Our site visit this week was the Gary and Mary West Center. I came into the center with no expectations because I honestly had never heard of the center and I wanted to enter the space with an open mind. The tour started off with a presentation about the specific senior population and a little bit about what the center provides to the elderly community. One of the most impractical facts mentioned in the presentation was that the elderly spends more than have of their income on living expenses such as rent. With national poverty line being about 1240 dollars and most if not all senior fall under that category – especially if they are solely collecting social security checks, it becomes impossible to living under sustainable conditions when the cost of living is extremely high, and their only source of income is a social security check. It really saddens me to see so many individuals struggling through life, especially in a phase of their life where they can’t really fend for themselves as much compared to when they were young. These facts also make me think of my grandmother and my parents. I feel so blessed that we still have each other because a lot of individuals do not have family in the area, or they have other health issues that has affected their personal relationships.
As we took the tour around the facility, we were able to see the different resources that the center provides for its members. They have incorporated a patient centered environment where everything is interconnected, and the patient’s health and wellness are the core of their facility. I was very impressed to see a dental clinic embedded into the facility because oral health is so important! As we get older it becomes more and more important to maintain great oral health. We also mingled a bit with the elders before serving them their lunch. They were so pleasant and excited to speak to us. They are so emotionally available and have no problem speaking to us about the live they have lived. There is truly so much to learn about the senior community, and I am so glad I have gotten some great experiences so far.
As we took the tour around the facility, we were able to see the different resources that the center provides for its members. They have incorporated a patient centered environment where everything is interconnected, and the patient’s health and wellness are the core of their facility. I was very impressed to see a dental clinic embedded into the facility because oral health is so important! As we get older it becomes more and more important to maintain great oral health. We also mingled a bit with the elders before serving them their lunch. They were so pleasant and excited to speak to us. They are so emotionally available and have no problem speaking to us about the live they have lived. There is truly so much to learn about the senior community, and I am so glad I have gotten some great experiences so far.