Programs to help local seniors through the pandemic

SUPPORTING CAST

There’s lots of help available for seniors during the pandemic By June Smith

How were you affected by the pandemic lockdowns? The United Health Foundation and other groups report that many older adults were left feeling isolated, but here in Santa Cruz there were several options for help. As a senior myself, living alone in a condo, I took advantage of Governor Gavin Newsom’s meal-delivery service for California’s elder population, Great Plates Delivered. Santa Cruz County began the delivery of thousands of meals on Memorial Day weekend, and later, several extensions were made due to the ongoing severity of the Covid-19 virus. The program served two purposes: to help seniors and adults at high risk to stay at home by receiving three nutritious meals a day, and to provide the needed economic stimulus to local businesses struggling to survive.

After learning about the program online, I qualified and received weekly deliveries of meals from Team Kitchen Project in Soquel. TKP’s Executive Director Angela Farley expressed gratitude for being able to serve local seniors through the program by offering heart-healthy and diabetes-friendly medically tailored meals. My first delivery included soup, a roasted vegetable salad with Feta cheese and balsamic vinaigrette, plus three more entrees for other days of the week. Now that the program has concluded, TKP’s dedicated group of Delivery Angels, most of whom are seniors, continue to provide no-contact deliveries. Their clients have a medical diagnosis, with the most common being cancer, diabetes, or a neurological disorder. Go to teenkitchenproject.org for more information.

Another program I took advantage of was the Seniors Council Fall Prevention Committee of Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties. Seniors Council has a long history of providing a service to prevent falls among older adults. Britt Bassoni, Director of Programs and Special Projects says, “Since the recent expansion of our services, we are now able to include environmental and behavioral home safety assessments critical to identifying risks to older adults.”

Home assessments are based on guidelines provided by the Center for Disease Control and include a visit with an advisor and a room-by-room checklist of potential hazards. The focus of the assessment is for the individual and their preferences, habits, ability, and concerns for the space. Some fixes are as simple as rerouting an extension cord or masking down edges of rugs. The assessor checks for adequate lighting, as well as clear pathways throughout the home, and will also check garages, sheds, paths, patios, decks, and garden space.

I had not known that this help was available and that in many cases, the cost is covered. During my home visit with Bassoni, we identified my most serious concern: the lack of grab bars in both the master and guest bathrooms.

I was referred to the Volunteer Center’s “Helping Hands” program, which sent Michael H. to install grab bars in both bathrooms. Later, I learned about the Personal Emergency Response System (PERS), an alert system with neck or wrist buttons that summon help through a call center. PERS provides the individual user an opportunity to push an emergency call button for help by using a connection to the home telephone system, or to a staffed call center. I was opposed to wearing the pendant style around my neck, favoring the device in the form of a smartwatch.

In no time I was off with my grandson Phoenix to Best Buy to help me purchase an Apple iPhone and a watch with a stylish pink band. Seniors Council staff even helped to pay a small portion of the cost.