On The Job

‘We Try To Be That Somebody For Our Seniors’

On The Job By Olana McDonald

The Ocala Metro is a place where the sun shines brighter than the rest of the state. With rolling hills, natural springs, and a family atmosphere, there’s no question as to why senior citizens choose Ocala as their retirement destination.

Nearly 30 percent of the population in Marion County is over 65 years old, meaning the need for senior services is greater here than in many other counties. Senior services include meals, transportation, and in-home support, but those who work or volunteer for Marion Senior Services have made it more than that. Serving seniors in Marion County is also about companionship, respect, and devotion.

7:28am: The staff arrives at Marion Senior Services to accept the truck delivery, count meals, and check food temperatures for the Meals on Wheels drivers to pack and load into their vehicles. Monday through Friday, nearly 400 meals are delivered at little or no cost to seniors across the county.

Jenny Martinez, executive director of Marion Senior Services, arrives with Meals on Wheels staff drivers shortly after 8:30. She checks with the drivers and nutrition coordinators to make sure the day is starting smoothly before walking down the hall to her office.

Jenny Martinez, Executive Director of Marion Senior Services

“We are the only family some of our seniors have,” Jenny says. “Many people sit at home in isolation and look forward to their meal delivery each day so they can chat with another person.”

Isolation is a crippling reality for retirees, which has worsened with CO- VID-19, and this is at the forefront of meal delivery drivers’ minds each day as they begin their delivery route.

9:29am: Meals on Wheels drivers start pulling out of the driveway and begin dropping off meals to seniors across the Ocala Metro. Whether the driver is paid staff or a volunteer, they know that by seeing the same people each day, they become a companion to the food recipients.

“Daily visits allow us to perform wellness checks,” Jenny explains, “and call for help if we think something is wrong.”

Having someone knock on your door each day not only creates a bond between the senior and the driver, but it also allows the senior to have a sense of security in knowing a friend will come knocking each day.

1:05pm: Meal delivery drivers begin returning to Marion Senior Services, smiling as they greet one another and return their insulated bags to the kitchen. Some of the drivers leave for the day, while others wait for their bags to be refilled with boxes of food.

“In going through this unprecedented pandemic, it brought new attention to existing problems as well as shined a light on new realities that affect the elderly population in high numbers,” Jenny says. “As a result, we’ve found positive in the negative and created programming to not only counteract some of these issues while we’re still deep in the trenches of COVID-19, but also to continue and grow once it’s in our collective rearview mirrors.”

An additional nutrition program made its debut earlier this year in May. Warm Meals Warm Hearts (WMWH) is also aimed at improving the nutritional status of and food reassurance for those age 60 and older and is a partnership between MSS and local restaurants and food vendors. The program provides another roughly 500 restaurant-cooked-and-packaged meals delivered right to their home on a select day each week. MSS has joined with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA), the Department of Business and Professional Regulations (DBPR), and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) to provide food reassurance to Marion County’s nutritionally-at-risk senior citizens.

Nutrition Coordinator Angela Kinsler (right) delivers a meal with a warm heart and smile to Diana Hemnarine.

As a result of measures implemented due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, MSS and other lead agencies around the state are now able to partner with local restaurants and food establishments as emergency vendors. Allowing these partnerships helps to ensure that Florida’s roughly 5.5 million seniors have safe access to food. At the same time, it also allows MSS to positively help the local restaurant industry and the important impact it has on the overall economy.

2:03pm: Warm Hands Warm Hearts delivery takes an additional hour, and after more than five hours of driving, chatting, and delivering hot meals into grateful hands, the remaining drivers are finished for the day.

“Before COVID, I was able to go inside each house and chat for a bit,” says one of the drivers as she walks into the kitchen, “but we’ve ramped up our safety protocols so that the staff here and the seniors that need us can stay healthy.”

The team hasn’t skipped a beat during COVID-19.

Five generations of selfless employees work at Marion Senior Services. The staff knows the importance of the work they do, and they are devoted to the seniors of Marion County so much that they weren’t willing to let a global pandemic stop them from helping those in need.

Thankfully, the heightened health and safety protocols are proving to be worth the shorter conversations during deliveries. Marion Senior Services didn’t lay off a single employee and only closed their office for two days.

4:10pm: Jenny finishes her workday by reading reports on the other two services the organization provides: transportation and in-home care. Marion Transit provides transportation to people of all ages to lower their barrier of access to food, healthcare services, education, work, or recreational activities.

In-home care provides support for people over the age of 60 so they can “age-inplace” or remain living independently for as long as possible. Marion Senior Services providescase managers, service coordinators and consultants who work with families whose senior relative needs care.

As the lead agency for elder affairs, Marion Senior Services coordinates everything from initial assessments, liaising between seniors and longdistance family members, monitoring inhomeservices, to assisting with transitioning the senior to a care home/ retirement complex, and providing clients with education, advocacy, counseling and support.

“Humans aren’t meant to be alone, to live solitary lives,” Jenny finishes, “so we try to be that somebody for our seniors.”

5:16pm: As she leaves her office for the day, hundreds of Marion County seniors have their needs met. The staff at Marion Senior Services will continue to show up each day because their work is making a difference.

One meal, one ride, and one smile at a time.

Want To Help? marionseniorservices.org 620-3501