Submitted by Meg Dickens

The Johnson County Senior Center prides itself in improving the quality of life for aging citizens. One method used for this is activities conducive to better brain health, such as puzzles. National Puzzle Day is this Saturday, so it is the ideal time to look at what improvements incorporating this type of activity can make.

According to a 2000 study published in The Psychology of Aging, crosswords seem to reduce negative effects related to aging in memory and perception-based tasks. Cognitive research professionals also say this improves reasoning. The Johnson County Senior Center gives away boxes of word puzzle books and magazines to help with brain health donated by the local Food Lion branch each month. This is popular with members, and the books go quickly.

Submitted by Meg Dickens

The Johnson County Senior Center focused on the New Years’ spirit when reopening for 2022. Full of the hope of new beginnings and refocusing on goals, members, staff, and volunteers prepared for the year.

“Happy New Year,” Director Kathy Motsinger announced. “It’s going to be a great 2022!”

On the days since its reopening, various celebrations have been going on. The original party was set for Tuesday, January 4, but continued to Thursday, January 6, as inclement weather limited those who could come to the center. Because of this, the center essentially had two parties. Cumulatively, the two celebrations had live music from Randy Dandurand, games, treat bags, trivia, and Bingo from Avalon Hospice.

Submitted by Meg Dickens

As the new year begins, many people take a moment to look back at the events, triumphs, and struggles of last year. The Johnson County Senior Center staff and volunteers have been hard at work with their shared resolution to continue improving the center. This includes a variety of planned and unknown improvements in the future. To quote Director Kathy Motsinger, “we can’t wait to serve you in the upcoming year!”

In 2021, the senior center has housed several new and long-time programs based in fitness, such as Silver Sneakers, Zumba Gold, and the exercise room to name a few. According to the center records, over 550 unduplicated parties participated in exercise activities throughout the year. This is one of the areas where the center was able to add more equipment to fit interest.