atlanta (Jonesboro, GA) with locating the services that I needed for Mom. I was shocked to find that there were so few services available to assist with her needs. I learned from the senior center that the best answer was to move my mom to Atlanta, which was not an option to her. Luckily, my husband and I were able to work something out coming back and forth to take care of her needs and now most of her health issues have been resolved, but I see in the future problems that we will have to deal with. In Oak Ridge there is no transportation, other then taxi vouchers, that is available. She told me that there is another transporation service available but that you have to notify them days ahead. Now if there are services out there, they are not easily found if you are searching the internet. I am sure that there are other baby boomers out there who are now having to deal with or soon will be, with the same issues that we have dealt with and they are going to be in for a rude awakening as there is no where that you can turn in Oak Ridge for answers. Even the Methodist Church where she has been a member since 1960 could not direct us, only told us to move mom to Atlanta. My mother has lived in Oak Ridge since 1949 and many more have been here even longer then that. As you stated in your article, 65% of the population in Oak Ridge are 45 and over and someone needs to show them the truth and those who are still young enough need to start looking for better resources.

It appears that if the City Manager was doing his job, grants should have been easily located to help build a senior center, come see the ones in Clayton County that were built by the SPLOST fund (I think that is all of the letters.) We have one facility that has a full indoor pool that offers swimming, water aerobics, etc. As you continue through the center you have exercise rooms, card rooms, computer rooms, meeting rooms and into a huge social/dining room and it was built with SPLOST Funds. Please come and visit and we will give you a tour of some beautiful facilities in Clayton County. Why are facilities such as these not being made available to the senior’s in Oak Ridge and again why are the senior’s not out having their voices heard. In The Oak Ridger I read that 100 seniors where at a meeting for the Senior Center; however, 100 seniors do not represent the population, but if the word is not out how will they know where to go to have their voices heard and where do I go to have my voice heard. It is time for Oak Ridge to take care of the people who built this city, not send them to other cities.

I realize that I am not a voter in Oak Ridge (anymore) but Mom is and she is still here, so for her and for many more of the seniors that need their voices heard I am speaking to the city of Oak Ridge for them!

Call me anytime — 678 358 7440 or
email me @ mombritt@aol.com

Janet Britt

]]> By: Ray Kircher http://ellensmith.org/blog/2008/08/31/the-senior-center-shuffle/comment-page-1/#comment-37226 Ray Kircher Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:07:11 +0000 http://ellensmith.org/blog/?p=115#comment-37226 According to the 2000 census, 61.7 percent of our population is 45 and older. At 62 and older, our city has a population of 45 percent in that group at that time. Looking at the previous percentage and the introduction of a Senior Community on the Melton Lake, I also find the Trinity building an advantageous current move for our largest population. Why is it that our city council and city manager continues to deny what a majority of our people find as helpful to our community? Businesses continue to receive breaks being here, why don’t our seniors? According to the 2000 census, 61.7 percent of our population is 45 and older. At 62 and older, our city has a population of 45 percent in that group at that time. Looking at the previous percentage and the introduction of a Senior Community on the Melton Lake, I also find the Trinity building an advantageous current move for our largest population.

Why is it that our city council and city manager continues to deny what a majority of our people find as helpful to our community? Businesses continue to receive breaks being here, why don’t our seniors?

]]>