Patti Lyons
President/CEO of Senior Citizens, Inc.
On November 15, Patti Lyons spoke to the Skidaway Hamiltons and Abigails. She began with demographics. In 2018, 24% of this area’s population was over 65. By 2025, 42% will be over 65. As the population ages, there will be a significant decrease in the tax base at the same time that health care expenses for seniors will be rising dramatically. There will be a significant increase in demand for workers who are trained and vetted to work with seniors. On the positive side, community leaders are starting to pay attention, and the culture is starting to adapt to the needs of seniors.
Ms. Lyons has a unique perspective on the issue of aging, having been the President of the Senior Citizens, Inc (SCI) for twenty-five years. She believes the key is providing a continuum of care while allowing people to live at home. SCI has been doing just that for years. Importantly, as a private, local non-profit organization, SCI has been able to pursue any idea that can help its constituents support the four columns of life: mind, body, spirit and community. SCI offers a wide variety of services on a cafeteria basis. Each new client meets with a care navigator who is trained to identify each client’s needs and develops a plan. Those needs typically change over time. Initially, a client may simply need help rearranging furniture in their house to accommodate changing living requirements. SCI provides transportation for those who cannot drive. Many SCI clients use Meals on Wheels. SCI provides 1,800 hot lunches daily, and also provides conversation. It provides Friendly Callers, matching volunteers with clients, to address the issue of loneliness. SCI provides In-Home Care, customized personal care, companionship, and nursing care. It operates two Adult Health Centers for people with impairments that require constant oversight or for people recovering from surgery. These are vital resources for family caregivers who also work. There is on-site certified nursing staff and a medical team that develops individualized care plans. SCI provides Aging Life Care which may include guardianship and financial management. Finally, SCI runs the Learning Center which provides more than eighty different programs for each of four semesters during the year. Programs are now provided virtually as well as live. SCI is also a major employer. It has 80 staff members and also uses 76 “Companions” whose compensation is paid for by a Federal program. Volunteers are an important resource for Meals on Wheels, Friendly Callers, Transportation, and other services.
SCI tries to provide services to all, regardless of income, but there is currently a waiting list of over 400 people who would like services but cannot afford to pay. SCI does a lot of fund-raising to meet some of this demand. It would welcome our financial contributions and would welcome those of us who would like to volunteer our time.
SCI’s services are very cost-effective. It can feed a person for a year for the same expense as a one-day stay in a hospital or a five-day stay in a nursing home. Ms. Lyons believes strongly in SCI’s model of care and hopes that the government will increasingly recognize the importance of staying at home as an option for those who are aging. Currently, Medicare provides no help for people living at home but does help pay for nursing home beds. Ms. Lyons cautions those of us who are planning to bring in help to our homes as we age. It is extremely important to only allow people into our homes who have been thoroughly vetted, as elder abuse and fraud is a huge problem. You are also liable for disability payments if your home health care worker is not properly insured.
