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Clinton News-Record, 1985-12-11, Page 24INCOROORATtNG ... , , µ w; . `�H� BL'�T�[ �T'A�#a��taD^`���t��iYk'IE�.� �LJG� SECOND S ` ` CTION WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER ' 11, 1985 Along with the social aspect, the clients at the Huron Day Centre, ,.located in the far east wing of Huronview, enjoy a variety of ac- tivities. One of their favorite pastimes is a morning round of cards. Playing a game of euchre are, clockwise from left, Pat Thurlow, Huronview resident; Harold Pepper, Clinton; Sam Anderson, Goderich; Murray Rollinson, Auburn and Annie McNichol from Seaforth. (Alan Rivett photo) Huron Day Centre provides activities and change of scenery By Alan Rivett CLINTON : Thursday's an important day for Shirley Haggarty. For some senior citizens, each day brings nothing new, nothing exciting. But, Thursdays are special for Shirley. It's the day when she departs from her comfortable apartment on James. Street in Clinton. for the Huron Day Centre for the Homebound located in Huronview, east of Clinton. Thursdays begin at 9:30 a.m. By the time Shirley makes her way down the stairs to the main floor of the senior citizens' apart- ment, a volunteer driver from the day cen- tre is waiting for her in the parking lot. Arrival at the centre always means say-' ing hello to everyone. It also means sitting around the table with a cup of coffee, chat- ting with the centre's clients who come from all over Huron County. "The coffee pot is always on," says the soft-spoken 81 -year- old. Friendships Most importantly, it means seeing familiar faces she's come to know at the centre. Over the seven years she's been coming to the centre, a number of her friends she's met are gone. It's hard, but she has accepted it. "I've seen a lot of them come and go. I don't like to see it happen but it catches up to people. When I first came here, I promised myself that I wouldn't get too attached to, anyone, but you can't help it, you become so attached. I've formed a lot of friendships," Shirley said in reflecting upon her years at the centre. ',After coffee it's off to the craft room to spend a morning doing her favorite pastime - knitting. With a bag frill' of yarn and some knitting needles, a couple of hours soon slap by. Exercises It's 11 o'clock and that means it's time for exercises.' While sitting in chairs, they engage in "maintenance" exercisesput to music which are designed to keep the joints and muscles supple, Some even take a whirlpool bath to enhance the blood circula- tion. Shirley, however, sometimes foregoes the exercises in order to pay a visittothe hair- dresser at Huronview. When she arrives back at the centre, it's time for lunch. Lunch is always good and nutritious. Shirley appreciates the white linen table cloths on the tables which gives them an "old-fashioned" touch. She also appreciates the blessings'being given before the meal. The afternoon, however, is the highlight of Shirley's day. She, along with eight or nine other clients at the centre, go to the Clinton Crown Lanes to bowl a few games. "I like to bowl. Years ago, my husband and I bowled for a few years. But, I hadn't een bowling for a long time before I came o the day centre," she said. Although Shirley's average . isn't the ‚greatest, it doesn't detract from the• fun of bowling. Currently her average is hovering around 100, but she proudly admits to bowl- ing a 185 game. Senior Games A bowling team from the centre travelled to St. Marys this summer to compete in the Senior Games. Shirley said the centre's team did well, finishing fourth out of seven teams m the day -long tourney. After an hour or two of bowling, it's back to the centre for a cup of tela -to wrap up the day. It's, 3 p.m. now and time for the volunteer driver to return Shirley to her Clinton apartment. Shirley joined the day centre in 1979 large- ly due to the urgings of her daughter. She Wasn't fussy about going at the time partly because she had never heard'of the day cen- tre before and partly because of health pro- blems. But she decided to give it a'try. The rest, as they say, is history. "After going for a while I really got to en- joy it," she -said. "I never miss it unless I was so sick that I'd have to be in a hospital. I like being with the people and I'm glad I went.". Volunteers Helping with sing -songs and card games, serving and cleaning up after lunch, taking clients op jaunts outside of the centre - it's all in a day's work for volunteers at the Huron Day Centre. But Muriel Jones, a volunteer for the past seven years, doesn't consider her Mondays ;• spent at the centre to be work. It's her nature to help people. "You have to enjoy. helping other people. It gives me a feeling of satisfaction and fulfilment to know that I'mhelping others," she said. She lives in the same Clinton seniors' apartment building as Shirley Haggerty. While Shirley is a client, Mrs. Jones, 79, says she continues to enjoy her role as a volunteer at the centre. On a typical Monday, Mrs. Jones helps the clients with a variety of activities. Besides assisting with meals or taking clients for whirlpool baths, a Monday may include a trip to the museum or bowling, or just an afternoon drive. She enjoys the overall aspect of the centre and finds the residents really receptive to the work of the volunteers. "They really appreciate everyone who works with them. They really enjoy the company," said Mrs. Jones, a retired school teacher. In addition to the volunteer work, Mrs. Jones is active as the president of the cen- tre's New Horizon°Committee. Consisting of, 10 people, the committee meets on a yearly basis to apply for a New Horizons Grant which enables the centre to purchase new ,items in order for the clients to undertake new activities. On the suggestion of a friend who was as client at the day centre, Mrs. Jones became involved in volunteer work. It's a decision she has never regretted. "She said I'd be good at it, so I tried it and I've been there ever' since... I don't think that being a volunteer is for everyone. You have to have a certain amount of ability and you have to enjoy being with people," says Mrs! -Jones. Important Role While talking with Rosemary Armstrong, the co-ordinator of the Huron Day Centre, you know she's a firm believer in rdle of the day centre for ,area senior citizens. In fact, she's has a number of plans for expanding the centre's programs beyond their current bounds. As always, funding is the primary stumbl- ing block. But, at least a few of her big plans will soon become reality'. The centre recently received some good news in the funding department with a New Horizons Grant from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The program is set up to help senior citizens groups create projects of their own choosing. In recent years, the grant has helped to buy furniture for the day centre, she said. The money, in the amount of $4,553, will be used to purchase a new piano for the centre, salys Mrs. Armstrong. The centre currently uses a piano on loan from Huronview. "We use the piano a lot. The clients enjoy. playing the piano and they Love. gathering around for sing -songs," says Mrs. Arm- strong, an eri-iployee of the centre since it, opened in 1977. Hopefully, with the new piano, the centre will be "able to start -a musical group and choir. Tentatively called the Day Care Song -Birds, the group will also include violins and mouth organs, she said. "When we start our own choir we'll be able to go entertain somebody else for a change instead of them always entertaining us," said Mrs. Armstrong. A portion of the grant money will be used .to buy a velo bind machine. The machine will be used to establish a small book bin- ding operationfor the centre. It can produce year-end report booklets up to one inch thick for businesses and, best of all, it can be run by the clients. "Hopefully, it'll be a money- making project," she said. Other agencies have' also helped in the funding of new equipment. The Atkinson Foundation donated money for the purchase of a whirlpool bath and exercise equipment for use by 'the clients and the Stroke Club which meets at the centre every , Wednes- day. The biggest provider of funds for the day centre, however, is the Ministry of Com- munity and , Social Services which con- tributes 50 per cent to the centre. Additional financial support is received through the $6 user fee charged to the clients, Huron Coun- ty Council and from donations from service clubs and church groups in the area. Finances aside, Mrs. Armstrong says another lingering problem is an apparent identity crisis which the day centre has struggled with since its opening. ' Even though it has, been .open for eight years, Mrs: Armstrong says senior citizens still believe the centre has ties to Huron - view, which still conjures up images of a "poorhouse" where they'll be locked up and forgotten. It's a stereotype which she says is misguided. "The day centre has nothing to do with Huronview. We have to keep stressing this. Our program is designed to keep people otlt of institutions as long as possible, to keep them independent," she says. The clients come from as far south in Huron County as. Exeter and as far north as Kingsbridge, with most coming from the Goderich area to the centre which is opened four,days a week, except Tuesdays, which is left ' open for home visits and home assessments. A volunteer driver picks the clients up at their homes at 10 a.m. and delivers them home at 3 p.m. The drivers are paid 20 cents a kilometer which on a yearly basis averages out to approximately $18,000 in transportation costs alone. • In the future, Mrs. Armstrong hopes to raise enough money for a wheel -chair van not only to' be used for taking clients to and from the centre, but also to provide seniors with a ride for hospital or doctor appoint- ments. She says she has sought government help for the van which will cost $26,000, but there are no funds currently available for rural transit system of this type. "They keep telling us they're working on it,"she said. On average, 15 clients come to the centre per gay to take part in the activities and espe'hially the social aspect which is very important to the seniors, she said. The clients m* be involved in crafts, watching movies or perhaps playing a garne of cards. Through the summer months 'day -long ex- cursions are organized to museums, theatres or for a picnic. There's also bowl- ing every Thursday afternoon. The centre provides ample entertainment, but it's up to the clients to ultimately decide what ac - Turn to page 2 Muriel Jones (left) and Shirley Haggerty have had a long association with the day cen- tre. Mrs. Jones has been a volunteer on Mondays for'the past seven years while Mrs. Haggarty has been a client every Thursday for the past seven years. Here, they look at a summary of a recent volunteers workshop. ( Alan Rivett photo) Robert Groves helps Myrtle Barker from the car after a trip to the Huron Day Centre for the Homebound located in Huronview. ' Some of the clients at the Huron Day Centre prefer to spend the day working on crafts. On this particular day Margaret Hildebrand of Benniiller and Allen Reid of Clinton were hooking a rug. ( Alan Rivett photo)