Daily Egyptian Spring 04
Spring '04 Edition
Working with the elderly proves more than a job for Senior Center employees
Kate Galbreath
Daily Egyptian
Genie Cox sat under the heat of the blow dryer Thursday afternoon, waiting for her white curls to dry as the nimble fingers of Virginia Corzine worked to replace a curler.
"I know why they're falling out," Corzine teased. "You keep leaning up to drink that soda."
Corzine, a "freelance beauty professional," as Cox termed her, works every Thursday at the Carbondale Senior Center washing, curling, perming, cutting and drying the hair of her elderly patrons.
An Anna resident, she makes the commute weekly, as well as visiting nursing homes and making home hair-care visits.
"I've fixed hair since 1947," she said. "I like to make all the ladies pretty."
Cox said Corzine, a friend as well as a stylist, is the only one she would trust with her hair.
The center serves as common ground for the senior citizens of surrounding areas. Many regular attendees call for a ride in the morning and remain at the center through lunch at noon. The center also offers Adult Day Care services including pick-up and daily care for seniors who are no longer able to provide for themselves.
The center also serves as home to a variety of activities ranging from square dances, bands, bingo nights and daily lunches. The lunches are free, but staffers ask for donations to cover food costs
Barbara Verbal, a ten-year veteran social worker at the center, said that getting to know seniors is her favorite part of the job.
"There are some out there that you're real close to, and you can't help but get close to them," she said. "There are some that don't have any family, and that's where we come in. "
She said that love for the job is common and many employees have been with the center for many years longer than she.
As a part of her social work, Verbal makes house calls to check on who she lovingly calls "her" seniors.
"I have one over in Murphysboro that I'm particularly close with because I got her talking books because of her bad eyesight," she said. "It's part of my workˆ to make sure they're doing OK and to see if you can help or refer somebody to help them."
Though the staff is small, fewer than 20, volunteers are a mainstay of the center.
"They help us with our home-delivered meals and sometimes they help in the dining room," she said.
One volunteer comes to teach seniors basic computer skills.
Corzine, like Verbal, is also a long-term employee of the center and has had the opportunity to meet new seniors but also has experienced losing good friends.
"I've had some of them for seven years. Some of them have passed away, but new ones come once in a while," Corzine said.
Because of the obvious nature of her work, Verbal said it is difficult to watch people she is close with come and go.
"We've lost quite a few. It's hard because you get used to those who call all the time, and suddenly they don't call anymore," she said. "But it's all part of your job."
Today's News | Sports | Voices - Editorial | Letters
Newsbriefs | pulse - Arts & Entertainment | Calendar | Photo Staff
Apts & Rentals | Photo Personals | Live DE NewsCam | Classified Ads
Last update: Friday, April 30, 2004 at 2:19:57 AM
Copyright 2009 Daily Egyptian Spring 04