FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WV News) — The Marion County Commission read a proclamation honoring National Older Americans Month on Wednesday, with Marion County Senior Citizens Inc. Executive Director Leisha Elliott accepting the proclamation and speaking on the importance of the community’s older residents.
Elliott said it’s important to allow aging residents’ voices to be heard, noting that even if people are retired and in the golden years of life, they still have a lot to give to their communities.
“The theme this year is called ‘flip the script,’ and it’s an effort to demonstrate that the senior population still has a lot to offer to the communities,” Elliott said. “They’re of retirement age, but they’re in no way retired from community service.
“We want to be able to recognize that sometimes seniors get pushed aside and (feel like) their opinions don’t matter or they don’t have anything to offer or their ideas are outdated, and that’s the furthest thing from the truth.”
She added that, in the year she’s served as director of the county’s senior centers, she has found the retired community to be a bright spot for Marion County, noting that seniors should be celebrated whenever possible.
“For many years, Marion County Senior Citizens Inc. has worked to be an advocate for the senior population and make sure they’re recognized, not forgotten, and that there are services available to them to keep them as independent as possible,” Elliott said.
“In our case, we try to keep them in their homes for as long as possible, whether that’s providing in-home care, transportation to doctor’s appointments, home-delivered meals or congregate meals. It’s become a vibrant community,” she said.
More information on Marion County Senior Citizens Inc. and its three senior centers can be found at www.marionseniors.org.
Fairmont News Editor John Mark Shaver can be reached at 304-844-8485 or jshaver@theet.com.
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