The times they are a changin'

On May 24 Bob Dylan will be 65. The hippie generation begins to take over the senior centers. These places are long overdue for change. Exercise, nutrition and the belief in self empowerment. No father knows best. That means the day of the arrogant policy planners in organizations such as JASA (Jewish Association for Services for the Aged) is ending. You are answerable to us, the people who receive services you are paid to deliver.

We had a community meeting at the V.C. senior center. The Dept. for the Aging, NYC only judges centers by the number of people who eat lunch. Other issues that have impact on the quality of the life of the elderly are hard to measure and are ignored. Once again the issue was not enough people showing up for the congregate meal, average 70, need 80 to be an adequate senior center. The executive director announced that complaints about the small quantity of food per meal were being addressed and that portions were now larger.

When it was open mike time, I suggested we have more of a relationship with the elementary school children who are upstairs in the same building. For instance, sharing our histories. Someone amended what I said to say we should encourage the youngsters and their parents to tell us about them. Good idea.

May 11, students from the Solomon Schecter School were due at 11:15 am for a Mother's Day Program. I waited until 11:45, left. I saw them arrive but continued walking. It was inconsiderate of them to be half an hour late. It interfered with serving lunch, and the center is on a tight budget, overtime pay is out of the question.

I sent this message to the NYC Dept. for the Aging from their website:

I would like to learn how meals are funded at senior centers. I belong to the Van Cortlandt Village Senior Center sponsored by JASA. I did a search with the keyword meals, and all recent references were unavailable.
May 6, no reply to my question. May 12, no reply.

Van Cortlandt Senior Center May 2006, 3880 Sedgwick Ave., Bronx NY
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
May 1 10:30 Dorianna, aerobics	9:45 Caroline, dance exercise	9:45 Jon Rigai, exercise		10 Neem, Yoga
10:30 Dorianna, aerobics		9:45 Jon Rigai, exercise 10:30 Art with Alisha		10 Neem, Yoga
10:30 Dorianna, aerobics		9:45 Jon Rigai, exercise 10:30 Art with Alisha		10 Neem, Yoga
10:30 Dorianna, aerobics	9:45 Caroline, dance exercise	9:45 Jon Rigai, exercise 10:30 Creating Joy with Alisha		10 Neem, Yoga
May 29 Center Closed	9:45 Caroline, dance exercise	9:45 Jon Rigai, exercise

The center will be open on Sunday, May 7

April 21, 2006 The VanCortlandt Senior Center was closed today. Nasty surprise, no previous notice. The excuse on the door was that the water was turned off so that a water meter could be installed. This is something that is usually preplanned, the people running the center should have been told in advance. It was irresponsible of the people who own the building not to notify the senior center administration.

The latest Norwood News has this article about senior meals in the Bronx Senior Meals

Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo is the new chair of the Aging Committee.

Van Cortlandt Senior Center April 2006, 3880 Sedgwick Ave., Bronx NY
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
April 3 10:00 Painting with Larry Alboum	April 4 10:00 Exercise with Caroline Grant	April 5 9:45 Exercise with Jon Rigai 10:30 Art with Alisha	April 6 11:00 History with Sam	April 7 1:15 Line Dancing with Rose and Meir Beer
April 10			Closed	Closed
April 17 10:30 Senior Fitness with Doriana		Closed	Closed	10:00 Yoga with Neem This did not take place due to center being closed
April 24 10:30 Senior Fitness with Doriana	10:00 Exercise with Caroline Grant	9:45 Exercise with Jon Rigai 10:30 Art with Alisha		10:00 Yoga with Neem

I didn't eat at the senior center today. The main dish was kielbasa with cabbage and onions. A poor choice to give elderly people.

Highlights, there's more going on than is listed

Van Cortlandt Senior Center March 2006 3880 Sedgwick Ave., Bronx NY
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
		March 1 9:45 Exercise with Jon Rigai 10:30 Art with Alisha	10:00 Exercise with Sylvia	10:00 Yoga with Neem
10:30 Doriana Aerobics	March 7 9:45 Exercise with Caroline Grant	9:45 Exercise with Jon Rigai 10:30 Art with Alisha	10:00 Exercise with Sylvia	10:00 Yoga with Neem
10:30 Doriana Aerobics	March 14	9:45 Exercise with Jon Rigai 10:30 Art with Alisha	10:00 Exercise with Sylvia	March 17 10:00 Yoga with Neem
10:30 Doriana Aerobics	March 21 9:45 Exercise with Caroline Grant	9:45 Exercise with Jon Rigai	March 23 10:00 Exercise with Sylvia 1:00 Live Music	10:00 Yoga with Neem 1:15 Dance Movement with Caroline Grant
March 27 10:30 Doriana Aerobics	March 28	March 29 8:45 Atlantic City	10:00 Exercise with Sylvia	March 31 10:00 Exercise video, "Ageless Yoga"

Main Dishes Week of February 27 to March 3
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Salmon Burger	Meat Loaf	Turkey Stew	Tilapia	Chicken

Main dish week of February 20-February 24
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Closed	tuna loaf	was supposed to be stuffed cabbage instead was fried fish nuggets	poached salmon	chicken breast

There's more going on than I've listed, come visit.

Highlights Van Cortlandt Senior Center - February
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
		Feb. 1 9:45 Exercise Jon Rigai	Feb. 2 10:00 Exercise with Sylvia	Feb 3 10:00 Yoga with Neem
Feb. 6 10:30 Aerobics with Doriana	Feb. 7 Exercise with Sylvia	Feb. 8 9:45 Exercise Jon Rigai	Feb. 9 9:45 Exercise with Sylvia	Feb 10 10:00 Yoga with Neem 1:15 Dance Movement with Caroline
Feb. 13 10:30 Aerobics with Doriana	Feb. 14 9:45 Exercise with Caroline Grant 10:30 Art with Alisha Saltzman	Feb 15 10:00 Exercise with Sylvia	Feb. 16 9:45 Exercise with Sylvia	Feb 17 10:00 Yoga with Neem
CLOSED	Feb. 21	Feb. 22 9:45 Exercise Jon Rigai 1:00 Jazz Pianist John Halsey	Feb. 23 10:00 Exercise with Sylvia	Feb 24 10:00 Yoga with Neem 1:00 Cancelled Creating Joy with Alisha Saltzman
Feb. 27 10:30 Aerobics with Doriana	Feb. 28 9:45 Exercise with Caroline

The Wednesday music program with John Halsey was great fun. He was accompanied by a singer, a bassist and a drummer.

Lunch served daily at noon

Chess

Yesterday, January 24, I went to Riverdale Senior Services. I had planned to attend a meeting of the Committee on Aging of Community Board 8, but when I got there I saw a chess game going on. I ended up playing chess, had a fun hour and never went to the meeting. I plan to go next Tuesday to play chess.

Picture from USATE 2004.

Robert Weber is Director of Group Services for JASA. He is directly in the chain of command of the senior centers run by JASA.

Neem was at the senior center today to lead yoga. She said she gave a tape Ageless Yoga to the people who administer the center, so on weeks when she isn't scheduled we could follow that tape. Next time that happens I'll try and remember to ask about the tape. Last week, she was on the schedule but the schedule was wrong, she had no contract to teach. Sylvia stepped in and led the class, an action I appreciate.

Reading the DFTA website I learned a few things. The budget analyst for the Bronx is Roy Garcia, 212 442 1237, rgarcia@aging.nyc.gov
PDS Provider Data System
SPP Senior Participant Profiles

Tonight I was the first speaker at the Community Board 8 meeting. Here is what I said: My name is Lora Frisch, I am a resident of the Amalgamated Co-op. My blog is http://lorasara.blogspot.com I hope that at some future date the Committee on Aging will choose the Van Cortlandt Senior Center for a meeting. In the few months I have belonged to the Van Cortlandt Senior Center I have seen the exercise programs cut in half, now some of the cuts are being restored. I have been unable to learn why the cuts were made in the first place. There is no transparency regarding the funding of senior centers. A large chunk of taxpayer dollars goes to senior services and far greater accountability should be shown. I have been able to learn the names of two of the people on the DFTA Senior Advisory Council from the Bronx, Edith Baldwin and Doris Colon, but have no means of contacting them. My understanding is that they are the link between the average senior citizen and DFTA. There should be a straightforward way to express concerns to them. I would like to ask who is on the Aging Committee of Community Board 8 and how does one contact them? The answer to this question was Karen Pesce, I met her and got her phone number.

I called Community Board 8 to sign up as a speaker at the January 10 meeting.

The week of Dec 12-16 menus also revised after being published. I've removed the main dish list for December 6 - 9, 2005 at the Van Cortlandt Senior Center because this week it wasn't possible for the staff to follow the meal plan.

On December 2 the vendor failed to deliver the turkey drumsticks in a timely fashion, so they were served on December 5. My impression is that vendors are not penalized for late deliveries because this happens on average once a week.