PREBLE COUNTY — The Preble County Council on Aging (PCCOA) has several great opportunities for seniors.
Citizens for Seniors
This committee is dedicated to ensuring that the services provided by the Preble County Council on Aging continue well into the future. Throughout the coming weeks, we will provide information about the need for the funds generated by a successful levy. Please consider that throughout the next several years, the senior population will increase as the Baby Boomers reach age 60+. Below are some interesting facts about our current services:
Our current levy is based on 2007 values.
Today, the cost of one delivered meal is $7.53; cost of one hour of homemaking is $21.00.
We will ask for a replacement on 1 mil with .5 increase which is a $24.70 increase a year on a $100,000 home.
72 percent of our budget is allocated for in-home services, including: homemaking – 11.8 percent; transportation – 37.5 percent; and Meals on Wheels (home delivered meals), 23 percent. The Senior Center comprises 22.4 percent of our budget, as well as 5.4 percent for administration.
Additionally, a recent report from the Ohio Department of Aging provided a summary assessment of older Ohioans.
In 2017, Ohioans who live to age 65 could expect to live, on average, an additional 18.5 years, or to age 83.5. Family caregivers offer critical supports to older adults. Tasks performed by family caregivers are becoming increasingly complex, and national survey data of over 1,200 caregivers found that most family caregivers (60 percent) are juggling paid work and caregiving. Despite the necessary care they provide, many family caregivers in Ohio do not have the support they need.
More than one in four dementia caregivers cared for a child or grandchild, in addition to caring for someone with dementia. More than 60 percent of adults who provided unpaid care to loved ones with dementia have been doing so for at least two years. Almost 30 percent of dementia caregivers provided 20 or more hours of care per week.
With the funds that we receive from a successful levy, we can continue to provide support not only for caregivers, but for the nearly 4,000 seniors we currently help in our communities. Services include home delivered meals (Meals on Wheels), housekeeping, transportation, home health care and wellness checks. We provide in-home assessments of various needs, home energy assistance program information, help in connecting families and seniors with needed services, and our Senior Home Repair Program. Without your continued support, many of these services would not be possible. We will ask for your yes vote in November.
Calling All Volunteers
Our levy is fast approaching on Tuesday, Nov. 2, and we will be providing all the necessary information for you to make an informed choice when we ask you to vote for our seniors in November! But today, we would like to let you know that we are looking for volunteers to help with our Levy “Honk-Ins.” We will be out on the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 29 at various locations throughout Preble County with posters and waves to the public all in an attempt to drive awareness that our senior center needs support this year in the November election. If you would like to join us, please contact Wende Kluener at [email protected] or call 937-456-4947 for details and to sign up!
Our Seniors Need You
We are offering three great opportunities for you to help the seniors in our community. We continue to get more clients for home delivered meals and now have a waiting list. Delivering meals is fun and the seniors look forward to seeing you each day during the week. Often times you are the only person our clients see each day. This job is incredibly special and vital as we provide wellness checks for our senior clients each day throughout the week. We need help with transportation getting our seniors to medical appointments. We also need help in our kitchen with meal prep and service in our Decades Diner. If you are interested please stop by and fill out an application or give us a call for more information.
Thursday Night Weekly Dance – I Dance My Way
Our dance will return at the Preble County Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 4 beginning at 5 p.m. and then continue each Thursday thereafter at the Big Red Barn, Senior Center, 800 E. St Clair Street. We will provide free transportation from the Senior Center parking lot to the fairgrounds from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 4.
Sponsor-a-Senior – Meals on Wheels
You can make a difference in a senior’s life by donating just $12.50 a week. That’s $2.50 per day; $50 a month or $600 a year. Any amount will help. Your donation provides so much more than a hot, nutritious meal. You help provide a visit by one of our trained drivers to bring not only a meal, but a wellness check, a smile and conversation, and help with tasks such as bringing in the mail. Our drivers look forward to checking on his/her seniors each week day and the seniors look forward to seeing our drivers. No amount is too small. Please consider making a donation by calling 937-456-4947.
PCCOA Membership
Membership at the Senior Center is just $10 a year. Members automatically receive our bi-monthly “Senior Scene” newsletter that features all our latest news and activities, discounts on trips and excursions, free laminating and copying. You can also sign up for email and text messages and be informed of all the news and events first!
