Area Agency on Aging offers help, advice to local seniors

By Tiffany Esshaki
C & G Staff Writer

There are a number of community resources available to seniors, from meal delivery to legal services. Those resources can’t be utilized, though, if they can’t be found by those who need them.

That’s why for nearly 40 years, the Area Agency on Aging 1-B has been guiding local seniors and their families toward the help they may not even know is available to them.

The 1-B chapter of the Area Agency on Aging serves the counties of Oakland, St. Clair, Livingston, Washtenaw and Monroe. While it has been in operation since 1974, it is part of a larger initiative that began years earlier. According to Jenny Jarvis, director of communications for AAA 1-B, the nonprofit was the result of legislation that identified the need for older adults to have a focal point for assistance in the community. Since its inception, the AAA has opened more than 650 locations across the United States, all with the mission of helping seniors find the essential care they either can’t afford or are physically unable to get on their own.

“We do several different things. We receive federal funding through the Older Americans Act, and then we fund programs like Meals on Wheels, chore services, legal services, help for deaf and hearing impaired, vision, and so many others,” said Jarvis. “There are just so many facets to what we do.”

The most important service the agency offers, according to Jarvis, is the information assistance provided over the phone. Jarvis says that seniors, their family members or caretakers can call the toll-free number and speak to a representative specially trained to answer questions about what services an individual may qualify for and how to find a provider.

“Most of our calls are about housing options, subsidized housing and assisted living. A lot of people don’t realize how many options there are for assisted living; it’s quite broad. So we help direct people and help them understand what their options are.”

There are even programs available for seniors who are capable of living independently at home, but need a little help with such chores as snow shoveling or transportation assistance. Many of these programs, though, require a complicated approval process or even a waiting period, sometimes up to two years. That’s why, Jarvis explained, the guidance of the AAA resource specialists is so valuable.

She went on to say that a large portion of calls AAA 1-B receives are from adult children who are caring for their parents, but don’t know where to turn for advice.

“Maybe they live out of town and return home, and they’ve noticed a big difference in mom or dad. We’re a great organization to help them gain some direction and find out what the options are to care for their parents.”

Emerald Food Services is one of the many organizations that depends on AAA funding for their community programs, including Meals on Wheels, which delivers meals to the homes of older citizens who aren’t able to prepare food themselves. Vice President of Emerald Steve Haveraneck says that their program is the largest of its kind in Oakland County, and the agency is a big part of their success.

“The first thing they do is make it possible, by virtue of being a mechanism that the state and federal funds flow through to the providers like us,” he said. “Then, they perform annual audits to ensure that the program is being administered properly.”

Haveraneck said that AAA 1-B regularly audits his facility to make sure Emerald is indeed serving the number of meals it claims it is, as well as checking to see that those meals meet the program’s strict nutritional requirements. Where the agency really shines, though, according to Haveraneck, is by keeping organizations in the loop on news and hot-button issues relevant to the seniors they serve.

“For instance, there was a fairly large study done that showed that the evening meal was the loneliest time for most seniors, which makes sense because that time is traditionally family time. But our meals all go out during the day; the hot meal actually arrives at lunch. So we took that information, and we set up a dinner dance for folks.”

Whether an individual has questions about counseling and support groups or they need advice choosing a Medicare or Medicaid plan, Jarvis says that help for seniors could be just a phone call away.

“I cannot stress how important it is to call and talk to a resource specialist to help guide you and see what you qualify for,” she said. “Through our 1-800 number and our programs we fund, I’d say we touch the lives of over 60,000 people each year.”

For more information on the Area Agency on Aging 1-B, visit www.aaa1b.com or call (800) 852-7795.
 

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Tiffany Esshaki at tesshaki@candgnews.com or at ( ) - .