|
about THE ARLINGTON HEIGHTS
SENIOR CENTER
:BACK TO TOP:
Each day, over 600 senior
citizens attend the Arlington Heights Senior Center to participate in a wide
array of programs. Additionally, many services are provided to homebound
senior citizens. Through the eight organizations that make up the senior
center, approximately 12,000 senior citizens and their families are served
each year.
The senior center was founded
in 1982 by the Village of Arlington Heights in the retired Park School,
leased from Arlington Heights School District 25. In 1996, the Village
foresaw the need for additional space, parking and amenities and in 1997
developed the 42,000 square foot state- of-the-art senior center. The
Arlington Heights Senior Center was officially dedicated on January 31,
1998. Some of our more outstanding features include an indoor walking trail,
woodshop, café, fireplace, computer lab, gift shop, health clinic, and the
Arlington Athletic Club. A touch screen computer tracks the thousands of
hours of our 300+ volunteers. The senior center publishes a bimonthly
newsletter and calendar of events.
The senior center's
organizational structure of eight senior service agencies all located under
one roof allows senior patrons to take advantage of "one-stop shopping."
The computer lab and reading
room are operated by the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. Other offerings
include Friday morning Travelogues, National Issues Forum, Popular Books
Discussion Group, Current Events, Reading Classics.
Arlington Heights Nurses' Club Lending Closet
:BACK TO TOP:
Durable medical equipment,
such as walkers, wheelchairs, canes, commodes, crutches and portable bath
and toilet rails may be obtained at no charge from the Arlington Heights
Nurses' Club Lending Closet. Loans are made available only to Arlington
Heights residents. There is no age limit. The closet is open Tuesday
mornings, from 10:00am to 11:30am, and on Wednesday evenings from 6:30pm to
8:00pm and Saturdays from 10:00am to 11:30am. The telephone number is
847.797.5315.
Popular recreation and
fitness programs are provided by the Arlington Heights Park District. These
include entertainment, creative and performing arts, one-day bus trips,
socialization and fitness. Some examples are Lunch & Laughter, Fun &
Fitness, Arlington Athletic Club, Dance Aerobics, Stretch & Dance, Tai Chi,
Ballroom Dancing, Watercolor Painting, Bridge Classes, Wood Carving as well
as a Woodshop. For more information, please call 847.797.5341.
The Arlington Heights Senior
Center won numerous awards during its first fifteen years as Park Place
Senior Center. That fine tradition has continued as the Village of Arlington
Heights became the
2004 recipient of the
Association of Illinois Senior Centers’ Visionary Program Award,
1998 recipient of the Governor's Hometown Award, First
Place for Senior Citizen Involvement; honorable mention in the U.S.
Conference of Mayor's and Waste Management's City Livability Awards in 1999;
second place in the 1999 Modernization Award of "Buildings" magazine
national competition; and first place in the 1998 American Public Works
Association, Chicago Metropolitan Chapter for Project of the Year,
Structures $2,000,000 to $10,000,000; the John J. Gunther Award for Blue
Ribbon Practices in Housing and Community Development by the Department of
Housing and Urban Development; and the State of Illinois Senate Recognition
of the 90th General Assembly as well as a 1998 Resolution from the Cook
County Board of Commissioners.
Bingo is played in the dining
room on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays immediately following lunch, at
approximately 12:30pm. Bingo cards can be purchased before lunch. The cost
is 5¢ per card per game.
Catholic Charities Northwest Senior Services
:BACK TO TOP:
Information and assistance,
case management, elder abuse intervention, nursing home pre-screenings,
chore services, advocacy, money management counseling and counseling
referrals are available through Catholic Charities Northwest Senior Services
at the senior center. Catholic Charities serves persons age 60 and over in
Wheeling, Palatine, Barrington and Hanover Townships. Their phone number is
847.253.5500. Kenneth Young Center provides similar case management services
for persons over age 60 residing in Elk Grove Township. The telephone number
for Kenneth Young is 847.524.8800.
A daily luncheon program
offers a choice of a featured main entrée or a soup/salad/deli bar. This,
along with a Meals-on-Wheels program for homebound seniors, is offered
through Community Nutrition Network. Additionally, CNN plans special
activities such as monthly birthday parties, holiday recognition.
The 9-1-1 Emergency
Assistance Information program is a free registration system whereby
emergency service providers are made aware of some mobility or disability
information prior to arrival at your home. This information alerts rescuers
to situations where residents may have difficulty in exiting their
residences.
In emergency situations, it
may be beneficial if emergency service providers are aware of some mobility
or disability information prior to arriving at your home. The information on
this form will be maintained in the 9-1-1 computer aided dispatch system.
The information is generally available at the time of dispatch to an
emergency request for help at your address. The primary purpose of
maintaining this information is to alert rescuers to situations in which
you, or other occupants, may have difficulty in exiting the building.
Detailed medical information
about yourself, or other individuals that reside with you, can be maintained
by utilizing the separate “Emergency Information” Packet (Red Label). This
packet should be affixed to your refrigerator, and contains forms regarding
your health and other medical history. When the Fire Department arrives at
your home for a medical emergency, the “Emergency Information” Packet is
extremely valuable if you are unable to communicate with emergency
personnel. Contact the Disability Services Coordinator at the above address
for additional information.
The information supplied by
an individual is maintained in the 9-1-1 computer aided dispatch system. The
program provides essential information at a time when the individual might
not be able to do so.
If you desire to have this
type of information available to emergency providers, or if you have any
questions regarding the program, please call David Robb at 847.368.5793 or
e-mail him at
drobb@vah.com.
AARP sponsors "55 Alive!," a
defensive driving class which may result in an insurance discount. This
eight-hour class is offered on the first Monday and Tuesday mornings of each
month from 9:00am to 1:00pm. The cost is $10.00. Reservations are required
and can be
made by calling the Arlington Heights Senior Center.
Northwest Community Healthcare's Healthy Aging
Services
:BACK TO TOP:
Health programs are offered
by Northwest Community Healthcare's Healthy Aging Services and the Village
of Arlington Heights Health Department. Blood pressures are taken on the second Wednesday of each month at 11:00am
or immediately following cholesterol screenings. Cholesterol screenings are
also offered on the second Wednesday of each month on an appointment basis.
The fees are $15.00 for an HDL and total, and $20.00 for HDL, LDL and total.
Schedule appointments by calling the Arlington Heights Senior Center.
Special presentations and screenings are offered each month on Wednesdays.
Arlington Heights residents
may register for the Postal Alert, a program whereby the postal carrier
tracks accumulated mail of registered participants so that a well-being
check can be performed if someone does not pick up their mail. This program
is sponsored by the United States Postal Service, Arlington Heights, the
Village of Arlington Heights Senior Center and Senior Citizens Commission
and Lutheran Home & Services. The program is free. Call the Arlington
Heights Senior Center for an application.
LEARN MORE >
Rules of the Road Review
provides drivers, including senior citizens and persons with disabilities,
the knowledge and confidence to renew or obtain a State of Illinois Drivers'
License. It combines an explanation of the driving ability exam together
with a practice written exam. The course helps students become familiar with
Illinois traffic laws and assists in preparing for the written driver's
license examination. It is offered on every other month on the second
Thursday at 9:30am. The class is free but reservations are required.
Please call the Arlington Heights Senior Center.
The Arlington Heights Senior
Center Advisory Council serves in an
advisory capacity to staff regarding programmatic matters. The group
sponsors frequent newcomers' orientation coffee hours and offers tours of
the senior center each Tuesday between 10:00am and 11:00am.
The Arlington Heights Senior
Center Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation established to help provide
quality services to senior citizens and to serve as a fund raising body to
broaden the economic foundation of the senior center and augment the funding
from the Village of Arlington Heights. To that end, the twenty member
voluntary board of directors has paid for the equipment and furnishings of
the café and woodshop, the donor's wall and piano in the lobby, the
furnishings in Room 172, all of the long banquet tables and 140 of the
chairs in the central programming rooms. Additionally, they provided $30,000
to the Village of Arlington Heights to assist with the development of the
senior center's "greenspace" into an outdoor landscaped plaza area.
The Arlington Heights Senior
Citizens Commission is a ten-member commission, appointed by the Village
President. This commission serves in an advisory capacity to the Village of
Arlington Heights Board of Trustees on matters of importance to Arlington
Heights Senior Citizens.
Through the Chicago Bar
Association, the Senior Citizens Wills Program offers eligible seniors one
free will related consultation with a lawyer, and, if the senior wishes, the
low cost preparation of a simple will. Persons must be age 60 or over, a
resident of Suburban Cook County and their assets, excluding personal car
and home should be worth no more than $30,000.00. For an individual, the
annual income should not exceed $15,000. For a couple, the annual income
should not exceed $20,000.00. Appointments can be scheduled for the first
Wednesday morning of each month by calling the Arlington Heights Senior
Center.
SHIP, the Senior Health
Insurance Program is a program offered through the Illinois Department of
Insurance. Volunteers are trained by the State of Illinois Department of
Insurance to assist senior citizens with problems involving Medicare,
Medicare Supplemental Insurance, Medicare HMOs, Long Term Care Insurance,
retiree health plans, claims processing, and appealing claim denials. There
is no charge for this service and appointments can be made for Friday
mornings by calling the Arlington Heights Senior Center.
Tax Counseling for the
Elderly provides free tax preparation and counseling during February, March
and the first two weeks in April. The program is a joint partnership between
the Internal Revenue Service and the American Association of Retired
Persons. The counselors are specifically trained in tax benefits for older
persons. Appointments can be made by calling the Arlington Heights Senior
Center. The program is limited to households over age 60 with incomes
at or below $60,000.
The Village of Arlington
Heights offers a subsidized taxi service for Arlington Heights residents age
65 and over who have annual incomes less than $21,000 per household. The
subsidy is $3.00 per one-way ride. There is a limit of 20 rides per month.
Applications must be done in person at the senior center so that a photo
pass can be issued. Proof of age, residency and income is required. For
further information, please contact the Arlington Heights Senior Center.
TRANSPORTATION
:BACK TO TOP:Village transportation
programs for seniors and citizens with disabilities in the community, are
monitored, evaluated and coordinated i.e. township programs, PRC and PACE.
Presently, efforts are being made to address the transportation needs of
wheelchair users.
PACE/RTA offers reduced fares
on fixed bus routes and trains for persons age 65 and older. An RTA Reduced
Fare Card is needed. Applications are available at the senior center. A
photo, as well as a copy of a government issued photo identification must
accompany the application to RTA. The senior center will take the required
photo and make the copy of the identification. RTA requires three to six
weeks to send the card to the applicant.
Additional
Transportation Programs for Senior Citizens Include:
-
Wheeling Township
Dial A Ride and Route Services Programs: 847.259.7743
-
Elk Grove Township
Dial A Ride: 847.437.0300
-
RTA Paratransit ADA
which provides special services for individuals with disabilities:
312.917.4357
-
Escorted
Transportation Services (Medical and Dental Purposes) located at the
Arlington Heights Senior Center: 847.222.9227.
-
Northwest Community
Healthcare: 847.618.6410
-
Alexian Brothers
Medical Center: 847.228.6394
-
Holy Family Hospital
Caravan Program: 847.297.1800 x2626
-
Paratransit Resource
Center: 847.297.5067
CLICK HERE
to view other transportation options that are available.
Village of Arlington Heights
vehicle stickers and dog tags can also be purchased at the senior center.
The Arlington Heights Senior
Center Volunteer Program strives to offer a broad selection of volunteer
opportunities which both challenge and satisfy the personal needs of those
who volunteer, while fulfilling the needs of those being assisted by their
volunteer effort. Over 300 volunteers are active in a variety of roles
including:
-
Senior Health Insurance
Program
-
Counselors
-
Tax Counselors for the
Elderly
-
Meals on Wheels Drivers
-
Friendly Visitors
-
Office Assistants
-
Technical Advisors
-
Instructors
-
Council, Board,
Commission Members
-
Gift Store Assistants
-
Reading Room Aides
-
Computer Lab Monitors
-
Café and Kitchen Aides
-
Lending Closet Assistants
AGENCIES
-
Village of Arlington
Heights-Management & Operation
-
Arlington Heights
Memorial Library-Reading Room/Computer Lab
-
Arlington Heights Nurses
Club-Lending Closet
-
Arlington Heights Park
District-Recreation Programs & Tours
-
Catholic Charities:
Counseling & Case Management; Nursing Home Prescreening; Elderly Abuse
-
Community Nutrition
Network: Home Delivered Meals; Congregate Dining & Café
-
Northwest Community
Healthcare-Healthy Aging
-
Resource Center for the
Elderly: Shared Housing; Resource Express Directory
Senior Center Volunteers have
received numerous awards and various forms of recognition including:
-
Governors Hometown Award
-
Cook County Sheriff’s
Award
-
Community Nutrition
Network
-
Outstanding Volunteer
Recognition
-
Suburban Area Agency on
Aging
-
Sid Granet Award
-
J.C. Penney/Volunteer
Center
The Arlington Heights Senior
Center receives funding from the suburban Area Agency on Aging. Client
contributions are welcomed.
Arlington Heights Senior Center
1801 West Central Road
Arlington Heights, IL 60005-2410
Phone: 847.253.5532
Fax: 847.253.4476
TTY: 847.797.5310
Monday
8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 9:00pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday 9:00am - 1:00pm
|
