Published: Monday, February 12, 2007
Additional services approved for elderly
One of the biggest service expansions will be in the county's northern 10 townships.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN — People in Trumbull County who spend a large amount of time caring for their elderly relatives or friends are about to get some help.
It's coming in the form of increased senior citizen day care, home delivered meals, assistance with grooming and household chores and expanded service from senior community centers.
These are the expectations from several officials involved in the work of Trumbull County's Senior Services Advisory Council.
The council has made recommendations for $1.9 million worth of services it would like to see awarded from the $2.5 million being raised annually from a senior citizens levy approved in November 2004. The remaining money will be used on senior transportation in the coming months.
County commissioners are expected to approve the recommendations in coming weeks and allow the services to begin — right away, in some cases.
Goals
Jack O'Connell, council chairman, said one of the goals is to provide people over age 60 with enough help to allow them to remain in their homes as long as possible. Another goal is to take away some of the strain on family members who are providing most of that help now.
"It keeps them from getting burned out," O'Connell said of help to family members. But he added, "In some cases, there are no family members."
Don Medd, executive director of the District XI Area Agency on Aging, which has a contract to provide administrative help to the council, said 90 percent of seniors prefer to live at home rather than in a nursing home.
Northern townships
Another primary goal of levy organizers was to provide services in the 10 northern-most townships in the county, where nearly no services are provided at this time.
"Those 10 townships are under-served in practically every way you could talk about," O'Connell said. "You just couldn't serve them," he said, noting that the area is rural and far from cities that could offer the services.
That need will be primarily met by the Orwell-based nonprofit organization Country Neighbor, which already provides some services in northern Trumbull County. The council recommended contracting with Country Neighbor for $173,630 worth of in-home services and home-delivered meals in 2007. The organization runs community centers in Orwell and Andover in Ashtabula County.
SCOPE centers
The expansion of the SCOPE community centers in Warren, Niles and Howland and the establishment of centers in Cortland, Champion and Lordstown fill the need for socialization and wellness, O'Connell said, adding that assistance with prescription drugs and help with Medicare will be a greater focus of the centers.
Existing centers will also be funded in Girard, West Farmington, Newton Falls and Bristolville.
It has not been determined when the three new centers will open, Medd said, and their locations will be announced after commissioners have authorized the spending plan. Medd said the money will not be used to build the centers; rented spaces will be used.
Expanding services
Tony Cario, staff director for the council, prepared statistics showing how much various types of services are likely to expand under the council's recommendations:
Adult day care, such as help for Alzheimer's patients; about 16 are served now, about 30 more will be served.
Personal care and homemaker services, such as help with grooming, bathing and daily household tasks; about 185 are served now, about 265 more will be served.
Chore services, such as help with moving furniture or heavy cleaning; about 157 people are served now, about 127 more will be served.
Home delivered meals with each area having a designated provider; about 54,000 meals are provided now, one per day per person; about 125,250 will be provided. The basic criteria to qualify for the meals is that a person is unable to get out of the house, Medd said.
Protective services will be enhanced with the hiring of two additional staff members at the county's Department of Job and Family Services in Warren. This will double the size of the investigative staff at the agency and help seniors who are being victimized by such people as family members, guardians or lawyers, O'Connell said.
Two "seed projects" are being funded at $5,000 each.
One is the Trumbull Advocacy and Protection Network, a think tank of leaders chaired by Probate Judge Thomas A. Swift and attended by a variety of social service agency leaders. Its primary goal has been to avoid duplication of services.
The other is the Western Reserve Independent Living, a new organization whose goal is to help the handicapped — 60 percent of whom are elderly — live in the community.
runyan@vindy.com
Monday, February 12, 2007
One of the biggest service expansions will be in the county's northern 10 townships.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN — People in Trumbull County who spend a large amount of time caring for their elderly relatives or friends are about to get some help.
It's coming in the form of increased senior citizen day care, home delivered meals, assistance with grooming and household chores and expanded service from senior community centers.
These are the expectations from several officials involved in the work of Trumbull County's Senior Services Advisory Council.
The council has made recommendations for $1.9 million worth of services it would like to see awarded from the $2.5 million being raised annually from a senior citizens levy approved in November 2004. The remaining money will be used on senior transportation in the coming months.
County commissioners are expected to approve the recommendations in coming weeks and allow the services to begin — right away, in some cases.
Goals
Jack O'Connell, council chairman, said one of the goals is to provide people over age 60 with enough help to allow them to remain in their homes as long as possible. Another goal is to take away some of the strain on family members who are providing most of that help now.
"It keeps them from getting burned out," O'Connell said of help to family members. But he added, "In some cases, there are no family members."
Don Medd, executive director of the District XI Area Agency on Aging, which has a contract to provide administrative help to the council, said 90 percent of seniors prefer to live at home rather than in a nursing home.
Northern townships
Another primary goal of levy organizers was to provide services in the 10 northern-most townships in the county, where nearly no services are provided at this time.
"Those 10 townships are under-served in practically every way you could talk about," O'Connell said. "You just couldn't serve them," he said, noting that the area is rural and far from cities that could offer the services.
That need will be primarily met by the Orwell-based nonprofit organization Country Neighbor, which already provides some services in northern Trumbull County. The council recommended contracting with Country Neighbor for $173,630 worth of in-home services and home-delivered meals in 2007. The organization runs community centers in Orwell and Andover in Ashtabula County.
SCOPE centers
The expansion of the SCOPE community centers in Warren, Niles and Howland and the establishment of centers in Cortland, Champion and Lordstown fill the need for socialization and wellness, O'Connell said, adding that assistance with prescription drugs and help with Medicare will be a greater focus of the centers.
Existing centers will also be funded in Girard, West Farmington, Newton Falls and Bristolville.
It has not been determined when the three new centers will open, Medd said, and their locations will be announced after commissioners have authorized the spending plan. Medd said the money will not be used to build the centers; rented spaces will be used.
Expanding services
Tony Cario, staff director for the council, prepared statistics showing how much various types of services are likely to expand under the council's recommendations:
Adult day care, such as help for Alzheimer's patients; about 16 are served now, about 30 more will be served.
Personal care and homemaker services, such as help with grooming, bathing and daily household tasks; about 185 are served now, about 265 more will be served.
Chore services, such as help with moving furniture or heavy cleaning; about 157 people are served now, about 127 more will be served.
Home delivered meals with each area having a designated provider; about 54,000 meals are provided now, one per day per person; about 125,250 will be provided. The basic criteria to qualify for the meals is that a person is unable to get out of the house, Medd said.
Protective services will be enhanced with the hiring of two additional staff members at the county's Department of Job and Family Services in Warren. This will double the size of the investigative staff at the agency and help seniors who are being victimized by such people as family members, guardians or lawyers, O'Connell said.
Two "seed projects" are being funded at $5,000 each.
One is the Trumbull Advocacy and Protection Network, a think tank of leaders chaired by Probate Judge Thomas A. Swift and attended by a variety of social service agency leaders. Its primary goal has been to avoid duplication of services.
The other is the Western Reserve Independent Living, a new organization whose goal is to help the handicapped — 60 percent of whom are elderly — live in the community.
runyan@vindy.com
Monday, February 12, 2007
People in Trumbull County who spend a large amount of time caring for their elderly relatives or friends are about to...
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