Senior Services

Playing Cards

Approximately 190,000 senior citizens utilize the many programs and services offered by the Department of Senior Enrichment. The Town of Hempstead has 120 senior citizen clubs and 16 centers, which are open five days a week. Social, recreational and educational opportunities are provided. Membership is free. Activities and services include: physical fitness classes, humanities discussions, current events, history, music, arts and crafts, dance, piano lessons, showtime, painting, ceramics, sewing, needlecraft, macramé, sculpture, calligraphy, creative writing, poetry, shuffleboard, bowling, billiards, bingo, cards, intergenerational programs, luncheons, parties and trips. A variety of cultural and educational programs, films and speakers are also available. The centers offer blood pressure screenings, health programs, income tax assistance and Vial of Life programs.

Bereavement Support Group

Often grief shared is grief diminished. For those suffering the loss of a loved one, Bereavement Support Groups meet twice a month. For information call (516) 485-8100.

Caregivers Support Group

Caring for a spouse, parent, or friend can be stressful. Caring for the Caregiver is a support group to help with coping strategies, resources and peer support. For information call (516) 485-8100.

EASEL - Experienced Art Students Enrichment League

Senior Artist

For senior artists who enjoy painting and are interested in joining a daytime art league, the Town of Hempstead offers a program called EASEL (Experienced Art Students Enrichment League).

EASEL holds meetings every Tuesday at 1:00 PM at the Oceanside Senior Center, 2900 Rockaway Avenue, Oceanside. They will include art demonstrations, field trips, workshops, discussions, and, most importantly, an opportunity for members to meet and work with fellow artists. In addition, annual art exhibitions are planned.

There is no charge for membership and members are requested to provide their own painting material.

To become a member of EASEL, or for more information, please call the Department of Senior Enrichment at (516) 485-8100 or Oceanside Senior Center at 766-8888.

FLU Immunization Program

Hempstead Town, in cooperation with area hospitals, provides an annual flu immunization program for resident seniors, age 60 or older, at various senior centers. Flu vaccines are provided with no out of pocket cost to the seniors. The administrating hospital will bill insurance companies; however, there will be no co-payments for those receiving flu shots.

Seniors must pre-register in person at least 10 days before the immunization date at their local senior center. The 2012 program will commence in November 2012. For further information call Senior Enrichment's Information and Referral Service at (516) 485-8100.

Golden Learning Opportunities (GLO)

GLO is an innovative program designed to encourage town seniors to continue their quest for knowledge and provide new and interesting means for them to widen their intellectual and artistic horizons. The sessions welcome interaction between program presenters and participants and become a forum for seniors to express their ideas based on accumulated knowledge and past experiences.

GLO is open to all seniors in the Town of Hempstead. Those interested in participating need not be a member of a senior center or club.

GLO is held monthly at the Merrick Senior Center, 2550 Clubhouse Road, Merrick. For more information contact the Department of Senior Enrichment at (516) 485-8100 or the Merrick Senior Center at (516) 868-4777.

Health

Blood pressure screenings performed by a registered nurse are available at all senior centers. Each June, the department hosts an annual Health and Wellness Fair for senior citizens at Lido Beach Town Park. The fair offers a number of free health screenings, important medical and financial-related information and referral services to senior residents. This year's fair will be held on Thursday, June 14, 2012, from 10 AM to 2 PM at Lido Beach Town Park. For further details, please call 485-8100.

Healthy Lifestyles

The Department of Senior Enrichment recognizes that we can maintain a good quality of life through healthy lifestyles. Healthy Lifestyles is a program of health education and promotion for older people. It focuses on the needs of seniors and helps to promote important lifestyle and behavior changes that can maintain or improve health and independence within the senior population, having a positive effect on the quality of life of its participants.

Healthy Lifestyles is designed to bring renewed interest in learning about health, through a curriculum which is comprehensive, interdisciplinary, experiential and creative. Seniors will be challenged, motivated and drawn into the curriculum as positive health attitudes replace negative ones.

Healthy Lifestyles aims to promote the self-esteem and decision-making skills that enable older people to adopt healthy attitudes and engage in more positive behaviors.

The target population of this program are those seniors age 60 and over who attend senior clubs and centers and reside within the Town of Hempstead.

Home Aides to Seniors (HATS)

The program is designed to provide trained companion aides to work directly with the frail elderly in their homes. The aides are trained to perform non-medical duties such as food shopping, meal preparation, helping with personal grooming, tidying client's room along with some recreational activities. Aides are independent contractors who charge $7.25 per hour for their services, plus transportation costs to and from the client. Referrals to clients are made through the Department of Senior Enrichment. For more information call (516) 485-8100.

Information & Referral

This service links senior citizens with resources that are available to them in areas of housing, health needs, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps, and individual and group counseling. Staff assess clients' needs and make arrangements necessary to facilitate the delivery of services. For assistance, please call the Town of Hempstead Information and Referral Office at (516) 485-8100.

Nutrition

Senior Enrichment offers seniors a comprehensive range of nutritional services, including the hot meal program, offered at most centers. For information please call (516) 485-8100.

Senior Day Care Programs

A program designed to meet the needs of the at-risk elderly who, because of physical or health frailties, cannot participate in the daily senior center. The program provides light recreation, exercise, games, crafts and a hot lunch in a congenial atmosphere designed to put participants at ease and promote new friendships. This program will provide socialization as well as emotional support for the participants. For information call (516) 485-8100.

Summer Beach Program

Summer Beach Program

The 10-week Senior Summer Beach program is free and runs Monday through Friday at Lido Beach Town Park. One day each week different communities are offered free bus transportation. At Lido Beach, an air-conditioned building houses organized activities, which include arts and crafts, painting, line dancing and presentations on various topics. Blood pressure screenings are scheduled. The highlight of each day is special entertainment under a tent. Outdoors giant-sized mushroom shelters ensure maximum comfort for picnicking. The 2012 Senior Summer Beach program runs from June 25 through August 31, Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 3 PM, except weekends and holidays.

Special Events

President's Recognition Day is held at Town Hall each May in honor of Senior Citizen's month; holiday parties; bazaars; installation lunches and variety shows.

Transportation

An integral part of the senior program is the fleet of mini-buses and vans which provide seniors with needed transportation between their homes and senior centers. Additional services provided to senior center members include: shopping, banking, swimming at Echo Park, inter-center shuffleboard, billiard tournaments, limited handicapped transportation to senior day care programs, transportation to the summer beach program and other special events.

Vial of Life

The Vial of Life provides rescue units and emergency service personnel with easy and quick access to vital personal and medical information. Often when medical personnel respond to an emergency at a senior citizen's residence they are unable to act immediately because they do not know what medications the person is taking or other vital information. This program addresses that problem.

A Vial of Life decal posted on the inside of the participant's front door alerts emergency medical personnel that the resident is a program participant. An emergency medical information form is placed inside The Vial of Life container which is kept inside the participant's refrigerator. Participants may also place a Health Care Proxy form in the Vial of Life container. The health care proxy form allows seniors to choose a person or persons to make medical decisions on their behalf should they become unable to make their own medical decisions.

For a free Vial of Life kit, call the Department of Senior Enrichment at (516) 485-8100.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)

The Department of Senior Enrichment, in cooperation with the IRS, trains volunteers to assist seniors with preparation of federal and state income tax returns. Volunteers are assigned to local public libraries and senior citizen centers during the tax season. To become a volunteer or to receive tax preparation assistance, contact the Department of Senior Enrichment at (516) 485-8100. Please click here to view the 2012 VITA schedule.