Health providers help senior center

Yoga, bingo, pottery, line dancing and gardening are just a few of the many activities offered by the Hammond Street Senior Center. Housed in an old bank at 2 Hammond St., the center offers senior citizens of Bangor and the surrounding area a wide array of diversions.

Founded in 1999 by the non-profit Couri Foundation, the Hammond Street Senior Center has nearly 1,500 active members who benefit from its programs. Any given day may find groups of seniors playing bridge, exercising, quilting or painting at the Hammond Street Senior Center. The large building is filled with activity and houses an art studio, library, computer lab, workout room and much more.

For more than a year, St. Joseph Healthcare has provided monthly outreach services to members of the Hammond Street Senior Center. Health care experts visit the center each month to educate members on a variety of topics. Past topics include advance directives, memory loss, osteoporosis and diabetes. At these monthly gatherings, members gain access to health information and get questions answered by health experts.

Debbie Dwyer, registered nurse and ethics coordinator for St. Joseph Healthcare, said, “As a Catholic health care organization, St. Joseph Healthcare continues to value and embrace the social responsibility of our health care ministry in exercising responsible stewardship of available health care resources.

“Collaborating with Hammond Street Senior Center to promote the good health of community members is an important and effective means of such stewardship,” she said. “St. Joseph Healthcare offers a variety of monthly health education services to the senior center members. These offerings enable seniors to acquire valuable and relevant health information from qualified experts and professionals.”

St. Joseph Healthcare is committed to wellness promotion and strives to help keep the Bangor community in good health. The goals of St. Joseph Healthcare and Hammond Street Senior Center are very similar, and it made sense for the two organizations to collaborate.

It is not only necessary for the community’s seniors to have access to companionship, creative outlets and exercise to maintain good health, it is also imperative that they have access to health knowledge.

Through the sessions offered at the center, members are offered access to information regarding a multitude of health care concerns.

For example, a recent visit with Dr. Paul Bidga, a foot care specialist, drew a number of members. The sessions are free to members of the Hammond Street Senior Center. For more information on the program or becoming a member, call Alex Turallo, program coordinator for the Hammond Street Senior Center at 262-5532.

Casey J. Cote is a public affairs and development associate at St. Joseph Healthcare.