Resolve to stay active and healthy in 2018! Did you know that Frederick County has a number of services and activities for senior citizens to take advantage of? Read on to find out more.
Senior Centers
There are four senior centers affiliated with Frederick County—located in Brunswick, Emmitsburg, Frederick, and Urbana—as well as an independent senior center in Thurmont. These offer a wealth of resources to Frederick County seniors, including health and recreational activities, social programs, day trips, and more.
Senior centers offer activities such as:
- Classes: knitting, Intro to Genealogy, cooking, canasta, and more
- Social activities: bingo, book clubs, movie events
- Fitness classes and groups
- Health check-ups with qualified nurses
- Support groups for seniors as well as caretakers
- Day trips to the Smithsonian museums, downtown Frederick, the Folger Library, etc.
Some activities and classes have a fee while others are offered for free. Most activities require registration to participate.
There is also the Senior Center Without Walls program. The program offers a monthly email newsletter filled with information, activities, and program ideas for group leaders and individual seniors. You can find the newsletter archive here to read prior editions.
Each senior center also offers a congregate meal program. Older adults who are not housebound can enjoy a nutritious meal in the company of others in their community. Reservations are required at most of the centers to ensure enough food is provided. Meals can be purchased online in advance as well. Click here to learn more and see sample menus.
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels is a nonprofit national organization which provides two meals a day to homebound adults aged 60 or older. The midday serving is a hot meal, while a second meal is delivered cold so it can be refrigerated and eaten later. Participants must be:
- homebound due to illness or physical limitations,
- not able to prepare meals,
- and have no caregiver to assist with food shopping and preparation, or be unable to prepare food safely due to an impairment.
The provided meals are nutritious and include food choices that meet the recommended dietary allowances for seniors. Special diets can also be accommodated to some degree.
Interested older adults must be residents of Frederick County and must apply for the program. Learn more about Meals on Wheels at the Department of Aging website.
Cell Phone Loan Program
Many seniors don’t want a cell phone, or can’t justify the cost of a cell phone. Frederick County instituted the Cell Phone Loan Program for older adults 60 years and up to gain access to cell phones without additional cost. The program aims to help seniors reach emergency services from anywhere. Phones are available at no cost, and only allow the user to dial 9-1-1 in case of an emergency. Users cannot make personal or outgoing phone calls using these phones.
Find out more by calling the Department of Aging at (301) 600-1605.