2003 State Report: Senior Spotlight
Steel Magnolia “Buds”
A group of women, five board members, and five of their friends raised over $160,000 for the Aiken Area Council on Aging. They wanted to eliminate waiting lists for home-delivered meals and the Alzheimer's program, and to call attention to the vital needs of the agency. Their strategy was a unique venture that would catapult the Aiken Area Council on Aging into a more secure future. They decided to create an 18-month calendar that would portray and reveal the grand dames of the wonderful town of Aiken.
The intent of the calendar was to highlight women as beautiful and spirited. The project began in early 2001, and was kept top secret until all of the ground work could be completed. Once it was made public, the Council was rocketed into the limelight due to the publicity generated from radio coverage, television, and a website.
Money began pouring in from all sources. More volunteers began contacting the Council offering help, donations increased dramatically, and the community was educated about the Council's role in the lives of its citizens, especially seniors in Aiken County. Generating more than $160,000, these womens' efforts have placed the agency on solid financial ground, eliminated waiting lists for services (at least for the time being), and enabled the Aiken Area Council on Aging to move forward and embrace the cause of our beloved seniors.
Senior Volunteers Make A Difference
All over South Carolina, seniors volunteer their time, expertise, love, and attention to help other seniors. One shining example is Mr. Charles Johnson, a dedicated volunteer with the I-CARE and Senior Medicare Patrol fraud programs in Lexington County.
Mr. Johnson has assisted the state's fraud team at health fairs to educate the public about Medicare fraud. He performs outreach, such as assisting seniors with reading and understanding their Medicare Summary Notices, and conducts follow-up testing for the Be Smart program, to reinforce awareness of Medicare expenditures and to be observant for possible fraud and abuse. He has completed various training opportunities, including the annual Summer School of Gerontology, where he learned to be a presenter for the Be Smart program. He is a most valuable volunteer in the effort to empower beneficiaries with knowledge about Medicare. He demonstrates effectiveness and enthusiasm in everything he does, and is a wonderful example of senior volunteerism in our state.
Transportation For Seniors Is Critical
All over South Carolina, transportation is a critical need for thousands of seniors, second only to the need for financial assistance with prescription drugs. In the lowcountry, for example, viable transportation to and from such standing medical appointments as dialysis and chemotherapy is sorely lacking. These services are available only in Charleston and Savannah, and on a limited basis in Hilton Head. Many seniors live in isolated areas as much as 70 to 85 miles from these treatment centers. Many no longer drive. Public transportation involves an all-day trip, not the most desirable situation for someone with a compromised immune system who is also sick and weak from treatment.
Even when a driver can be found who is willing to provide necessary transportation, the current funding available is not sufficient to last through a normal course of treatments. There is a desperate need in our state for paid medical transportation for seniors who do not qualify for Medicaid.
Caregiver Support
A retired teacher in Aiken struggles to spend quality time with her mother in a local nursing home, to home-school a seven-year-old grandson who has vision problems and learning difficulties, and to provide care for a three-year-old granddaughter who has lived with her since she was one year old.
Our multi-caregiver called the Family Caregiver Support Program (FCSP) in Aiken, desperate for help. She felt she was neglecting her granddaughter, who spent her days alone watching television. The Family Caregiver Advocate and the reitred teacher decided that the little girl was their first priority: they found a child day care program for her at a local church, and made arrangements for the FCSP to pay for it. She now enjoys the company of other children and is excited to get up and go to school each day. Our caregiver now says her life is much more manageable, and everyone is benefiting from that.
His Great Aunt's Keeper
The Caregiver Support Specialist was amazed at his sense of commitment and concern. He told how his great aunt had raised him, how she had always been a steady point of reference and his major nurturer through a stormy life. At age forty-nine he had been through lows that many will never know. Now he wanted to give back what he could to care for her.
He took a leave of absence from a new job. This was a risky move, but he felt compelled to be there for someone who had always been there for him. She had become his highest priority for the immediate future. At age 82 she had multiple health problems, and needed 24-hour care. However the final blow was cancer of the mouth. Even with aggressive radiation therapy, there was no reversing the cancer. She had multiple needs that required constant attention. The time she had was short and many of the services she needed could not have been activated quickly enough to help her.
When he first called asking for help, he told of a chimney fire that had destroyed his only means of heating their small house. The house had no central heat, no insulation, no rugs, and very little protection from the cold. He had found a used gas heater and needed money to buy it and to run gas to his home. He was burning kerosene heaters to provide the warmth his aunt needed for comfort. Much of the time they lived in one room in order to maintain the heat they needed. The fire department condemned the chimney, but he could still use a wood stove to cook, and to supplement the heat in the house. With a combined income of less than $700 per month, there was little left for other needs.
For about five weeks the Family Caregiver Program was privileged to give this caregiver assistance in heating the house, to provide incontinence and nutritional supplies, and to provide support and encouragement for him. When she died, he was devastated. He shared many of his struggles with his Support Specialist, and gave her a detailed account of his last day with his aunt. He was so thankful for the difference he made in her final days, and the role the caregiver program played in that care. It was only a minimal outlay of money, along with caring support, but to him it made all the difference.
Silvercard Is A Blessing For Many Older South Carolinians
For an elderly couple who are retired farmers, who were never able to afford health insurance during their working years, and who do not qualify for Medicaid because they own their land, Silvercard has been a true blessing. They live almost entirely on Social Security, do not qualify for a lot of helpful programs, but do not want a handout, either. The husband has severe respiratory problems, and the wife is often bed bound because of arthritis and heart trouble. Some of their prescriptions are very expensive (they were spending at least $500 per month for them), and if they must pay full price, then they can't get their eyes checked or go to the dentist. They do not mind paying a part of their prescription costs.
At first, they thought the $500 deductible was pretty steep, but they met it very quickly, and it was quite a relief that Silvercard picked up the rest of the year. According to the husband, "Silvercard has been a blessing beyond belief for the two of us, and I want to thank those who have made it possible. The federal government is taking too long to get a drug program in place, and we are glad South Carolina got something going for senior citizens."
The Nutrition Program For The Elderly In South Carolina
In 2002, the Nutrition Program celebrated thirty years of providing congregate and home-delivered meals to elderly citizens. It is a federally funded program for people sixty years of age and older who have limited incomes. There are over one hundred congregate meal sites in the state. Home-delivered meals, also known as Meals on Wheels, are delivered to seniors who are homebound for health reasons. In Darlington, one twenty-year meal recipient said, "I don't know what I would do if it weren't for the noon meal at the Senior Center. I live alone and depend on that meal for my nutrition. It's more than a meal, I make friends, exercise, participate in quilting, and play cards. They even help with fuel assistance and flu shots. Sometimes they give us an extra meal, a bag lunch for the weekend, and we also have special meals for holidays. When I had heart surgery, they brought meals to my home until I was able to return to the meal site."
Another participant is 107 years old, and has been in the nutrition program for over 30 years! He was born in 1893, and until the year 2000, he worked at the Senior Center by preparing home-delivered meals for transport. A bad knee forced him to retire, and he began receiving meals at home. He gets around without a cane, does not wear glasses, and does not take medication. When asked the secret to his long life, he replied, "I don't drink or smoke, I eat good food at the Council on Aging, I exercise daily, and I pray three times a day." He hopes to return to the senior center when his knee heals up.
Older Americans Act Funding Has Positive Impact On Seniors: Participant Credits Excercise Program For His Survival
Each Tuesday and Friday morning, 28 to 30 energetic seniors participate in one of Marion County Council on Aging's physical fitness programs, held at the Watsonic Recreation Center. A certified aerobics instructor leads the group. Those unable to lie on the floor can exercise from a chair. At the Miles Community Center in Mullins, these activities are duplicated in the afternoon on the same days. This group consists of 20 older individuals. Each participant is evaluated to determine the level of improvement.
One participant writes: "Our exercise programs are very thorough. We do aerobics, weights, a large variety of standing up, sitting down, and floor exercises with tension tapes. Our instructor has a good initial warm-up program and emphasizes many truly deep breathing exercises. The input of oxygen into our lungs prepares us for the more strenuous things to follow."
"I could not survive with my emphysema without this program. All of us enjoy the program and many of us have benefited significantly. We have an instructor who loves her work and loves her pupils. Her excellent sense of humor creates a very happy atmosphere and we look forward to our classes. If someone should be needed to train other exercise instructors, she would be perfect, but DON'T TAKE HER AWAY FROM US! This lady is a winner in every sense, and I am always very thankful for this exercise program."