How has COVID-19 affected the senior population of The Valley? A reporter visited the Mad River Valley Senior Center in Waitsfield to see how life has changed for the residents and dedicated staff.
Nancy Emory is president of the senior center board. Since the pandemic started, Emory has shifted her focus to keeping its residents safe. The center has cut down on the amount of people working in the facility.
“It’s very hard because we have to very strictly adhere to the COVID rules, which we do,” said Emory. On Tuesday, Emory, Claudia Watts, the cook for the senior center and prep cook Vicky Kingsbury were working on meals for the program Meals On Wheels. Collectively, the three women made about 50 meals in one morning.
Walking into the building, people are met with a dining area with three long tables, covered in tablecloths garnished with flowers. As one walks through the room, a door on the right opens to the kitchen. This is where Watts and Kingsbury were dividing up salad into Styrofoam cups with lids, only a part of the meals that were to go out.
The seniors that were getting meals were placed into four groups. There was Route No. 1, Route No. 2, Route No. 3 and a group for the people who are residents at the center. Each route had a different volunteer who picked up the meals when they were ready. Bags were laid out and separated by group. The first item placed in the bags was a cup of fruit and then a salad and dressing were stacked on top. Hot food was put into trays, sealed with plastic and then placed into insulated bags when the drivers arrived. “Sometimes our drivers are the only people these seniors see everyday. So it’s a lunch they’re getting, but it’s also making sure they’re OK,” said Emory.
Before the pandemic and its list of safety regulations, the senior center had lots of activities for seniors, not just those living at the center but from all over The Valley. Many seniors came to weekly Monday breakfasts and congregate community lunches starting at noon twice a week. Because of COVID-19, these meals were canceled. To help combat the possible isolation of these seniors, Emory has decided to send “the people that were regulars and some people that we just miss” one meal every week. These were seniors who used to come to Monday breakfast and Tuesday and Thursday lunches. They are sending 22 people one meal a week, in addition to those who gets Meals On Wheels.
Although the amount of people volunteering is abundant, the senior center is keeping a limited staff to be as safe as possible for their residents. Emory says that she would love to be able to have some outdoor activities available. A barbecue is a possibility for the future, but Emory says that it is not feasible right now. If anyone has an idea about an outdoor activity that would be good for seniors, the folks at the Mad River Valley Seniors Center would love to hear it.
