United Way to help disabled, aged remain in their homes
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The United Way of Allegheny County is investing more than $2 million in a series of grants to agencies and initiatives designed to help disabled and elderly residents stay in their homes.
"It's got to be a priority, helping both seniors and people with disabilities stay in their homes," said Bob Nelkin, president of United Way of Allegheny County. "In almost all cases, that's what they want to do, but they need assistance with basic needs, bathing, eating, drinking, getting to medical appointments."
Mr. Nelkin said that the emphasis on home-based care was not only desirable from a social perspective, but also offered a cost-effective alternative to more expensive institutional care in an era of government budget cutting.
"In an environment where large state budget cuts are expected, we have to rely more on neighbors and volunteers and family members to help seniors and people with disabilities, and many of these programs do exactly that," Mr. Nelkin added.
The recipients of the latest round of grants, which will represent roughly 10 percent of United Way's funding in the next year, include:
• Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh and Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, for counseling and home safety modifications focused on the hazards of decreased vision that accompany aging.
• Catholic Youth Association, to study and seek remedies for the under-utilization of available adult day services.
• The Centers for Healthy Hearts and Souls, to create diabetes support groups in the African American Community. The agency noted that more than 15 percent of the African American seniors in the Pittsburgh region have been diagnosed with the chronic illness and another 15 percent have latent diabetes.
• Community Human Services. Working with the University of Pittsburgh, CHS offers the In-Home Homemakers Program, which serves homebound adults. For clients with mental or physical disabilities, the program provides training in homemaker skills as well was education in managing chronic health problems.
First Published December 17, 2010 12:00 am
