Aging and
Youth Directors Corner
RETIREMENT
CONGRATULATIONS
FOR SUE BLAIR!
Sue Blair, our Nutrition Coordinator for 15 years, retired from the Office of Aging and Youth, on August 30, 2011. Sue’s career working for the Department of Aging and Youth began in September 1991, as the Palmyra Senior Center Manager. In December 1995, she was hired as the Nutrition Coordinator and has helped build the program to what it is today. Although there are many components to the Nutrition Coordinators job, she always had a soft spot for the Senior Centers and spending time with those that attended.
The Department of Aging and Youth would like to offer Sue the best of wishes for the new chapter in her life. I am sure she will quickly fill her new found hours with her other passions; family, gardening and following Stan Munro and his elaborate “Toothpick Sculptures”. Sue’s husband, Bruce, still volunteers delivering the Wegmans’ bread donation to various Senior Centers. In all honesty, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised, if Sue doesn’t wind her way back into the senior nutrition field by delivering meals for the Home Meal Service Program. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. We can always use a good volunteer!
The Nutrition Coordinator plays a very critical role in the Aging Services Department. They are responsible for the oversight of our six congregate Senior Centers (that we have re-named Lunch Club 60). The Lunch Clubs serve approximately 530 seniors over 23,000 meals per year. The Centers not only provide a nutritious lunch but a wonderful opportunity for older adults to get together to visit, play cards, bingo and several centers now enjoy Wii games. There are numerous health and wellness activities offered; from exercise programs, nutrition education and blood pressure screenings. Each Lunch Club 60 has its own personality, but one thing for sure, the regular attendees will attest that it becomes more like an extended family, than a senior program. It is amazing to see how participants look to each other and the Center manager for support, fun and camaraderie.
The Nutrition Coordinator also works very closely with our contracted Home Meal Service Program. Over the last year we served over 41,000 meals to the frail and elderly homebound individuals. This is up from 36,600 meals served in 2010. The Home Meal Service Program Director conducts a thorough assessment on each referral in order to determine what services are needed for an older frail adult to stay safely in their home. The Nutrition Coordinator follows up with a reassessment annually to determine whether any additional services are needed.
In addition, this position is also responsible for coordinating, with our contracted dietitian, nutrition counseling and education programs, setting up wellness and health promotion programs, distribution of the Farmers Market Coupons every summer and coordinating with AARP for the defensive driving program.
WELCOME LISA ZONNEVILLE
Lisa Zonneville joined our office as the new Nutrition Coordinator in October. Lisa came to us from Cornell Cooperative Extension, where she worked as the Community Nutrition Education Program Coordinator and Community Nutrition Educator for over 10 years. In that role, Lisa worked collaboratively with our agency for over six years, providing monthly nutrition education sessions for seniors at the Newark High-Rise.
We are also lucky to have Lisa on our team because she also is a Master Trainer for the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program. This is a research-based program from Stanford University, known locally as Living Healthy. This program is a series of six workshops that gives people the tools to self-manage whatever chronic disease they may have. This is a collaborative effort through Wayne CAP that has offered outstanding results for individuals suffering with long term illnesses. This program is endorsed at the federal level as part of the Affordable Care Act and by the NY State Office of the Aging. We look forward to working with WCAP in expanding this innovative program.
Welcome aboard Lisa!
Penny Shockley, Director