HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Years of planning and fundraising have culminated in the creation of a new senior wellness center in Cabell County.
The center is a dream come true for some Huntington West End residents and the man who made it all happen.
Bob Bailey knows politics. He has served Cabell County for 60 years as sheriff, chief, mayor and city councilman.
“I could have stayed as a coach. I could have been a principal. I could have been a superintendent, but I knew politics was the path I wanted to take,” Bailey said. . “I want to help people.”
Bailey has been working for the past 25 years to build a senior wellness center at his former home on West 14th Street.
“I’m just trying to give something to the seniors,” Bailey said. “My mom loved going to the senior center, so I took her there often.”
Eyewitness News met with Bailey to tour the new facility. The building has an exercise room, a games area and a clinic where seniors who need health checks can visit her twice a week.
“This gives seniors something to do instead of just sitting in their apartment all the time,” Bailey explained. “If they want, they will have companionship. They never have to be lonely.”
In addition to providing a social outlet, senior centers may also help prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that social isolation is associated with a 50% increase in the risk of dementia.
The Bob Bailey Senior Wellness Center will be dedicated at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
