Senior Services

The Respite Home Care Specialist provides support and relief for the primary caregiver of those clients with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. Services include light housekeeping, meal preparation, supervision, and companionship.

For assistance, contact Community Resource Specialist at Empowerline 404-463-3333.

Did you know . . .

When the time comes for your annual vehicle emission test, you may qualify for the Senior Exemption if:

• The registered vehicle owner is 65 years of age or older, AND
• The vehicle is driven less than 5,000 miles per year, AND
• The vehicle is 10 model years old or older.A proxy may submit the necessary paperwork for the Senior Exemption.Senior Exemption applications can be obtained at any Georgia Clean Air Force Waiver Center or your local Tag Office. For assistance with a Senior Exemption, contact one of the Waiver Centers:
• Norcross: 770-447-6111
• Stone Mountain: 404-768-5523
• Lakewood: 404-761-1677
• College Park: 404-768-5523
• Marietta: 770-850-0028

For additional information, or to receive/print the Senior Exemption Application, call 1-800-449-2471, or visit www.cleanairforce.com.

The Rockdale County Fire Department offers a home inspection program for citizens safe 60+. To schedule the Fire Department to visit your home for a free home inspection and smoke detection, complete and return the form.

For further information on fire safety tips, contact Fire Safety Educator at Fire Headquarters.

Call the Fire Department Station 7 at 770-278-8401

Trained and supervised homemakers provide assistance to homebound elderly persons aged 60+ in their homes. Services provided include:

• Routine housekeeping
• Preparation and serving of light meals
• Arranging medical appointments
• Essential shopping

To request services or for further information contact Community Resource Specialist at 404-463-3333

Information, Referral and Follow-up:
By contacting the Senior Services Center, senior citizens and their families can obtain information and access to helpful agencies and resources in a timely manner. Follow-up service is provided to ensure that the client’s needs have been met.

Case Management:
Personal assistance is provided by professional staff who assess the needs of individual clients and accordingly plan and arrange needed services. A case manager monitors the provision of services and assists older persons in maintaining their maximum independence. Contact the Social Service Manager at 770-278-7230.

Other services provided at the Center include:

• Recreational activities
• Limited health screening
• Nutrition education
• Group information
• Case Management

To receive services, seniors must be at least 60 years of age, independent and a resident of Rockdale County. Some services and programs are available to only those that meet additional eligibility requirements.

The information and referral specialist will obtain some basic information and refer the senior to either a case manager or to the senior center manager. The staff will evaluate the senior with a detailed assessment to determine what services are needed. If the referred senior citizen is eligible and desires the services, they will begin as soon as a space is available for the particular service.

For further information or to request services contact the Information and Referral Specialist at 770-278-7230 or Empowerline at 404-463-3333 

A program for grandparents raising grandchildren.

Kinship Care Program

When grandparents take in their grandchildren they are often faced with obstacles to parenting their grandchildren such as providing food, clothing and shelter, help with social service agencies, and various needed counseling services. Grandparents encounter these challenges as they provide care for their grandchildren, resulting in increased risk for depression, stress, changes in health, and financial difficulties.

In an effort to confront the growing trend of grandparents raising their grandchildren the Senior Services Center provides the following Kinship Care Group activities:

Support Groups: The Kinship Care Program hosts one monthly “Just Us” support group meeting exclusive to the grandparents. The grandparents openly discuss issues/problems they are experiencing and also the progress made within each of their families. From the “Just Us” meeting, it gives the Kinship Care Coordinator the opportunity to observe the concerns of the group and better meet their needs.

Training: Training sessions are provided one Thursday evening per month and conducted in a group session for the purpose of skill building through instruction for family caregivers and/or professional caregivers. Past training sessions have included Rockdale Medical Center, Rockdale Animal Control, the Food Bank, Project Hope, DFCS, the Cooperative Extension Service, Rockdale Emergency Relief, the Rockdale Fire Department, the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office, and several other local agencies.

Support Meetings are held at the Olivia Haydel Senior Center. Call  770-278-7230.

Congregate Meals and Services:
Hot, nutritionally balanced meals, which meet one-third of the Recommended Daily Allowance for older persons, are served at lunchtime at the Senior Center, Monday through Friday.

Home Delivered Meals – “Meals on Wheels”:
Hot, nutritious, noon-time meals are delivered by volunteers to homebound elderly persons (60+) who are unable or have great difficulty preparing a meal. Meals are delivered daily, Monday through Friday. Supportive services also provided include nutrition education. To apply for meals-on-wheels please contact the Community Resource Specialist at 404-463-3333.

A caring volunteer or staff member delivers the meal to the senior’s table with a good word, a smile, and a short friendly visit.

Many senior citizens spend most of their day, every day, at home alone. The Meals-on-Wheels Program provides the senior with much-needed nourishment and contact. These crucial, elemental services, in combination with other services available, assist the senior in remaining at home.

The Senior Services Center currently serves over 70-80 meals per day to the home-bound seniors of Rockdale County.

The center relies on volunteers to donate their time and effort to make sure seniors receive a nutritious meal.  To volunteer please stop by the center at 1240 Dogwood Drive and complete an application.  For the well-being of the at-risk senior population, all volunteers are required to have a federal background check completed prior to starting in the program.

Bingo
Wednesday (swap bingo): 10:30 a.m.
Friday: 9:45 a.m.

Bowling: Senior Fun Day
Wednesdays, 3:00 p.m.
Meet at AMF American Lanes in Conyers

Cards:
Bridge: Monday 12-3:30 pm Friday 11:30-3:30 pm
Canasta: Wednesday 12-3:30 pm
Bid Whist: Thursday 12-6:30 pm

Ceramics Room:
Open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
In the ceramics room, members can pour their own molds, paint, and fire. Members often sell items to raise funds for the Senior Center.

Classes, Fitness and Activities:
Programs include, but are not limited to:
strength bands, weights, and a variety of other exercise classes, games, crafts, nutrition, bean bag baseball,wet sets water aerobics, parties, special events, table tennis, billiards, name that tune game, line dancing classes yoga classes, and outreach projects.

Computer:
Computer pod available for seniors use; Wifi available throughout the building

Group Shopping:
Offered at least once per month
Check monthly calendar

Holiday Programs: 
Decorations handmade by Senior Center members. Local merchants and the local Senior Site Council donate party supplies. All major holidays are observed.

Medical Screenings:
Weekly blood pressure screening on Friday. SPARC event held annually in May including free health screening and vendor-provided vaccinations.

Rockdale Senior Site Council:
Meet once a month, on the second Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. Group provides monthly fundraisers for programs and offer support in many senior program operational areas.

Senior King and Queen:
Elected on Valentine’s Day, the King and Queen represent the Senior Center for parades and festivals throughout the year.

Senior Boutique:
Open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Crafts, ceramics, and clothing items are sold for program income.

Special Personal Services:

Haircuts once or twice per month (depending on stylist availability). Sign-up required.

Travel:
Group trips are provided throughout the year. Annual day trips may include: locations like Stone mountain, museums local attractions, restaurants, theaters, concerts and much more. Overnight trips are offered twice a year and the group always chooses the destinations. A local company provides travel on a 56-passenger buses. Senior pay for their travel in full.

 Trotters Walking Club:
Walk four days per week at the JP Carr Gym
Monday – Thursday, from 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Transportation is provided to senior citizens for the following purposes:

• Trips to and from the Senior Center
• Trips to medical appointments (arrangements should be made three days in advance, and is limited, per staff and van availability)
• Trips to and from social service agencies
• Group shopping trips
• Group recreational trips
• Transportation Voucher
• Veterans Transportation

Contact Information Referal Specialist 770-278-7230

For Transportation Voucher and Veterans Transportation contact the Transportation manager  at 770-278-7230.

TO MAKE A DONATION

To make a monetary donation, please fill out the form attached and return to the Center with your donation. All donations are tax deductible. Donations can be directed to one of the following:

• Meals-on-Wheels
• Olivia Haydel Senior Center
• Senior Transportation
• Congregate Meals
• Homemaker Services
• Respite Services
• The Olivia Haydel Memorial Fund
• Senior Nutrition and Wellness Programs
• Other (please specify)

The Senior Boutique appreciates donations, however, due to lack of storage, some simple guidelines are required for items accepted. (Call ahead, 770-278-7230)

Needed:

• Ladies shoes
• Jewelry and purses
• Collectibles (home decor, etc)
• Small appliances & electronics
  (in working order)
• Complete sets of dishes, bowls, glass sets
• Arts & crafts supplies
• Men & women’s clothing (senior citizen appropriate clothes please)

Not Accepted:

• Undergarments or bathing suits
• Soiled or torn clothing, or worn-down shoes
• Children’s clothing, toys or other children’s items
• Broken knick-knacks or items in disrepair
• Material/cloth scraps
• Unmatched glassware or dinnerware
• Large furniture pieces

If you would like to make a donation to the Rockdale County Senior Services Center, please fill out the form below, directing your donation as you wish.

Donation Form

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Meals on Wheels: The center needs volunteers to deliver Meals on Wheels to homebound seniors of Rockdale County. Meals are delivered Monday through Friday at 10:30 a.m. Meals on Wheels volunteers usually deliver one morning per week, and meals are picked up at the Center. Volunteers drive their own vehicle to deliver meals.

Kitchen Duty: The center needs daily help with packing the Meals on Wheels coolers for the volunteer Meals on Wheels drivers to pick up. Help serving lunch to the seniors who come to the center on a daily basis is also welcome.

Ceramics Room: The Olivia Haydel Senior Center ceramics room has equipment to pour molds, paint, and fire. Seniors sell ceramics to raise funds for the Senior Center. Volunteers are encouraged to share their creativity.

Friendly Visitors & Entertainers: Just like to visit with folks or have a special talent that you would like to share? Come on down to the center and visit with our senior members who come for the daily activities.

Speak a foreign language? We have a variety of members from all different cultures around the world. Come and exchange knowledge with them.

Computer pod: We have a computer pod where a volunteer can work one-on-one with a senior to show them games or search the internet.  If you are interested in volunteering, please stop by the center and complete a volunteer application.