ARAB, Alabama — One of the last areas of our community to reopen from this pandemic will be the senior centers. Arab's senior center is now open at at full capacity, and seniors are ready to get back.
These restrictions were set in place due to the pandemic, but now that the COVID outlook is improving, senior centers are back...and patrons are excited.
Arab mayor Bob Joslin says, "The senior center is a very big activity in the city of Arab because this is a lot of these people's social life, and them being out for a little over a year, they've really missed it, and to be open, that's a big issue for seniors to get back together and have a social life again and see their old friends that they hadn't seen in quite a while."
Maggie Thrower, Arab Senior Center director, says, "The ADSS, which is the Alabama Department of Senior Services, finally let up on their restrictions on what you can and cannot do in a center. I had a senior come in yesterday and we were all just giddy almost, and she said, 'this is like the first day of school', I said 'yeah it is like the first day of school,' we were just so excited and ready to get back to it, it was like a kid returning to school each year is something is part of your daily routine."
Remaining active and socializing with others has proven to be beneficial to seniors. These centers help make those opportunities a reality.
Thrower says, "There is a very distinct difference in seniors who are homebound and seniors that get out. We have a homebound program where we deliver food, and we tried to often encourage those people if they are able to come at all, even if it's one day a week to get out. We have especially seen this during COVID more than any other time. It is good for your health, it is good for your mind, socialization is very, very important. And if you don't believe that you just talk to some of your senior citizen friends."