For over 50 years, Vida Senior Centers has served more than 20,000 low-income Hispanic seniors in Washington DC. They are primarily Spanish-speaking and are originally from Mexico and 20 countries of Central and South America. Vida is a home-away-from-home for Hispanic seniors aged 60 and over in the greater DC area. The organization offers a wide variety of services including free meals, food commodities, health screenings, social services, nutritional counseling and guidance, mental health support, education and recreational activities.
Vida Senior Centers has developed culturally appropriate, multilingual systems of support and socialization that make aging independently easier for Hispanic and other foreign-born elderly. What distinguishes Vida Senior Centers is the personal attention provided to our members. Services are delivered personally, bilingually, and culturally appropriate, making it possible for the organization to work with the many Hispanic countries represented.
Mental and Behavioral Health
While aging, it is inevitable that older adults experience moments of loneliness and isolation. This happens because their children have other responsibilities as parents and have to take care of their own families. seniors who are immigrants face a much more difficult situation. Disconnected from their family members, their home networks and communities, their isolation often triggers chronic episodes of depression and other behavioral health issues.
Seniors also struggle with economic concerns, especially immigrants with limited resources, who often were not able to save enough for their retirement to meet their basic needs. This, as expected, generates a lot of anxiety in the senior immigrant population.
For most of our participants, who are first-generation immigrants, the language barrier is is also a big challenge. Feeling that they cannot communicate well with the society around them, express themselves well, or function as they normally do in their native tongue, is a very common stress generator.
To ease anxiety, Vida offers daily individual and group counseling sessions, to assist older adults to manage their stress and anxiety, break the barrier around talking about mental health, and understand that we are all exposed to situations of anxiety and must develop strategies to relieve them.
Vida offers daily tai-chi exercise classes and teaches the seniors breathing techniques to decrease anxiety levels, as it is well known that stress negatively affects well-being. If needed, Vida staff refers participants to local Mental Health Centers where they can receive a higher level of treatment.
The activities offered as part of our Mental Health program are as follows:
- Mental and Behavioral Individual and Group Health Counseling
- Tai-Chi exercises for breathing and relaxation techniques
- Positive Thinking Workshops
- Mental and Emotional Health Workshops
- Referrals to Behavioral Health Specialists
Health Promotion and Wellness
Vida monitors the health condition of all participants. We have a multidisciplinary team composed of a geriatrician who is Vida’s health advisor and coordinator of the Health Promotion and Wellness Program, and an internist and other medical professionals.
The Health Promotion counselors routinely check the vital signs of participants. They monitor the biometric health parameters such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels and others. If needed counselors refer seniors to a primary care doctor or medical specialist. We work in conjunction with seven different hospitals in the Washington DC area. Vida’s social service counselors assist with medical processes.
Vida offers a Medication Monitoring Program to educate participants in the benefits and side effects of their medications. The Medication Monitoring Program, includes a personalized follow-up of each senior who enrolls in the program. A medication organizer is provided free of charge.
We also offer weekly classes on common chronic diseases in older adults. Additionally, Vida complements health education with the promotion of physical activity. Vida offers arthritis exercise classes, dance and zumba classes, tai-chi and yoga classes for our seniors.
The activities offered by VIDA as part of the Health Promotion Program include:
- Daily monitoring of vital signs
- Diabetes care and monitoring
- Educational classes about chronic disease in the elderly
- Medication adherence and monitoring
- Referrals to medical providers
- Support with medical appointments with health providers
- Pharmacy coordination
Education and Recreation/Socialization
The two fundamental aspects to avoiding diseases and preventing memory loss is being part of a community and continuing lifelong learning. Recreation too plays a key role in the well-being of older adults and in enhancing their quality of life.
For seniors, as for people of all ages, recreational activities meet a variety of needs. Among the important benefits of recreation are increased health and fitness, as well as opportunities for socializing, for using skills and talents developed throughout their lifetime, and for learning new skills.
Vida’s senior population is quite varied, with diverse interests, strengths, and abilities. Some seniors have been active throughout their lives and are able to find appropriate activities to suit their changing physical abilities and interests. Others however may not be aware of the potential positive values of recreation.
That is why VIDA offers a safe and fun place for seniors to socialize and continue learning:
- English as a Foreign Language
- Literacy in Spanish
- Computer & Technology Classes
- Embroidery
- Knitting
- Jewelry making
- Music classes
- Art / and crafts
- Painting
- Dance / Zumba
- Birthday Celebrations
- Bingo
- Fridays’ Fiesta
- Special Events
Nutrition Education & Counseling
Vida’s licensed nutritionist and dietitian is in charge of the food services for our seniors. Vida offers nutritional and educational counseling individually and in groups. The nutritionist works in coordination with the health promotion counselor to monitor and improve the health and quality of life of participants who have high blood pressure and are at high risk for diabetes.
Nutrition Counseling
Vida enables seniors to understand the impact of their food choices on their health. The nutritionists addresses their individual needs, concerns, habits, and behaviors, providing individualized solutions to obstacles that may prevent proper food consumption by setting individual nutrition counseling sessions. Nutrition counseling is provided on a one-on-one basis by the registered dietician by phone, email, video chat, Zoom, or other platforms.
Nutrition Education
Vida promotes better health for seniors age 60 and over, by providing accurate and culturally sensitive nutrition information and rules to participants/caregivers. The guidance covers better food choices and preparation, as well as how food storage safety standards and portion control can help manage or prevent chronic diseases. Additionally, Vida continues to partner with donors to ensure seniors always have access to fresh produce during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis and after.
The Nutrition and Food Services include:
- Complimentary breakfast (coffee/tea and bread or oatmeal)
- Free lunches
- Monthly distribution of Food Bank boxes
- Individual nutrition assessment
- Information on proper hydration
- Personal diet monitoring and tracking
- Group classes on nutrition (e.g. healthy food pyramid, weight loss/obesity, shopping tips, examples of healthy food)
- Healthy food demonstrations
- Referrals to the Nutrition Supplement Program
- Partnership with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-ED) nutrition educators
Social Services
Vida Senior Centers’ seniors are mostly first-generation Hispanic immigrants, who worked hard throughout their lives, but in their old age find themselves without resources for retirement. Most of Vida participants live at or below the poverty line which in Washington DC is a challenge due to the high cost of living in the area.
In addition, many of the Hispanic seniors are unaware of social benefits offered by the federal or the city government. It is also difficult for them to apply and take advantage of the benefits due to the language barrier.
The Vida social services counselors, case manager and social worker assist with applying for services such as: affordable housing, food supplementation transportation and other qualifying programs. Vida also assists the participants with their immigration process, and weekly “Citizenship Classes” in preparation to take the Citizenship exam.
Vida coordinates with partnering agencies to help with filing taxes and legal procedures.
Vida Social Services include:
- Housing applications
- Applying for affordable rent
- Immigration support
- Citizenship application and exam preparation
- Transportation benefits
- Legal and employment services
- Procedures for cell phone subsidies
- Home care application assistance
- Tax return preparation
- Assistance with eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Connections with service agencies
- Health insurance counseling
- And more
Food Distribution Program and More
During the Covid-19 Pandemic Vida has been able to deliver 9,500 boxes of fresh produce and 2,970 Food Bank boxes.
Food security has always been a major focus of Vida Senior Centers programs. Vida has been a daily meal site for congregate nutrition services for many years. Monthly food supplements from the Capital Area Food Bank have been distributed to those in greatest need.
Once the pandemic forced the closure of both centers, food insecurity rose significantly among seniors due to stay-at-home orders, income loss, fear of contracting Covid-19, economic factors and more. Vida Senior Centers quickly recognized the need and worked with local partners to ensure that all the seniors had safe access to food.
Food security is a basic human need. Having consistent access to healthy foods affects a person’s physical, mental, and dental health. Therefore Up 2 Us offered to supply our seniors with 250 packages of fresh produce weekly during the summer and fall of 2020. Weekly, Vida’s staff coordinated the pick-up, distribution and even delivery of the produce. Many seniors are not able to walk and or live far away from the centers, and due to the pandemic did not feel safe taking public transportation to pick-up the food, therefore, our staff would travel great distances in order to ensure that seniors received the packages and that they needs were met. Additionally, Vida’s Nutritionist and Dietitian, Sonia Pessoa has continuously educated the seniors regarding what foods they are receiving and how to best consume and prepare them, offering not only nutritional information but healthy and nutritious recipes as well.
The Mayor’s Office of Latino Affairs has been a constant contributor to Vida’s supplemental food program, providing numerous packages of fresh fruit and vegetables weekly, again working closely with our Food Distribution Coordinator, Fabiola Moran, to meet the nutritional needs of the seniors.
The JJ Center has graciously approached Vida and asked how they could become part of this initiative. During the spring and summer of 2021, they have provided weekly packages of fresh produce, dairy products, and other products, so that Vida’s seniors have a balanced diet.
The seniors have not only been receiving fresh produce and non-perishables but thanks to DC Greens, Produce Plus, and Dreaming Out Loud, the seniors have been receiving locally grown seasonal produce during the whole summer season of 2021.
Recently Vida Senior Centers has partnered with La Cocina to join forces to continue to bring more assets to the food commodity programs for population Vida serves. With this new partnership 250 households will be able to receive fresh, local and seasonal produce.
Vida is immensely grateful to the wonderful collaboration of the partners, who saw the need in the community and step in to actively address it.