Community garden feeds aging adults’ need for good nutrition, and good company

The Southwest Senior Center s Gardening Club had a strong summer For participants like Cynthia Murray there is still excitement in the wide range of healthy food options they grew together This year there were melons somebody planted corn assorted flowers there were different vegetables like green beans green vegetables and tomatoes of curriculum she mentioned This gardening club has been around for over eight years Murray revealed and its benefits are wide-ranging We just enjoy each other s company and enjoy each other s stories of what they ve grown and what they did she stated And then members take things home and they bring things in The group typically starts meeting in the spring and plants throughout the summer with a garden party early in the fall to mark the end of the season People take home several of the produce she announced We split it up at the end of the year and have a garden party We also all bring things from home and have a nice little garden club end-of-year party The Southwest Senior Center s Garden Club is just one way that the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging a private nonprofit agency encourages healthy nutrition and living throughout the society Southwest Senior Center adults gather to do several types of offerings year-round including pottery Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Corporation for Aging Nutrition and neighborhood Nutrition and healthy living is especially central for older adults explained PCA s Inhabitants Relations Specialist Bill Conallen We re constantly trying to adapt and better meet the evolving nutritional and logistical demands of Philadelphia s older adult region because food insecurity is an issue that s incredibly prevalent in a city like Philadelphia that is still one of the poorest big cities in the country he mentioned The campaign began with the passage of the Older Americans Act of The act established help for several services including family caregiving personal chores and meals from agencies like PCA The organization is now one of across the U S that provides meal services to older Americans The PCA s Senior Nutrition Campaign has two main offerings home-delivered meals and others served in the organization s senior centers throughout the city Connallen stated PCA works thoroughly to ensure its meals particularly those delivered to homes are nutritious Those meals are crafted specifically to meet one-third of an older adult s recommended dietary intake and we follow rigorous nutritional standards he disclosed And along with that opportunity it also gives those older adults the peace of mind to know that they don t have to potentially go out of their way to cook if they might have a disability that precludes them from doing so Nutrition is especially crucial as people age In Maslow s hierarchy food is part of survival necessities reported Monique Dowd who is with the University of Pennsylvania s School of Nursing It s the basis for us to survive And in terms of the elderly I think it can be very challenging On one side people are living longer which sounds great but then on the other side the quality of life isn t inevitably the way that we dream it to be as we age Dowd explained there are plenty of considerations as people age including decreased muscle mass and bone density and more prevalence of issues like lactose intolerance When we think about the elderly in terms of nutrition there are issues like difficulty chewing or swallowing she noted But the critical thing is to get more or less enough protein to just even just maintain muscle mass It s an uphill battle to maintain muscle mass Dowd mentioned nutrition coaching and activities can also help lower the threat of certain diseases or issues for older people Teaching about nutrition and giving nutrient-dense meals certainly reduces the menace of certain chronic diseases she reported For example if they re not eating as a great number of refined and ultra-processed foods then that s going to decrease the jeopardy of getting things like hypertension or diabetes Meals on wheels or food delivery programs for seniors can be helpful as they will often have medically tailored options that focus on senior nutrition Dowd noted More activities In addition to PCA services Dowd explained there are several other organizations throughout the city that help seniors with healthy living and nutrition These programs are also helpful in other strategies too Aside from the wellness part you could also think about the social part she noted Social engagement is also very much part of the whole person s wellness So keeping them socially engaged is just as critical as giving them nutrient-dense meals Connallen agreed Social isolation is an issue that does impact older adults at a higher rate than their younger demographics we see throughout the city he stated Our senior centers offer safe spaces to be able to access nutritious food and seniors also have access to things like robustness workshops and fitness exercises and other social events that might be open to them So in a way the congregate meal opens up a whole host of opportunities Congregate meals bring senior center members together to eat healthily and socialize Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Corporation for Aging PCA s Senior Farmers Industry Nutrition Plan also allows seniors to be more involved in their neighborhood Connallen commented This venture provides vouchers to qualifying older adults to purchase fresh produce at local farmers markets throughout the state of Pennsylvania he revealed And that s inevitably a very popular project Those vouchers usually start to become available during the summer months The income-eligible scheme allows older adults to afford and purchase fresh produce and attend more area markets Connallen explained As for getting involved with PCA s offerings Connallen announced seniors can call the organization s helpline - - or go to one of the organization s senior centers There is consistently a showing contentment and welcoming face there he noted It is truly a place where individuals want to build connections and if you want to inquire about your eligibility at the center they ll be more than willing to help you For effort attendees like Murray the senior center offers a menu of exercises that keep her healthy We just enjoy the camaraderie and the talking about our gardens and what s growing she revealed The post Public garden feeds aging adults need for good nutrition and good company appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY