How senior centers improve the mental and physical health of their members

Jessica Orozco, The Columbus Dispatch
·4 min read
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Bobbie Brunner, 77, laughs as she accidentally turns the wrong way during an exercise class June 21 at the Bexley Senior Center. Senior Centers are helping seniors' mental and physical health following COVID restrictions being lifted by helping prevent "failure to thrive," the concept that seniors who aren't engaged and have little interaction with others go downhill faster.
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The COVID-19 lockdown left many feeling isolated, but seniors and those with mental health issues faced increased challenges.

Senior centers provide a space for older adults to meet and exercise their minds and bodies, mitigating the effects COVID-19 isolation had on cognitive and physical health.

Marcia Hirsh, 77, of Bexley, said she started going to the Bexley Senior Center in January, as she felt she was aging and wanted to stay active. She said she feels going to the center has “enriched” her life.

Dr. Jared Stroud, a geriatrician at the OhioHealth John J. Gerlach Center for Senior Health, said many of his patients and their families noticed a negative impact to their mental health and cognitive function during COVID-19 isolation. Many of these patients had already dealt with memory or mental health issues, and these worsened during this period, he said.

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Jaime Berry, 59, left, and Tom Hooker, 72, right, work out during an exercise class June 21 at the Bexley Senior Center.
Jaime Berry, 59, left, and Tom Hooker, 72, right, work out during an exercise class June 21 at the Bexley Senior Center.

Stroud said a decrease in activity can increase brain function in anyone, but particularly the elderly, who are more susceptible to dementia or other cognitive decline.

With cognitive decline can come issues with physical health, Stroud said, especially when a patient is no longer exercising or eating healthy.

Hirsh said during the COVID lockdown she lived in Akron and felt “very limited, socially” and struggled. She is now engaged in her community in Bexley and feels more positive.

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Lisa Gatterdam, 65, of Bexley, said she’s been going to the Bexley Senior Center exercise class for about three weeks — her first time at a senior center. She said the class keeps her in shape and challenges her mind by consciously moving her body.

Gatterdam said that during lockdown she took to neighborhood walks and masking with social distancing to see her family that lives in the area to stay active. She said now that she can go to the senior center and partake in other activities, she feels better.

“I’m an upbeat person; I’m one of those people where the cup is half-full, not half-empty. But it was still difficult, I’m not going to lie to you,” Gatterdam said. “This class has been tremendous, just super fun, and it’s a great introduction for me who’s never taken a class like this.”

Liz Wypasek, 59, of Bexley, who teaches exercise classes at the Bexley Senior Center and nearby recreation centers, said she noticed many of her participants had lost the “gains” they’d had when she resumed teaching classes after lockdown.

“I have talked with quite a few of my participants who said that they noticed they could walk more steadily, that they weren’t reaching for a chair when they stood up to push themselves up and that they felt stronger lifting things or reaching for something in a cupboard,” Wypasek said. “Through COVID, I think a lot of people — even though there were some online things, and Bexley Rec, we offered some — it was harder just mentally.”

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Seniors get mobility, strength and cardio work June 21 during an exercise class at the Bexley Senior Center. Senior Centers are helping seniors with mental and physical health following COVID restrictions being lifted.
Seniors get mobility, strength and cardio work June 21 during an exercise class at the Bexley Senior Center. Senior Centers are helping seniors with mental and physical health following COVID restrictions being lifted.

Wypasek said her classes had more members before the pandemic, but they are growing again as people want to become more active. She keeps members engaged with a positive attitude and music that makes them happy and ready to move.

Stroud said with places reopening and an increase in opportunities for social activities, he has noticed positive changes in some of his patients.

“What I tell patients, and families when I see them, is that socialization and physical activity are both really, really important aspects of maintaining cognitive health and brain health,” Stroud said. “Anything that helps in that regard is going to be a positive, whether it be a senior center, and adult day care, whether it be they just go out to lunch with their friends at Bob Evans or wherever.”

Elaine Karn, 71, left, and Felicia Bousquet, 82, warm up during an exercise class June 21 at the Bexley Senior Center.
Elaine Karn, 71, left, and Felicia Bousquet, 82, warm up during an exercise class June 21 at the Bexley Senior Center.

Bobbie Brunner, 77, of Eastmoor, said she started going to the Bexley Senior Center at the start of June after she broke her femur from a fall down some stairs. She said she went to the Grandview Senior Center for years, even during lockdown — masking and physically distancing.

Brunner said the activity at the senior center has helped her to walk without a limp now, and she feels more flexible. She said she believes senior centers are vital for older adults.

“I think senior centers are wonderful for seniors — I mean I’ve seen it over at Grandview and (Bexley),” Brunner said.

JOrozco@dispatch.com

@JessicaCOrozco

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How senior centers improve mental and physical health