Colby Senior Care, ADRC provide unique meal opportunity

Colby Senior Care and the Clark County Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) has created a unique opportunity for community members to interact with residents and enjoy a meal on a dayto- day basis.

The two organizations announced the partnership last week, called Chat and Chew at Colby Senior Care, citing the opportunity as a “service for the area that will help with getting companionship to seniors as well as offer a nutritious meal.”

The Chat and Chew events run Monday through Friday at Colby Senior Care at 510 West Wausau Street with coffee beginning at 11:30 a.m. and lunch served at noon. Colby Senior Care owner and Director Darla Viegut said the events allow residents to be seen as active community members.

“Assuring that our residents continue to be thought of as active members of the community is an important focus for us,” Viegut said. “Prior to coming to CSC, our residents worked their whole lives to contribute to our community in one way or another. They were educators, farmers, factory workers, health care workers, day care providers, secretaries, church members, bus drivers, board members, volunteers, and of course, parents who helped shape many of our very active community members today. We feel strongly that each of them helped create and support our community, and they deserve nothing less than to continue to be included.”

The partnership not only offers an opportunity for residents to feel more included in the community around them, but also provides an opportunity for residents of Colby and the surround communities to have quality, cheap meals while enjoying fellowship with others.

Although residents at CSC have attended events outside of the facility, Viegut thought it’d be a good idea to bring the friends that the residents have made outside of the facility, to the residents’ home.

“Many of our residents still attend several functions outside of our facility, including their grandchildren’s school programs, local parades in other communities, the Coffee Coop for coffee and socialization, church, etc. So, we thought why don’t we invite community members in on a regular basis to visit with our residents in their homes, while enjoying a delicious and nutritious meal?” Viegut said.

“We are already making meals for 25 residents, so we wanted to explore the option of opening it up to those who might enjoy a good meal and good conversation while giving our residents the opportunity to see people in the community that they might not otherwise see. This also provides an opportunity to make new friends and possibly reconnect with old friends.”

The meal is not only for elderly participants, but it also provides a low-cost option for those looking for a cheap lunch.

“We didn’t want the cost to deter people from participating,” Viegut said. “We want this program to be more of a social dining experience than a ‘food program.’ Chat & Chew is not just for low-income or people who have a need to participate in the food program, it is for anyone who wants to come in to visit and enjoy a good meal.”

The cost of CSC providing a meal is around $9 per meal. However, the suggested contribution for the meal is half of that. The program is partially funded by the ADRC but the partnership will rely on contributions from those using the service to keep the program going. If unable to contribute, attendees will not be denied a meal.

The program is open to all and patrons are also able to pay for their own meal without participating in the ADRC program. Anyone age 60 or over will have the opportunity to have their meal cost covered by the ADRC regardless of which county they live in.

On top of the surface benefit that allows residents of CSC and the community to be fed and be social, Viegut said the staff at CSC is afforded the opportunity to assess community members and ensure they can stay healthy in their own homes for as long as possible.

“Having community members come into CSC for meals or activities, gives our team the opportunity to get to know them better and recognize any potential changes that may need to be addressed to avoid complicating issues at home. Like problems walking, confusion, decreased appetite, etc,” Viegut said. “Working with the individual to help recognize the change and direct them to potential options early will reduce the likelihood of the problem getting worse and ending up in the hospital.”

“I think if we can do anything to help community members safely stay in their homes, we need to do it.”

Viegut credited her team for being so willing to take on additional responsibilities to provide these opportunities for residents and community members, alike.

“Assuring that our residents are well cared for while supporting our community is core to what we do at CSC,” Viegut said. “We certainly would not be able to implement programs like this without our exceptional team, who have been extremely enthusiastic and supportive in expanding our services. They also recognize the need and are excited to be involved.”

Lynne McDonald, Director of the Clark County ADRC, said the program came together after Viegut came to her with the idea.

“Darla actually reached out to me and asked for a conversation,” McDonald said. “Fortunately, Clark County recognizes senior services as a high priority and is very generous to help these programs survive. I came three years ago and started working on a strategic plan to reset how we do services to streamline in some areas to allow funds to go directly to those who receive the benefits.”

McDonald said part of her time over the past three years has been devoted to developing partnerships like the one the ADRC has with CSC in order to benefit local communities in Clark County.

“With a small population over a large geographical area we are all vying for the same customers whether we are senior meal programs, libraries, or local restaurants. There’s lots to do but few people to fill the spots. That also means volunteers and funding is getting split. So we started reaching out to develop partnerships to combine our efforts.”

On top of local programs, the ADRC is providing meals in libraries through “Lunch and Learn” events. The ADRC also partners with restaurants for Cafe 60 which is a senior dining experience that also supports local restaurants.

“It is a win – win –win situation,” Mc-Donald said. “A win for our programs to ensure people get the nutrition they need, supports local and puts services into the communities for easy access.”

To reserve a spot for an upcoming meal, call Colby Senior Care at 715-2231612 at least 24 hours in advance.