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Senior Gazette
| Spring 2004 |
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By Carol Schmitkons, Amherst Township Senior Service (ATTSO) Director
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2003 SENIOR SERVICES REPORT
2003 was our first full year of operation. Here are a few statistics on what we were able to accomplish:
Meal Program: 3897 miles were driven to serve 1609 meals
Transportation: 29 clients were driven 639 miles to area appointments
Support services: 145 miles were driven
Seminars & training classes, site visits, and senior nutrition work: 601 miles were driven
Volunteer miles for 2003: 2338
Director miles for 2003: 3083
Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (Medicare) counseling: 16 hours of required training were taken in order to be certified to give 27 hours of counseling with 8 different clients.
MEAL PROGRAM PLANS
On January 5th, Golden Acres Nursing Home began serving meals to 11 township seniors. Our seniors are enjoying the new meal choices and appreciate having their meals tailored to their personal dietary requirements. The meals contain hot, home-cooked food, fruit or dessert, and milk or fruit juice at a cost of $4.00 per day.
If your caregiver is going on vacation or you need help with meals after a hospital stay, meals can provide to you on a short-term basis. Please contact the office at 988-5822 if you would like to begin receiving meals. Don’t let the cost scare you away. If you are having trouble making ends meet, we will work with you. Our goal is to make sure all township seniors over 60 get at least one nutritious, hot meal each day. An additional advantage of the program is daily home checks to make sure you are safe.
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SENIORS TAKIN’ A BREAK
Tired of staring at the same four walls all the time? Starting in April, come join us once a month for activities especially designed for seniors. These activities will be held on a Thursday, although which Thursday has not yet been determined. The meetings will be held from 11 AM - 1 PM. These hours may be expanded if more time is needed. Transportation will be provided for those who no longer drive.
Erin Kvach, OSU Extension Family Nutrition Program Assistant, has graciously agreed to join us. Each month she will teach helpful hints about how to improve your health through good nutrition and through exercises that can be done at home without having to join an expensive fitness group. A nurse will also be present to do blood pressure checks and to answer basic health questions. There will be time to play board or card games and to socialize. Bring a sack lunch, or meals can be purchased through the home-delivered meal program.
In order to know how many people to expect for the first session, please call Carol at 988-5822. She will then be able to inform you of any updated plans as arrangements are finalized.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
- Transportation to doctors
- Grocery pick up & delivery
- Yard clean-up
- Light housework
- Daily phone checks (great job for a shut-in)
- Help planning programs
- Work with shut-ins
If you think you could help another senior with any of these tasks, we’d love to add you to our list of volunteers. If you would like to do some of these jobs, but also wish to earn a little spending money, please call and let Carol know. Some folks could use extra help, but can’t afford the fees charged by professional services. If finding transportation to help another senior is a problem, call and we’ll try to arrange transportation for you.
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HELP OUR SENIORS -- GIVE THE GIFT OF SERVICE
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COMMUNITY AGENCY REVIEWS
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This year we will begin a column highlighting service agencies that may be able to help our residents. In each issue, one or more organizations will be featured, giving information about the services that they provide.
One of the first agencies to be highlighted is Golden Acres, our current provider of the home-delivered meal program. They also happen to be located in Amherst Township.
Many seniors call in looking for help around their homes. Therefore, Love Inc. and Easter Seals are also being featured this quarter. They may be able to provide seniors with help in a timelier manner than some services previously listed in the “Senior Gazette” (see Spring of 2003).
Golden Acres
Lorain County Nursing Home
Location: 45999 North Ridge Road, Amherst.
Phone: 988-2322 (Lorain area)
324-6827 (Elyria area)
Administrator: William Glowacki
Golden Acres is an intermediate care facility that is able to care for 82 individuals and is certified to participate in the Medicaid reimbursement program. They have a 20-bed, secure unit for individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s and related Dementia. They hope to add a skilled nursing unit in the future.
Golden Acres offers 24-hour care. They serve three meals a day, which are planned by a registered dietician, and they are able to accommodate special dietary needs. Physician, dental, podiatry,
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optometry, audiology, and psychiatry services are available on site on a regular basis. Laundry, housekeeping, and a beauty and barber shop are also available. If you need to have a break from caring for a senior family member, respite care can be arranged for a period of two weeks or more.
Love Inc
Location: Corner of Gulf Rd. & Ohio St., Elyria
Phone: 322-5683
Hours: 9 AM-2 PM Monday–Friday
Services: Shopping for the homebound; auto repair; plumbing & carpentry; yard work for the disabled; relief care; companionship; help filling out forms; appliance repair; nutritional counseling; transportation to local appointments; referrals to other organizations
Easter Seals
Location: 1909 North Ridge Rd. #6
Phone: 277-7337
Services: The loaning of medical equipment and Home Care Services that include: personal care; homemaking (light housekeeping, meal preparation, laundry, etc.); respite care; social worker services & habitation specialists (assisting children or adults with physical or mental retardation and development disabilities to become more independent); referrals and information to individuals with disabilities and special needs.
Cost: A fee schedule is available. Payments are accepted from private insurance and Medicaid. A sliding-fee scale is also available for families who qualify.
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WARNING:
Never give your social security number, birth date, mother’s maiden name or accounts numbers out over the phone or to agencies you’ve never heard of. When in doubt, check them out first. Why give your hard-earned funds or personal information to a crook???!!!
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HELP WITH TAX PREPARATION
If you would like help in preparing your tax returns, please call the Amherst Public Library at 988-4230 to schedule an appointment
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