Where To Beat The Heat In Somerset County

By Somerset County Board of Freeholders

Feeling the heat? Tips for preventing heat-related illness include drinking more fluids, spending time in air-conditioned facilities, wearing light-weight, loose-fitting clothing, limiting outdoor activities to the morning or evening and checking with your physician if you have medical conditions. For more information on what you can do to prevent heat-related illness, visit the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/features/extremeheat/ or http://www.cdc.gov/extremeheat/seniors.html, or the Somerset County Health Department web page at: http://www.co.somerset.nj.us/health/ExHTsummer.aspx.

Because air-conditioning is one way to protect against hot summer days, visiting a local library is one way to stay cool. A list of locations for the Somerset County Library System can be found at: http://www.somerset.lib.nj.us/locationlist.html.

For residents age 60 and above, other resources include the seven air-conditioned facilities operated by the county Office on Aging and Disability Services. Open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the senior centers offer cool respite and a variety of educational, recreational and entertaining activities for active older adults. The centers also offer wellness programs and health screenings and are accessible to individuals with disabilities. (See list of senior centers below.)

Those who live alone should ask a friend or caregiver to check on them during periods of extreme weather. If no one is available, contact the county Office on Aging and Disability Services to register for the county Telephone Reassurance Program.

The Telephone Reassurance Program is a free service that offers a daily phone call by trained staff to people who live alone and feel isolated from the community due to age, health problems or living arrangements. Knowing that someone will call each day to check on an individual’s safety and well-being provides a sense of reassurance and security.

The program also provides information and assistance for services that will help older adults enhance their quality of life. In addition, seniors who experience issues with heat in their homes can call the Somerset County Office on Aging and Disability Services at 908-704-6346 or 1-888-747-1122 for assistance.

Did you know that the ability to notice changes in body temperature decreases with age? Those who are age 65 and above tend to be more prone to heat stress than younger people because their bodies no longer adjust as well to sudden changes in temperature. Older adults also are more likely to have an underlying medical condition that impacts normal body response or to take medications that contribute to dehydration.

For more information about county-operated Senior Centers, contact one of the centers listed below or call the Somerset County Office on Aging & Disability Services toll free at 1-888-747-1122.

Somerset County Senior Wellness Center

202 Mt. Airy Road, Basking Ridge

Kristen Grieco at (908) 204-3435

Hillsborough Senior Center

339 South Branch Road, Hillsborough

Janet Timari at (908) 369-8700

Manville Senior Center at Fire Company #1

20 South Third Avenue, Manville

Lisa Carra at (908) 526-0175

Montgomery Senior Center

Otto Kaufman Community Center

356 Skillman Road, Skillman

Denise Crowley at (609) 466-0846

Quail Brook Senior Center

625 New Brunswick Road, Somerset

Allyson Toth at (732) 563-4213

Raritan Senior Center

614 First Avenue, Raritan

Lynda Augustine at (908) 203-0001

Warrenbrook Senior Center

500 Warrenville Road, Warren

Gwen Chalker at (908) 753-9440

The Somerset County Office on Aging and Disability Services operates seven multipurpose facilities that offer a variety of educational, recreational and entertaining activities for active older adults, including wellness programs and health screenings. The centers are accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Somerset County senior centers offer a wide range of experiences designed for lifelong enrichment in a social and uplifting atmosphere, intended to positively impact overall health. Many of these programs are funded, in part, through the Older Americans Act.

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