SENIOR LIVING
Terri Carter, with the Cobb County/University of Georgia extension,
leads a sushi-making demonstration at the Cobb Senior Wellness Center in
July, as eresa Zwicker, le, volunteers to give it a shot.
From le: Agate Lip, Rose Brady and May Studley learn how to dye cloth from
Jen Tadlock, of WellStar Health System, during a class at the
Tim D. Lee Senior Center.
where the heart is at Dogwood Forest Acworth Assisted Living & Memory Care and
so is the CARE. We love our residents like family and you can visit our website and
hear from family members why they love us to.
We offer:
• Short term stays
• Studio and 1BR apartments
• On-site rehab
FORECAST 2022 57
who have received their vaccine.
“We’re really looking forward to our seniors returning to
our centers,” she said at the time. “I’m telling you, as much as
they miss coming to the centers, we so miss them.”
e Freeman Poole Senior Center in Smyrna is a second
home for eo Hill, a place to see friends, exercise, and, as she
did on a Friday in June, chew the fat over a game of chess. Not
having those opportunities during the pandemic, Hill said,
was devastating.
“I think it was, for all citizens across the country, it was the
worst thing I think I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Hill said.
“A lot of us, I would say 70% or more, live by themselves. And
this is a haven for them to get out and connect with the community
and friends.”
“We call it the Old Folks’ Country Club,” she added with a
laugh.
Mike Jones said in June he “barely made it past the driveway
for the last year.”
“But I’m more comfortable getting out since I’ve had the
vaccine, a lot more comfortable,” he added.
Looking toward 2022, Cobb Senior Services Director Jatunn
Gibson told the county’s governing board he would like to see
them boost his department’s funding.
Residents 60 years and older are now the county’s fastest
growing population group, with a third of the county projected
to be over 55 by 2030. Cobb’s roughly 175,000 citizens in
that group will only grow as Baby Boomers continue to age.
With those trends will come ever-increasing burdens on
county services as seniors “literally will knock down the
doors” to use its senior centers, Gibson said at a Board of
Commissioners’ work session in September.
To meet that demand, Gibson proposes improving the bus
eet which transports seniors to and from events, and generally
working to create a “center without walls”—i.e., more
exible services which aren’t dependent on a xed location.
“(With) 175,000 (55 and older) people in Cobb County,
we cannot actually address that many people in our centers.
What can we do to reach past the walls of the centers we
have?” Gibson said.
Home is
• Robust Activities & Programs
• 3 miles from local hospitals
• Pastoral chaplain as we are a
faith based company
Please Call Today for our 2021 Specials! 678.831.4999
4461 South Main St. • Acworth, GA 30101 • www.dogwoodforest.com
/www.dogwoodforest.com