From the Director
Promoting Elder Independence...There’s no place like home
By Robert P. Dean
As we celebrate Independence Day this Fourth of July, we should recognize the overwhelming preference of older Americans to continue to live as independently as possible in their own homes and communities for as long as possible...and that if, or when they need long-term care services, to receive those services at home. We must honor this preference as best we can, and keep in mind that it actually costs less to provide long-term care services at home than it does in an institution.
Many seniors are able to remain at home with very little service or support. For others, there comes a time when activities of daily living, once taken for granted, now challenge their ability to live independently. Such activities may include cooking, cleaning, getting dressed and ready for the day, keeping track of various medications, grocery shopping, transportation, getting to and from the bathroom, and managing a checkbook. The fact that a senior needs assistance with one or more of these activities does not mean that he or she can no longer live at home... it means that he or she needs some help in order to do so.
Here in Berkshire County, Elder Services and 29 Councils on Aging offer a number of in-home and community supports for seniors and their caregivers, including information and referral. While each Council on Aging is unique to its community, most offer transportation, outreach, health education and screening, and fitness, social, and recreational programs. Additionally, some Councils on Aging provide grocery shopping assistance, telephone reassurance, friendly visiting, SHINE counseling, peer support groups, and intergenerational programs. Thirteen Councils on Aging partner with Elder Services to provide friendly lunch sites for the noontime meals Elder Services prepares in its Lanesboro kitchen each Monday through Friday.
Additionally, Elder Services provides a variety of in-home services including case management, personal care (assistance with getting dressed and ready for the day, and in the bathroom), housecleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, transportation to medical appointments, companionship, money management, Meals on Wheels, attendance at Social and Adult Day Health programs, and SHINE (health and prescription medication insurance) counseling. The typical senior served by these in-home programs is between 75 and 90 years old, female, widowed, living alone, and on a fixed income. In many cases, the Meals on Wheels driver, Case Manager, or Personal Care worker may be the only face-to-face contact the senior has that day.
The point at which outside help is needed and accepted varies from senior to senior... and from caregiver to caregiver. We at Elder Services understand this, and are ready to help, when help is ready to be received. Our goal is to serve any senior who has a need, and to provide them the opportunity to remain at home and in the community for as long as possible. If you or someone you know could use some help, give us a call. We’re here to help.
In the meantime, as this great nation celebrates its independence this Fourth of July, we at Elder Services wish each of you a Happy Independence Day...today and everyday.
Robert P. Dean is Executive Director of Elder Services
