Edler Care launches ‘SOS’ program – Tallahassee.com

Special to the Chronicle 11:57 a.m. ET April 16, 2017

Tom Longerbeam, Elder Care Services Emeritus Board member and weekly Meals on Wheels volunteer explains why his Tuesday deliveries are so meaningful to him and critically important to his recipients.(Photo: Special to the Chronicle)

Elder Care Services has launched Support Our Seniors (SOS), a collaborative, community based initiative that aims to raise funds for and educate local seniors about utility assistance and home weatherization. Often times, seniors live alone and cannot afford the costs associated with seasonal climate changes while major weather events cause an even greater hardship.

When a storm brings down a tree in your yard, it is a problem. When its in a low-income or physically challenged senior citizens yard, it can mean the difference between food on their table or medicine in their cabinet, said Elder Care Services Board Member and City Commissioner Scott Maddox. Weve seen too many of these situations in the last few months. Hopefully, a partnership like this will help Support Our Seniors when they are in crisis.

Elder Care Services is an agent for the states Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program (EHEAP), which provides assistance to low-income seniors to help them maintain adequate heating and cooling. The program can pay only one benefit per season (heating/cooling), and funds are usually exhausted by the first week of each month. Elder Care Services must then use donated funds and equipment to ensure clients needs can be met.

Through SOS, Elder Care Services is enlisting partners and donors to help safeguard the communitys vulnerable, low-income senior population.

One of the wonderful things about our community-based approach to caring for seniors is that we maintain a personal connection with each of our clients, said Elder Care Services CEO Mark Baldino. Between our staff and volunteers, we are often the first point of contact for seniors in crisis. We know firsthand how critical a safety net is for seniors, it can be life or death.

As was the case recently, it was Meals on Wheels volunteer John Outland that alerted Elder Care Services to a hazardous situation at a clients home following hurricane Hermine. We provide clients more than just a meal to help them stay in place. We also monitor their overall well-being and identify other needs as we talk with them on a daily basis, said Outland.

One of the first community partners stepping up to help is the City of Tallahassees REACH program. The REACH program is designed to assist neighborhoods with older homes by helping residents to lower their energy use and utility bills. Customers receive free home energy assessments, free installation of energy-saving products and energy efficiency tips. Since this innovative program launched in 2010, it has served nearly 10,000 residents across Tallahassee.

The City of Tallahassees REACH program already has boots on the ground and folks in homes assessing their vulnerability to potential weather damage, Maddox said. I see this as a perfect partnership to kick-start a community wide effort to keep seniors safe in their homes.

Every year, Elder Care Services triages more than 2,000 emergency and urgent requests. A significant portion is for utility assistance and/or weather related emergencies. Many seniors live alone and cannot afford the significant utility cost increase that winter and summer bring. During cold snaps, Elder Care can receive 10 or more calls a day requesting utility assistance.

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Edler Care launches 'SOS' program - Tallahassee.com