May is Older Americans Month, which is a good time to remind our friends, neighbors, and loved ones about Adelante’s senior services.
As senior citizens are making up a greater share of the population, a range of economic and social shifts are also unfolding. Adelante is utilizing our caregiving skill sets to expand options and provide needed services for seniors in our communities. In response to the needs of our aging population, Adelante operates Compadres Senior Center, the Benefits Connection Center, Back in Use, and Senior Meals & Transportation Services. Later this year, we’ll be adding senior residential services.
For example, Adelante opened Compadres Senior Center several years ago to provide a part-time care option for seniors living with family members or other caregivers. Compadres offers activities and care Monday through Friday on a full-time, part-time, or as-needed basis because Adelante recognized that many caregivers have to work and seniors needed an enriching, safe environment to enjoy during standard work hours. Furthermore, caregivers who don’t work outside the home still have their own appointments to manage.
Compadres was designed around three major areas proven to help seniors maintain their mental and physical abilities – gardening, fine arts, and fitness. The site is sunlit and welcoming, and the outdoor space is also a favorite of the seniors in Adelante’s care.
Adelante’s trained staff members are there to assist with personal care, food, and medications. Unlike many senior offerings, there are no initial entry fees and the hourly rate is very cost-effective. For more information on Adelante Compadres Senior Center call Sarah Mascareñaz at (505) 883-0215.
The Adelante Benefits Connection Center is one of the select programs in the country working in partnership with the NCOA to screen and enroll seniors and individuals with disabilities in government benefit programs including SNAP, LIHEAP, Medicare Part D, MSP, and Medicaid. More information is included in our article about the Benefits Connection Center.
Adelante Back in Use provides assistive devices like wheelchairs, walkers, and hospital beds to seniors and people with disabilities who may not otherwise be able to afford them. For more information, visit www.backinuse.com or call (505) 341-7171.
Adelante also operates the Senior Meals & Transportation Service in Doña Ana County. Low-income seniors can dine free of charge or at low cost through six senior-center meal sites, or with home-delivered food. Operated under contract through the Area Agencies on Aging, Adelante also provides transportation to appointments and shopping. With senior hunger and transportation key challenges in New Mexico, these are highly valued services for some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens.
Adelante is constantly innovating to meet community needs, and that holds true for senior services, too. We are currently developing small-setting housing options for seniors, with a goal of providing safe and affordable assisted living situations in local neighborhoods. We are still in the process of remodeling and getting licensing inspections, but we hope to have two homes up and running later this year or early in 2018. Adelante believes that a majority of elders would prefer to have options beyond traditional nursing homes, remaining in neighborhoods as long as possible rather than being isolated from the larger community. For more information on senior residential options, soon to be known as Adelante Compadres Senior Living, please email Reina Chavez at RChavez@GoAdelante.org
