Seniors' guide outlines services

Senior citizens in Albany County will have an easier time making their way through the maze of services available to them, thanks to a recent collaborative effort by diocesan Catholic Charities and Mercycare/St. Peter's Hospital.

A directory of long-term-care services for the elderly in Albany County was developed to help seniors and their families access the help that they need.

"Our goal was to make it easier to hook them up with every service," said Kathy Brodbeck, vice president of St. Peter's Hospital. "We have trained people who can respond to them."

Packed with info

The directory includes services for seniors offered by Catholic Charities, Mercycare/St. Peter's and parishes. The range of services encompasses medical care, nursing homes, hospice, home care, counseling, assisted living and housing options. In all, 22 categories of services are listed.

The directory also gives two central access numbers, one at Mercycare/St. Peter's; the other at Catholic Charities. The lines are staffed by trained personnel who will direct callers to the appropriate agency or service, and then follow up to make sure the caller's needs were successfully met.

According to Marty Haase, executive director of Catholic Charities Caregivers Program, accessing needed services can be overwhelming for many seniors and their caregivers. Many times, they don't know what services are available or whom to call to find services. The directory and the central access numbers will change that.

Getting a copy

The directory will be distributed through parishes in Albany County; seniors can also call one of the central access numbers to obtain a copy. Besides distributing the directory, parishes will play an important role in helping seniors have their needs met.

"Some of the parish-based services are the pulse in the community," said Joseph Pofit, vice president of St. Peter's Hospital. "They may see someone who needs service, and they can make the connection. This directory will connect the local parish to an array of services."

More to come

The joint venture developed after representatives of Mercycare/St. Peter's and Catholic Charities began meeting last summer in response to Bishop Howard J. Hubbard's call that Catholic-affiliated services and programs collaborate in their efforts to improve community health care.

The comprehensive directory is the first stage of collaboration between Catholic Charities and Mercycare. There are also plans to create a dementia continuum-of-care program that would align the services offered by both institutions, and plans to integrate the strategic planning initiatives concerning the elderly of both institutions.

Ms. Haase said that this directory can serve as a model for institutions in other counties of the Diocese to collaborate as well. "We're hoping this is setting the scene," she said.

(To receive a copy of the directory or assistance in finding services, call 525-6660, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., or 449-2001, Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.)

(04-30-98) [[In-content Ad]]