56 FORECAST 2022 SENIOR LIVING
Seniors relish return to normal
as COVID fears ease
By: Aleks Gilbert
Its severity increasing with age, the coronavirus
hit seniors especially hard. eir quarantines
were longer, their occasional spurning of public
health decrees — guilty pleasures for the young
— a potentially deadly gamble.
So they were among the rst to be granted
access to the coronavirus vaccines approved in
late 2020. On Jan. 11, Cobb and Douglas Public
Health began vaccinating residents aged 65 and
older, as well as rst responders, another at-risk
group.
And they aren’t taking it for granted. According
to data from the state Department of Public
Health, just about every Cobb resident aged
65 to 84 has had at least one dose of a coronavirus
vaccine as of mid-January. (Curiously,
only 92.4% of Cobb residents 85 and older have
received at least one vaccine dose, according to
state data.) Countywide, the average was 64%.
e success vaccinating older Americans has
Cobb seniors watch and take notes as
Terri Carter, with the Cobb County/University
of Georgia extension, leads a sushi-making
demonstration at the Cobb Senior
Wellness Center in July.
led to the much-anticipated reopening of county
senior centers in April, more than a year aer
they rst closed in a bid to protect county residents
most vulnerable to the coronavirus.
e announcement marked the second step in
a phased reopening that saw three of the county’s
seven senior centers reopen in October 2020
with limited hours and activities.
Senior services facilities are open to all Cobb
residents aged 55 and older, oering exercise facilities,
billiards, instructional programs, dance
classes, excursions, and more. Locations do not
require membership or charge for entry, though
some programs and classes have a nominal fee.
Cobb has six locations around the county. For
a complete list, visit www.cobbcounty.org/public
services/senior-services.
Sandee Panichi, deputy director of the senior
services department, said the department has
received many requests to reopen from seniors