Page 5 - Senior Times South Central Michigan - April 2016 - 23-04

CITY
Nashville Delton
Union City
Battle Creek Albion Marshall Battle Creek Homer
Michigan Center Jackson Jackson
LOCATION
Main St. Banqets
Faith United Methodist
FACILITATOR
Jenny Burlison Elayne Nottingham
PHONE DAYS
(269) 852-9182 M-F (269) 623-5400 M,W,T
TIME
10:30am-1pm 10:30am-1pm
Senior Times - April 2016
Page 5
GARDENING: REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
By: Sherii Sherban, Publisher
The benefits of gardening are far more than just fresh tomatoes. Gardening is a favorite pastime, especially among seniors. The fresh
air and sunshine is great for your health and promotes stress relief, increased happiness and more patience – and we could all use a little more of that. It is also is a source of personal satisfaction and pride, providing esthetic pleasure along with preventative therapy to maintain personal well being. In addition, the sense of purpose and accomplishment that gardening engenders, has proved to be a catalyst for faster recovery from illness and depression.
While most gardening is considered part
of the traditional landscape or ground-level planting, an increasing number of gardeners
are discovering the advantages of gardening
in planters, containers and raised beds. These gardening styles can be readily adapted to
make gardening easier for disabled and elderly gardeners. They are equally adaptable for gardening in a small backyard, a third floor apartment patio, on top of a hospital, or on the grounds of an adult care facility. Raised beds can also be a great solution to keeping unwanted animals out of your hard work.
Disabled and elderly who have never gardened can acquire a new and rewarding hobby. With proper modification to a tradition site, through a raised bed, gardeners who have lost physical ability can continue this valuable activity.
Location and Cultural Requirements
Full sun or at least six hours of sun a day is recommended for raised planters and containers, 8-10 hours if vegetables are to be grown. If full sun is not available, then choose shade-tolerant plants such as begonias and impatiens.
All raised planters and container gardens will
need more watering than a standard garden.
A water source should be nearby and the hose should be light, accessible, and easily used by the physically disabled gardener. It may be worth the investment to install automatic or trickle irrigation systems in permanent planters. Attachments that are of value to any gardener include: on/off valve at the hose end, extension nozzles, water breakers, and easy to use lever controlled water faucets.
Accessibility to the Garden Site
It is essential that the disabled individual
be able to reach the garden with a minimum
of difficulty. All gates or doors must be wide enough (36 inches) for a wheelchair to pass through without difficulty. Gates and doors should slide rather than swing, and they should be light enough to move easily. Stairs are better for those who walk with aid but ramps are required for those in wheelchairs. Ramps, along with gates, doorways, walks, and space between raised beds, should be a minimum of three feet wide for single-person travel and six feet for two persons. The ramps need to have a slope of no more than 8% and should be edged to prevent the chair from rolling off the ramp's sides. All surfaces should be non-slip and have a 2%
slope for water drainage or be made of porous materials. If a grassy area is desired, open-work paving stones, which have holes for the grass to be seeded through are available. A traditional lawn is too uneven and not appropriate for
the person in a wheelchair or with impaired walking.
At the garden site, mobility and access to planting area are equally important. In addition, a place to rest and recover from the walk
to the garden may be critical for continued participation and enjoyment by many disabled or elderly gardeners. Provide benches, sturdy
chairs, or a flat surface for a wheelchair in a shaded location.
Gardening is the number one outdoor leisure time activity of America, with 84% of households involved in at least one form of gardening activity.
With a little planning and creativity, it can be available to everyone. It could be a simple as planters but if you choose raised beds you can construct them yourself. If you are not a do-it- yourselfer than companies do exist that you can order the beds pre-made. A visit to the local home improvement store can help you to decide.
Raised gardening beds can be beneficial wherever people live:
• Retirement Communities
• Assisted Living Communities
• Memory Care Communities
• Skilled Nursing Facilities
• Municipal Housing Authorities
• Hospitals & Rehabilitation Centers • Community Senior Centers
• Private Homeowners
• Veteran's Homes & Centers
• Schools, Parks & Playgrounds
SENIOR DINING CENTERS
BARRY COUNTY
Hastings
COA Building
Mary Cook
(269) 948-4856
M-F
10am-2pm
Woodland
Eagles Club
Joyce Dennie
(269) 367-4041
M,W,F
10:30am-1pm
Meals provided by Barry County Commission on Aging. A program sponsored by Barry County United Way.
Union City Fire Station Rusty Hampton (517) 741-7212 M,T,TH,F 10:30am-12pm
Lunch served at 12pm
BRANCH COUNTY
Coldwater
Branch County CAA Office
Tamara Wittbrodt
(517) 278-8249
M-F
9am-1pm
Lunch Served at 12pm
Meals provided by Community Action Food and Nutritional Services. Funding sources AAA 3C, Branch County United Way, USDA and private donations.
CALHOUN COUNTY
Albion
Albion Senior Dining Center
Cynthia Rose
(866) 200-8877
M,T,W,F
10:30am-1pm
Lunch served at 12pm
Bedford Manor Dining Center Clarence Dining Center Marshall House Dining Center Westbrook Place Dining Center Homer Presbyterian Church
Burdell Wells
Sharon Rice
Bablynn Squires Michelle Dove
Senior Health Partners
(866) 200-8877 (866) 200-8877 (866) 200-8877 (866) 200-8877 (866) 200-8877
M,W,F 10:30am-1pm M,T,W 10:30am-1pm M,W,F 10:30am-1pm M,W,F 10:30am-1pm T 10:30am
Lunch served at 11:30am Lunch served at 11:45am Lunch served at 12pm Lunch served at 11:30am Whole Person Wellness too
Lunch served at 12pm
Lunch served at 12pm
Lunch served at 12pm
Battle Creek
Cherryhill Manor Senior Center
Constance Siegel
(866) 200-8877
M,W,F
10:30am-1pm
Lunch served at 11:30am
Battle Creek
Lakeview 900 Dining Center
Karl Hoard
(866) 200-8877
M,W,F
10:30am-1pm
Lunch served at 11:30am
Battle Creek
Springview Towers Dining Center
Caroline Oberlin
(866) 200-8877
M,W,F
10:30am-1pm
Lunch served at 11:30am
Battle Creek
Northside Senior Dining Center
Deboraha Sallee
(866) 200-8877
T,W,Th
10:30am-1pm
Lunch served at 11:30am
Tekonsha
Tekonsha Community Hall
Senior Health Partners
(866) 200-8877
T
10am
Whole Person Wellness too
Meals provided by Senior Services. Funding by Calhoun County Senior Services, AAA 3B, USDA and private donations.
JACKSON COUNTY
Jackson
Crouch Senior Center
Michelle Rose
(517) 788-4364
M,T,W,Th,F
8am-4pm
Lunch served at 12pm
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church
Park Forest
Word of Light
Nikki Soli
Lynn Walker
Nancy Behling
(517) 764-2950
(517) 787-9750
(517) 782-7755
M,W,F 10am-2pm
M,T,W,Th,F 10am-1pm
M,T,W,Th,F 10am-1:30pm
Norvell
Norvell/Township Hall
Gail Jamieson
(517) 536-4370
M,W,F
10am-1pm
Lunch served at 12pm
Spring Arbor
Spring Arbor Senior Center
Bev Greene
(517) 750-1010
M,T,W,Th,F
8:30am-2:30pm
Lunch served at 12pm
To have your senior dining center added, Call Sherii at (269) 979-1412 ext. 302 or Email: ssherban@wwthayne.com