The Hub on Smith provides nutritious meals and opportunities for people to socialize. Nutrition education and counseling by a Registered Dietitian are also services offered by the congregate meal program. People 60 years of age and older are eligible and services are funded by the Older Americans Act, local donations, and voluntary contributions. The Hub on Smith currently offers breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, and lunchtime congregate meal services are offered in other locations throughout Sheridan County including Heritage Towers, the Tongue River Valley Community Center, Big Horn, and Story. Dedicated employees and volunteers work together to provide opportunities for good food and good company.

Home Delivered Meals are delivered to people 60 years and older throughout Sheridan County who have limitations and challenges preparing meals. Some people under 60 years of age who qualify for the Medicaid Community Choice Waiver, also receive Home Delivered Meals. Meals are prepared from scratch at the Hub on Smith and delivered by committed volunteers, Monday-Friday. A Registered Dietitian analyzes the menu and recipes monthly to assure nutrition guidelines are met. On Fridays, people receive additional meals to eat over the weekend. This program is funded by the Older Americans Act, local donations, the community Choices Waiver, and voluntary contributions.

The Grab n Go provides quality coffees, teas, and drinks from the espresso bar along with a selection of unique salad and sandwich offerings for people looking for an alternative to traditional congregate meals. This café is open from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Grab n Go also offers catering for groups during business hours. The food is prepared for those that want something unique in a friendly, warm setting. Quality products, presentation, and flavor are a priority.

The primary goal of this program is to help people be informed, active, and socially engaged. A wide variety of opportunities are facilitated by our Fun and Wellness Coordinators and provided to people 60 years and older Monday through Friday. Opportunities center around helping people connect with others and stay healthy and well. Examples include exercise classes, yoga, table tennis, billiards, choir and theater groups, art classes, and health and wellness presentations. The Hub is also a wonderful gathering place for small groups to play a variety of games including pinochle, bridge, poker, cribbage, dominos, and much more.

The opportunities offered mostly take place at the Hub on Smith, but other venues around the Sheridan community are also utilized. During the pandemic, our Fun and Wellness Team utilized technology, and reached people virtually. We continue to offer a number of these social and educational opportunities online.

Help at Home is a licensed home health agency that operates Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., providing primarily non-medical services to help people live at home. Services include:

• Care Coordination
• Homemaking
• Personal Care
• Nursing Assessments
• Medication Management
• Caregiver Respite

Services are funded through a variety of resources including the Wyoming Home Services Grant, Wyoming Community Choice Waiver, Veterans Administration, and Long-Term Care Insurance. These resources may cover fees or provide opportunities for people to pay on a sliding fee schedule. Registered Nurses, Home Health Aides, and Homemakers are qualified, licensed, and background checked.

The Support Center is the first point of contact for people seeking services and resources. The Support Center team helps people connect to resources at the Hub and throughout Sheridan County. The Support Center then helps connects the various programs and services to provide a coordinated service delivery system to the people and families served. Services include:

• Hub Service Intake and Registration
• Community Resource Information and Referral
• Family Caregiver Services: Care Coordination, Support Groups and Education, Respite
• Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Care Coordination, Support Groups and Education, Respite
• Loan Closet Durable medical equipment and supplies
• Assistance with other program application and information
  • Medicare Part D
  • Affordable Care Act
  • LIEAP
  • AARP Tax Preparation
  • Other

Day Break is a Wyoming State Licensed Adult Day Care located at 241 Smith Street, Sheridan, Wyoming next to the Hub on Smith. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday- Friday, 52 weeks per year.

This program provides a safe place “to be” for those who need social support during the day. A wide variety of individual and group activities are planned for people to participate in throughout the day. These activities are based on individual preferences and desires and are delivered based on the wishes of the individual and their family. Those who attend Day Break are offered transportation, a noon meal, and a socially engaging day.

Trained and certified professionals respectfully work with Day Break participants in the areas of mobility, toileting, medication reminders, socialization, and meal-time assistance. In addition, a bathing area is available and equipped with a handicapped-accessible walk-in shower and hydrotherapy bathtub.

Goose Creek Transit provides Sheridan’s public transportation utilizing two service delivery models:

• Door-to-Door Transportation
• Fixed Route

Door to Door transportation has been in operation since 1973 and most often serves older adults and people with disabilities. Drivers are specifically trained and certified to assist passengers with physical limitations. Rides are available seven days a week, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Reservations must be made a day in advance with immediate requests granted based on space availability and for non-emergent medical trips.

Out-of-town medical trips to Billings, Casper, Buffalo, and to other communities are made based on need and capacity.

The Fixed Route service began in 2019 based on numerous requests for public transportation that was more accessible in scheduling and affordability. This service is currently in operation from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with thirty-two stops. Two buses run throughout the day making stops at 30-minute intervals.

Urban Thrift is a second-hand store located on Main Street which is open Tuesdays – Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Items are donated and sold to the public. Sales directly benefit the Hub on Smith. Paid staff include a Full-Time Store Manager and Part Time Store Clerks. There are numerous volunteers that help in the store and at our warehouse, “The Love Shack,” located off Fort Road.

Current services the Dementia Friendly Wyoming Program of the Hub provides include:

• Custom coaching, education, and situational consulting for family, community, and professionals who care for someone living with dementia.
• Support for persons living with dementia through conversation groups, one-on-one ‘adjusting to change’ coaching sessions, and group activities (example below Opening Minds through Art (OMA)).
• SHARE for Dementia- An evidence-based 5-session dyadic intervention that skillfully empowers persons living with early-stage dementia and their care partners to plan for future care needs, enhancing the well-being of both parties.
• Friendly Visitors utilizes volunteers that enhance the quality of life for people they visit (who are living with dementia) by providing social interaction, mental stimulation, and emotional and physical support. Their role is to reduce their friend’s sense of isolation.
• Opening Minds through Art (OMA) is an evidence-based, intergenerational art-making program for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other neurocognitive disorders. This failure-free artistic engagement program provides opportunities for creative self-¬ expression and social engagement for people living with dementia.
• Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT®) provides a window into the world of dementia through evidence-based dementia simulation training with post-experience debriefing and education.

The Dementia Friendly Wyoming program of the Hub on Smith is increasing dementia capability in Sheridan County by improving awareness and decreasing the stigma about dementia through education.