New library provides information on healthy living to seniors, caregivers
Facility recently dedicated at UTMB’s Primary Care Pavilion

GALVESTON, Texas — Senior citizens needing help understanding Medicare regulations, finding answers to health questions or contacting support groups can now visit one location in Galveston for these and other types of assistance.

The Dean and Marilyn Callender Library for Dynamic Longevity benefits seniors and their caregivers by offering them valuable information that promotes healthy living during the later years of life. Recently dedicated at the University of Texas Medical Branch’s Primary Care Pavilion, the library offers many services:

·    Patient Education — Health professionals and the general public may use available brochures, pamphlets and other health education materials.

·    Information and Referral — Staff members can answer questions from both health care professionals and the public, match elderly patients to physicians and address visitors’ needs by referring them to appropriate community agencies.

·    Health Insurance Information — Library staff can answer seniors’ questions regarding Medicare, Medicaid, other insurance-related topics and even financial assistance matters.

·    Computer-assisted Technology — Staff and volunteers can help senior citizens learn how to use the Internet to find general health and personal care information.

·    Patient and Caregiver Support Groups — Library visitors can get help finding support and discussion groups for such topics as diabetes, anxiety, grieving and Alzheimer’s disease.

Such services will be essential as our population ages. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services statistics indicate that the number of senior citizens in the United States will double between now and 2030, growing to nearly 68 million.

During the dedication of the library, UTMB President John D. Stobo thanked Dean and Marilyn Callender for making the facility possible. “The library will be a real service to patients and caregivers alike, and will enable UTMB to further its goal of helping seniors lead healthier, more comfortable lives,” Stobo said. “This is a tremendous gift from the Callenders that will benefit an important segment of our population.”

Dr. James S. Goodwin, chief of UTMB’s Geriatric Medicine Division, added that the Callender Library will bolster the academic health center’s nationally renowned senior health care programs. “The Dean and Marilyn Callender Library for Dynamic Longevity will be an important part of our geriatric services,” said Goodwin, the George and Cynthia Mitchell Distinguished Chair in Geriatric Medicine and director of UTMB’s Sealy Center on Aging. “You can’t teach future health care professionals about good geriatric care unless you practice good geriatric care.”

Located at 400 Harborside Drive in Suite 106 of the UTMB Primary Care Pavilion, the Dean and Marilyn Callender Library for Dynamic Longevity is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Callenders, who have residences in both Houston and Galveston, feel a strong commitment to helping improve senior citizens’ quality of life. As financial advisors they assisted couples with their retirement planning for many years and noticed how many retirees were caring for parents who were living into their 90s or longer. “Longevity without quality is valueless,” Dean Callender said. “Our challenge is to make this increased longevity valuable and productive, and more importantly, enjoyable. We hope that our gift will in some small measure contribute to the efforts already under way at UTMB. We thank UTMB for giving us this opportunity.”

The academic health center has various facilities and programs dedicated to the health and well-being of seniors. John Sealy Hospital houses the Acute Care for Elders Unit, the first hospital unit in Texas designed exclusively to accommodate acutely ill older people. The facility, which was established with a Sealy & Smith Foundation grant, offers a more relaxed, more home-like environment than standard hospital rooms. A team of geriatric experts provide a comprehensive range of services intended to help patients maintain their ability to function independently during and after hospitalization. Another Sealy & Smith Foundation grant will expand the ACE Unit in 2005, increasing the facility’s beds to 52 from the current 20.

In addition to the ACE Unit, the university conducts aging research programs through the multidisciplinary Sealy Center on Aging and the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center — one of 10 such centers in the United States. UTMB’s Senior Services Office also manages SageSource, a collection of health education and wellness programs for older adults.

Dean and Marilyn Callender are members of the President’s Cabinet, an organization that provides financial resources to help advance the mission of UTMB. The cabinet’s members include Houston-Galveston area community and business leaders, UTMB faculty and staff, and alumni from across Texas and beyond. In addition to serving on the President’s Cabinet, the Callenders have hosted events that introduce the university to communities and organizations.

SIDEBAR

The University of Texas Medical Branch’s Senior Services Office manages SageSource, a collection of health education and wellness programs for people age 65 and older. Among the physical education classes offered are an indoor walking club, yoga, functional fitness exercise, tai chi, tae kwon do and water aerobics. A memory retention course is available as well. Nominal fees are charged for the memory course and some of the physical education classes.

SageSource, which has no membership fee, also offers health screenings, lectures, health fairs and a quarterly newsletter. For more information, contact the UTMB Senior Services Office at (409) 747-2141 or visit the program online at www.utmb.edu/aging/outreach.