New programs for Banner Olive Branch Senior Center

02/03/2019

Banner Olive Branch Senior Center
Six new programs will address
isolation, food insecurity, nutrition,
and mobility for clients of the
Banner Olive Branch Senior Center.

With a $100,000 grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, the Banner Olive Branch Senior Center will be adding another set of programs to its already successful and proven services aimed at keeping participants healthy, active, and independent. The six new programs will be developed over the next two years to address the range of post-acute care needs that include isolation, food insecurity, nutrition, and mobility. They are:

  • Savory Scripts. This creative program will assist clients faced with hard choices between purchasing healthy food or their medicines. After a physician writes a “prescription” for specific foods that are lacking in a patient's diet, the patient can fill it for free at the Olive Branch food bank.
  • Block Party Lunches. Focused at socialization and providing a healthy meal to residents with limited mobility, the Olive Branch will host one-hour block parties with food, setup, service, and cleanup provided.
  • Clean Home. Some clients who receive home-delivered food are unable to perform basic housekeeping in their homes, leading to unacceptable living conditions for these already-vulnerable groups. In a partnership with independent cleaning services, this program will provide a one-time deep clean followed by a monthly cleaning service.
  • Soakers. Homebound clients who rarely luxuriate in a bath will have the opportunity, once per month, to receive the experience through an Arizona non-medical home health agency.
  • Healthy Cooking Is A SNAP. A USDA program known as SNAP, which offers supplemental nutrition assistance, provides vouchers for seniors who qualify. This cooking and meal planning class will show them how to maximize their SNAP money for staple foods and seasonings to augment pantry items.
  • Fire Department Referrals. When area fire departments answer a call from elderly individuals in distress due to physical limitations, early stage dementia, or other perilous concerns in the home, the responding fire department will make a referral to the Olive Branch for a follow-up contact to determine if any of its services can be provided.

The Banner Olive Branch Senior Center is part of the Banner Homecare and Hospice Division. Established in 1988, the Olive Branch offers a variety of social and educational activities as well as delicious and nutritious meals for individuals who are 60 years of age or older, their spouses, and handicapped persons of all ages.