This Year's Project: Emergency Training for Seniors
About Our Organization
Since 1972 our Center has played an important part of improving the quality of life in Siouxland. Our mission is to enrich the quality of life and support independence and vitality for our members. The Siouxland Center for Active Generations has been offering programming in the areas of health, fitness, general well-being, recreation, education, and finance to all of our members. Today, we have over 1,250 members ranging in age from 24 to 101. Our members participate in over 70 programs and activities throughout the week in an environment that is courteous, safe, inclusive, and FUN for all!
Research shows that older adults who participate in senior center programs can learn to manage and delay the onset of chronic disease and experience measurable improvements in their physical, social, spiritual, emotional, mental, and economic well-being. With over 15,000 residents in this community age 65 or older, and over 1000 more turning 65 this year, we have a big job to do, and need your support to make it happen.
Siouxland Center for Active Generations is a vital part of this community. Our Center does not receive any Federal, State or City support. We need your support to help our Center continue our programs. 100% of your contribution stays in our community helping improve the quality of life for our comunity. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Current Project: Emergency Training for Seniors
Hands-on CPR classes and Equipment to teach seniors how to save lives in emergency situations.
When a heart stops, seconds matter. This is why our Center wants to train more people in the Siouxland community to act. Whether it's at church, a public event, or watching grandchildren, our goal is to prepare our Center members to respond with life-saving care.
Our project will raise money to purchase CPR & AED equipment and to fund instructor training to:
>Provide hands-on experience with CPR training mannequins
>Offer classes at a pace seniors are comfortable with to prepare them to confidently help others.
>Introduction to AED training to be used if one is nearby
Life Saver -AED
Project Details
Seconds really do matter. Responding to a cardiac arrest with an Automatic External Defibillator (AED) will ensure the best chance of survival before EMS arrives. It is the only way to restore a regular heart rhythm during a cardiac arrest. AED's are portable devices used to diagnose and treat sudden cardiac arrest through defibillation. The electrodes when placed on the patient collects information about the heart's rhythm. The microprocessor interprets the rhythm and will automatically deliver the necessary shock to restart the heart. The AED's technology reduces pauses during CPR and therefore improves blood circulation and odds of survival. Some AED's can even send real-time information about a patient heart to emergency services.
523 Million people worldwide are living with a diagnosed heart condition and many more are undiagnosed. The American Health Association estimates that 900 people die each day from sudden cardiac arrest. It is estimated that chances of survival improve from 14% to 23% when a successful AED is available and used.
Top Ten Reasons to give:
1) AED saves lives!
2) Cardiac Attrest is the leading cause of Death with less than 10% survival -raises to 23% with AED
3) Newer AED's are easy to use.
4) Anyone can go into cardiac arrest. Men over 45 and Women over 50 chances increase significantly. For every 10 years, heart disease doubles.
5) Everyones life is worth more than 5 cents - 40,000 individual visists each year to our Center divided by $1,400.
6) EMS is more than 5 minutes away.
7) People exercise here at the Center.
8) Our Center wants to be prepared.
9) Ensures heart safety in large group.
10) AED is Only way to restore a regular heartbeat after cardiac arrest.
Video Jukebox Kiosk
Project Details
"Dance the night away" is a famous Santana song, his Saturday in the Park performance is something we can't forge,t and we want to recreate. Music can heal the soul, and social dances can be a time for butterflies, shy glances, and smiles of joy. From the 7th grade socials to the high school sweetheart dance, our Center want to recreate spontaneous opportunities for people to dance, socialize and enjoy our time together through music. Our Multi-purpose room is primed, and our infrastructure is ready to accept a video jukebox kiosk. With this video jukebox, our members will easily select, play, and dance to their favorite songs.
We all love to listen to and dance to live music, but sometimes live bands are not an option. Our
Video Jukebox Kiosk will allow our members to enjoy social opportunities during off-times. We imagine, with your support, members will easily choose their favorite songs to listen to and dance. Frank Sinatra, Patsey Cline, and Big Band music will all be available at the touch of a screen, and of course, our line dancers can practice their favorite -Country & Western music. All this at the touch of a computer screen.
Put your right foot in and do the hoki poki or maybe the YMCA dance with us by supporting our Senior Center.
Blood Pressure Project
Project Details
High blood pressure is a global health tragedy. It is one of the largest public health epidemics in the world and affects over a number that has more than doubled over the last 40 years. Over 10.4 million deaths were directly attributed to the issue in 2017, in the United States alone 1 in every 2 people are affected. Additionally, hypertension is the single biggest risk factor for all global diseases. It ranks above smoking, high blood sugar, and high BMI. There are no outward, visible signs or symptoms as a person moves towards hypertension and for this reason, it is often called the “silent killer.” Age is another major factor to acknowledge. High blood pressure presents significant risk factors for stroke, heart failure, coronary artery disease, diabetes, and kidney disease. In general, blood pressure rises as we age. However, lifestyle choices and subsequent modifications do have a big influence on the rate of change.
Our Center hopes to help to identify, educate and help members modify factors that contribute to high blood pressure. Tracking blood pressure takes time, skills, and equipment to accurately monitor blood pressure. The traditional methods require getting a blood pressure reading, which can be difficult for our members, but it is important to provide contextual information to share with health care providers. With this information, one can ascertain early indicators to change behaviors. Our Center would like to invest in a blood pressure station, member & staff training, and supportive additional equipment and promote educational modifications of life-styles changes. Monitoring blood pressure is the first step toward improving it, but it remains challenging to consistently monitor blood pressure in ways that don’t disrupt people’s lives. Convenient access at our Center to equipment and information can help control this silent killer. We are seeking $2,300 dollars to complete this project.
Interactive Metronome
Project Details
Siouxland Center for Active Generations envisions and strives for improving independence for our members.
With the Community’s support our Center is hoping to launch in 2020/2021 an Interactive Metronome program for adults that improves timing in the brain in an organized, systematic, flexible and engaging format. Research shows that this evidence-based program engaging the whole-body movements in combinations with cognitive tasks leads to overall better outcomes. The Interactive Metronome is a patented and unique training tool that challenges thinking and movement simultaneously, providing real time millisecond feedback to help synchronize the body’s internal clock.
This program has benefits for those seniors suffering from Stroke, MS, Parkinson’s and Dementia. These are diseases that our members are fighting each and everyday. We believe but engaging in this program It will make a difference in the quality of life not only for our members but for Siouxland. We are always seeking ways to improve independence and vitality for our members with evidenced based programs.
New Fitness Room Equipment and Repairs
Project Details
According to the experts, staying active does the body and the mind a world of good. This is especially true as we age. They say that if you find exercise and other activities that you enjoy, you will stick with it and improve your quality of life. Well, many of our seniors have found the activities they enjoy in our fitness room. Our fitness room is indeed a big hit with our members. In fact, the fitness room is used by more members than any other program! Because of welcomed and encouraged heavy use, and the fact that not all the equipment is commercial grade, we need to replace several pieces and parts. Members are also challenging themselves to try new equipment and new exercise programs. We would like to support their fitness goals by providing the equipment they are asking to have available to use. They are asking for things like a rowing machine, step exercisers, an exercise bar, a weight bench designed more for seniors, and exercise mats. There are many improvements that need to be made in our fitness room that will enable us to better serve our current members and to attract and serve even more seniors. We estimate that it would cost $9,930 to replace the worn equipment and to add the new equipment. Let’s keep em movin’!