Kathy Bowler Honored for Outstanding Service to Older Adults

HOLYOKE — Kathy Bowler, executive director of the Holyoke Council on Aging, was recently honored with the Loomis Communities Elvira Whiting Ball award for outstanding service to older adults. More than 150 people celebrated with Bowler, and the reception raised $49,390 in support of the nursing centers at Loomis House in Holyoke and Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing in Springfield, which provide award-winning person-centered care to long-term residents, as well as physical-, speech-, and occupational-therapy programs that help people recover from illness or surgery and return to their homes more quickly. A lifelong resident of Holyoke, Bowler has been executive director of the Holyoke Council on Aging for 26 years. Currently 2,400 individuals are registered with the Senior Center and participate in programs that include transportation, social services, daily meals, tax preparation, tax work-off, fitness classes, health education, art and computer literacy, cultural events, and Learning in Later Life, all supported by an extensive volunteer program. Loomis Communities provides continuing care, specialized care, and health and wellness resources on four campuses: Applewood in Amherst, Loomis House in Holyoke, Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing in Springfield, and Loomis Village in South Hadley.