Meals on Wheels is one of several SCES programs that has provided vital assistance for local older adults throughout the Coronavirus pandemic. Referrals to the program rose by 23% from March to May.

By Nathan Lamb

As a mission-driven non-profit, Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is proud to provide essential services that help more than 4,800 older adults Age in Place. This has continued throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, and our data from March through May does a lot to illustrate the impact of elder services during COVID-19:

• Referrals to Meals on Wheels increased by 23%. We are providing approximately 1,200 meals per day and delivered 8,500 frozen and shelf-stable backup meals for at-risk older adults.
• Our Case Managers conducted 9,238 telephonic check-ins with clients, to assess well-being, provide emotional support, and adjust service plans to meet new needs.
• Our Home Care program worked closely with our vendors to provide more than 175,000 hours of Home Care Aide Services for 2,902 clients. Home Care aides assist clients with bathing, dressing, eating, ambulating, and other essential needs.
• Our Aging Information Center assisted 966 callers. In many cases, they connected older adults with food, masks, and other essential resources.
• Our Elder Protective Services program continued to investigate reports of elder abuse. We received 163 reports, leading to 70 investigations. Fully 75% of our completed investigations helped elders impacted by abuse, exploitation, or neglect.
• Adult Family Care (AFC) provided compensation and telephonic case management for our 240 family caregivers. The people served by AFC cannot live alone and many would otherwise be facing nursing home placements.

Numbers are one way to tell the story. But our work is about people. Here are a few of our stories:

Corinne Lofchie is an Elder Care Advisor in our Aging Information Center. She recently worked with a local man who was facing food insecurity and arranged for him to receive Meals on Wheels. He was recovering from a recent surgery and having trouble getting support from friends and family due to COVID-19. He was low on food, with limited means, and very much appreciated the help.

“He said ‘God bless you’ multiple times and stated how much of a difference this would make for him to be able to have a meal delivered every day,” said Lofchie.

Megan Krey is a Community Care Coordinator, who recently responded to a request for help from a woman who is in her late 70s and lives alone. The woman, who is extremely hard of hearing and has no family in the area, was referred by a concerned neighbor.

Krey soon found the woman qualified for MassHealth and helped her sign up for benefits. She hadn’t seen a medical professional in more than three years, so Krey scheduled appointments, arranged transportation, and provided reminders. Krey also arranged for Meals on Wheels and amplifying devices.

“It is hard to know where she would be if we hadn’t connected,” said Krey. “But what I do know is that without SCES she would be very isolated, would not have any medical care, she would not have regular meals or any connection to the outside world, since her family is not involved.”

Nathaniel Meyer is a Social Worker for our Adult Family Care program. He recently provided guidance and support for a family to bring about a transfer of their mother home from a nursing home, where she was unhappy and in poor health. The family now receives support and education from SCES as they provide care for her at home. The mother has mid-stage dementia, but with her caregiver receiving training from a dementia specialist and ongoing support from AFC, she is thriving at home, enjoying dancing, hairstyling, and other activities with her family.

“This is a model home in terms of the quality of care, and a strong example of improved care and health when someone goes from a nursing care center to a home setting,” said Meyer.

Want to learn more about how Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services can provide assistance with challenges of aging, caregiving, and disability? Contact our Aging Information Center at 617-628-2601, email info@eldercare.org, or visit eldercare.org.