The new Senior Wellness Center at Bridgewater, located at 876 E. Main St., is now open.
BRIDGEWATER - The Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Senior Wellness Center at Bridgewater, located at 876 E. Main St.
"We are celebrating the opening of Somerset County's newest Senior Wellness Center in honor of Older Americans Month," said Freeholder Director Patricia Walsh. "With its proximity to the Adult Day Center, the opening of this center completes the vision Somerset County has had for a senior campus that serves the needs of residents as they go through the various stages of aging," added Walsh.
Walsh noted a pedestrian bridge was built to create a walkway between the Adult Day Center and the Senior Wellness Center.
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Senior Wellness Center in Bridgewater, Somerset County Freeholder Patrick Scaglione steadies the ribbon as Freeholder Director Patricia Walsh prepares to cut it with ceremonial scissors. Joining them in the front row are Freeholder Mark Caliguire and Angela Dubivsky, nutrition and wellness program administrator for the county Office on Aging and Disability Services. Other participants include (from left) are Freeholder Deputy Director Peter S. Palmer, Office on Aging and Disability Services Executive Director Joanne Fetzko, Suryainala Pedapudi, Office on Aging and Disability Services Elder Care Services Administrator Cynthia Voorhees, Bridgewater Councilman Howard Norgalis, Office on Aging and Disability Services Business Manager Helen O'Connor, Human Services Director Michael Frost and Sylvia Vaccarella. Standing in the background is Office on Aging and Disability Services Advisory Council Member Harish Bhalla. (courtesy photo)"Now active, older adults who come to drop off loved ones at the Adult Day Center will be able to stay and take care of themselves for a change by enjoying programs at our Senior Wellness Center," Walsh said. "This is just one example of many successful public-private partnerships that save taxpayer dollars, enhance services and improve the quality of life for our residents.
"I am a home-care nurse and most of my work is with the elderly. I know the importance of good nutrition, socialization and the activities that are offered at our centers. With these advantages, people have much better outcomes and are able to live healthier and much happier lives.""
One of the advantages of the new facility is that it accommodates multiple activities simultaneously, satisfying diverse interests, according to a news release. The 14,000-square-foot Senior Wellness Center shares a driveway with the Adult Day Center. KM Construction Corporation was awarded the $5.5 million dollar contract.
Tour given in advance of center's opening
"Our Senior Wellness Centers provide lifelong enrichment opportunities, not only for residents who participate in our programs but for the community as well," said Freeholder Deputy Director Peter S. Palmer, alternate human services liaison. "We do this by offering nutritious meals and a variety of programming that keeps people's minds stimulated, their bodies active and their spirits elevated. These programs are intended to help residents live independently and age in place safely."
The Somerset County Office on Aging and Disability Services anticipates program needs, develops enhancements to available services and helps people remain in the community as long as they can, according to the news release.
Somerset County senior centers offer a wide range of experiences intended to impact overall health. Choices of four lunch menus (hot and cold, with and without meat) are served daily at centers, which are funded in part through the Older Americans Act and the county Board of Chosen Freeholders. Many of the programs and activities are made possible through partnerships, volunteers and the generosity of donors who pay instructor and presentation fees.
For more information, contact the Somerset County Office on Aging and Disability Services at 908-704-6346 or toll-free at 888-747-1122.