PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 A Phoenix cooling center that serves seniors is reporting a record number of visitors this summer, as more residents 55 and older seek relief from triple-digit temperatures.<\/p>\n
The Justa Center<\/a>, near Jefferson Street and 10th Avenue<\/a>, is one of the only programs in the city specifically serving seniors during the day. Staff said they have seen more than 100 visitors every day since May.<\/p>\n An uptick in visitors<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the center said this summer stands out from previous years.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have operated heat relief for the last four years. And this year is unusual, in that we are seeing an uptick in the number of visitors to our heat relief center,\u201d said Dean, a spokesperson for the Justa Center.<\/p>\n Staff said the increase is likely due to summer heat arriving earlier in the year and more seniors living paycheck to paycheck, unable to afford utilities or to keep up with rising living costs.<\/p>\n Seniors among the most vulnerable<\/p>\n Dean said many of the seniors who visit the center live alone and face additional health challenges.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of them live by themselves, and often they have some form of early-stage dementia. And the heat exacerbates all of those symptoms,\u201d Dean said.<\/p>\n In Maricopa County last year, seniors accounted for nearly all indoor heat deaths and nearly half of outdoor heat deaths, according to the county health department.<\/p>\n Dean said the stakes are clear.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople die on the streets during the summer. So we are a refuge and we save lives, just like all the other heat centers out there,\u201d Dean said.<\/p>\n \u2018It means the world\u2019<\/p>\n Senior Thomas Fink and his dog, Lila, have been coming to the Justa Center for the past three months for cold water, a meal, and a place to escape the heat.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, it means the world,\u201d Fink said.<\/p>\n Fink said the Arizona heat affects both people and animals.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s totally different here in Arizona, that\u2019s for sure. It\u2019s, it\u2019s hot. The dogs can\u2019t handle the heat like people can,\u201d Fink said.<\/p>\n He said the center offers something other locations do not.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a good place for people 55 and older to go without, you know, the younger crowd and all the, a lot of chaos goes on at other places,\u201d Fink said.<\/p>\n Services and hours<\/p>\n Beyond cooling, the Justa Center connects seniors to healthcare, phones, showers, laundry and clean clothes. Visitor Victor Wedel said the center meets needs he cannot easily meet elsewhere.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult for me, being in the heat, going to the Andre House to get food and things like that. I can come here and it has everything that I need, you know,\u201d Wedel said.<\/p>\n With more triple-digit temperatures forecast this week, staff said they are preparing for even more people to need help.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t emphasize how important it is just to get out of the sun,\u201d Dean said.<\/p>\n The Justa Center is open every day. Seniors 55 and older are welcome from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The center is open to anyone seeking cooling from 3 to 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n