Program has tools for growing older

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

In Larimer County, aging is an art. There are resources, classes, support groups and clubs to make the transition healthy and interesting.

Chief among those who have a handle on all the services and programs available is the county's Office on Aging. If someone has a question, it has an answer. Even baby boomers looking for ways to help their parents in another state can find a listening ear and helpful suggestions. Given their years of experience, the OOA staff can often save time when dealing with complicated situations.

"Information is the primary product that the Office on Aging markets," said program manager Margaret Long.

And the consumers of information are an expanding audience. About 14 percent of the county's population - 39,000 - is age 60 and older, Long said. By 2020, that demographic will grow to 74,000, or 20 percent of the county's population.

Calling it a "senior tsunami," Long and her staff are always looking for grants to resolve issues related to aging. It's also an advocate for the needs of the elderly and those who care for them.

ARCH

The state of Colorado last year selected Larimer County to be its pilot site for an aging and disability resource center. Called ARCH (Adult Resources for Care and Help) in this state, it is supported by a three-year federal grant. The goal is to streamline access to long-term care services.

The program is for adults age 60 and older and for disabled citizens age 18 and older.

"It's for people who don't even know where to start," said resource specialist Laura Sutherlin.

After getting a call for help, Sutherlin's first step is to find out what people can do and can't do for themselves. Than she analyzes whether they qualify for financial assistance, or whether they could afford to hire help if they knew where to find it.

Sutherlin calls it "options counseling," which might mean paying for assisted living, getting help to stay at home or, for the young and disabled, finding a job.

"Long-term care can be services to remain independent or also to remain safe," she noted.

"Long-term care doesn't have to mean institutionalized care," Long added.

Sutherlin offers two examples of cases she's handled.

A person concerned with a 78-year-old friend's financial welfare suggested Sutherlin pay him a visit. The man lived alone, couldn't drive and used a walker to get around. He was paying for someone to come in twice a day to help with household chores and take him to appointments. His savings were being depleted. Sutherlin concluded he qualified for Medicaid assistance for long-term care and helped him fill out the paperwork. He will be able to stay at home and continue using the same caregivers if they are Medicaid certified.

Another man Sutherlin visited can afford to pay for long-term care services, but he had no idea who could help him. He also needs help managing his own finances. In this case, Sutherlin put him touch with professional caregivers who can do all the chores he cannot do.

There are no financial requirements to benefit from ARCH's counseling. All services are free and confidential. Sutherlin can be reached at 498-6453.

Caregiver support

Caregivers need support, too, said Lynette McGowan, support program coordinator for OOA. Family and friends provide 80 percent of care older persons receive.

"The sense of isolation is across the board," she said. Caregivers feel "they have no time and energy beyond everyday life."

Sometimes caregiving is done long-distance; sometimes an adult child living here needs to figure out a way to bring their parents here; sometimes a caregiver just needs a break from the daily responsibility.

McGowan can help caregivers find a support group, find needed community resources or enhance their own ability to provide care. In addition to a wealth of information, McGowan helps distribute small respite grants to caregivers. A grant of $300 can be awarded every six months, allowing a caregiver to hire someone to take his or her place for short periods of time.

Dorothy Kurlander of Berthoud is using a respite grant to help pay for her 97-year-old mother's weekly drop-in visit at an adult day care program. That gives Kurlander five hours to take care of herself.

"It's a godsend because it gives me the feeling of release," she said. "Tension builds up trying to anticipate my mother's needs. I can rest and come back and plunge back in."

Adult day care also gives her mother, Lillian Meade, a social outing. "She is full of mental energy even though her body is frail," Kurlander said. "She needs other people besides me."

McGowen also provided her with a booklet, the Caregivers Toolkit, and it has provided numerous community contacts. "I opened up a Pandora's Box of good things," Kurlander said about the OOA. "Friends in other states don't have half the assistance I have."

McGowen can be reached at 498-6820.

To get started on the information-gathering process, Long advises people to call 211, a local number where trained staff refer callers to appropriate community groups. For example, the county has 1,202 beds in skilled nursing facilities, 836 units of assisted living and a host of facilities for independent living.

Long noted that Larimer County is an elder-friendly community that is fairly rich with resources. "The challenge is going to be to prepare for the future, with lifespan increasing rapidly," Long said.