CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging has been helping the area for more than 25 years and recently Chief Executive Officer Kathy Gillespie spoke about some new initiatives to Nancy Pinto from the Clearfield Area United Way.
“The CCAAA is just one of the 25 local member agencies of the Clearfield Area United Way. The United Way’s goal this year is [to raise] $245,500, and it has 86 percent of that,” said Campaign Vice Chairman Mark Schultz.
“We need people who have never given before to look at how many we help. We ask them to please send a donation to help so many who are of all ages. It can make a phenomenal difference when everyone’s small gifts are added together. It changes lives.”
Gillespie said the CCAAA is in the process of creating Care Transitions Intervention. She said this new partnership with the DuBois Regional Medical Center currently has three staff members who are certified in the Coleman Model of CT and who can work with program participants to manage their chronic health conditions.
“We help them to establish goals for managing their care, which can encompass a myriad of aspects,” she said. “We create a home record that they can use to cue for future questions of health care providers or for therapy. It is not a billable service, but a program that we wanted to go above and beyond to provide to the area.”
The 30-day program, she said, is intended to help participants with heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and diabetes and to become more of their own advocate. For more information, please contact the CCAAA at 814-765-2696.
Also, Gillespie said the agency has started to utilize Tele-Care services, or equipment installed in the home to monitor blood pressure, pulse ox, weight and sugar. This vital information, she said, is then transmitted to the Tele-Care Operators, and it can be made available for the consumer’s physician.
According to Gillespie, the CCAAA is enhancing its annual Meals on Wheels and More Program. She said it’s not just a meal, but also someone who is looking in on the consumer daily,”
“We are now also providing two frozen meals to each person to get them through the weekends,” she said. “The CCAAA serves approximately 500 residents countywide.”
The Tree of Stars and the lottery calendar fundraisers are both under way and help elders remain in their home, said Gillespie. The tree enables anyone who would like to make a donation to the agency in memory or honor of someone, and a star will be placed on the tree outside.
“We’ve been so proud to work with the Area Agency on Aging through the years,” said Pinto. “We’ve provided a few special Wish Grants over the years that have purchased a variety of items from ovens to keep the meals hot to large dial phone accessories to help seniors. It is just one additional way that area residents have helped the United Way to reach out and continue to make a difference.”