New at Community Bridges!

Elderday

Community Bridges Keeps the Doors Open at Elderday

Elderday Adult Day Health Center is the newest member of the Community Bridges Family of Programs. The move has major consequences for 120 local seniors facing Alzheimer’s, dementia, and frailty.

Elderday Adult Day Health Center is the newest member of the Community Bridges Family of Programs. The move has major consequences for 120 local seniors facing Alzheimer’s, dementia, and frailty.

“Elderday is coming home,” Said Sam Storey, CEO of Community Bridges. “This program is a lifesaver not only for the participants, but for their families who care for them. It allows adult children to go to work during the day and elderly spouses to have a few hours of respite from the intensity of caring for a loved one with dementia.”

The program was originally part of the Community Bridges family of programs, but was transferred in 2004 to community clinic Salud Para La Gente to maximize revenue. At that time, the Medi-Cal reimbursement rate was higher for adult day programs under the auspices of a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) such as Salud’s clinic. In March of 2012, when the State changed the reimbursement system, that FQHC advantage disappeared, and with the lower rate, Elderday was in danger of closing. In fact many similar clinics across the state closed due to the loss in funding.

The Salud Board of Directors was committed to finding an option to keep the center open, even under a different umbrella. With leadership from the clinic’s interim Director Dori Rose Inda, the agreement was finalized with Community Bridges and the management transfer took place on April 1, 2013.

In order to keep the doors open, a significant reduction in expenses had to be found and Ow Family Properties, the owner of the Harvey West neighborhood facility, played an important role in modifying the terms of the lease agreement. Principal partner Benjamin Ow stated, “The Elderday program is one my family has gotten to know and care for. They’re not just a tenant, they’re an important part of how we as a community can provide the respect and care our elders deserve.”

Elderday provides physical and occupational therapies, nursing services including medication and diabetic management, resources and referral, mental health services, podiatry, nutritional services, therapeutic activities, and two nutritious meals a day. The Center’s door-to-door transportation is provided by our very own Lift Line program. Under Community Bridges umbrella, the two programs can maximize efficiencies such as scheduling and reporting.

Meals on Wheels

March for Meals 2013

LOCAL ELECTEDS TO DELIVER MEALS ON WHEELS

Meals on Wheels for Santa Cruz County joined the Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) in its annual March For Meals campaign Wednesday, March 20, 2013.

The national campaign is an effort to increase public awareness and encourage local support for senior nutrition services.

The local nonprofit is inviting all local elected officials in the county to experience first-hand the impact meal deliveries have on participants who often struggle with aging, isolation and poverty, by participating in a ride-along with an experienced volunteer.

Lift Line

Expanding Services in 2013

Lift Line provides safe, reliable transportation for disabled veterans to access their health care. We have piloted transportation for the last two years, and we're now ready to double our efforts, not only for veterans, but for all eligible low-income elderly or disabled adults.

In January we will launch these new services:

Daily trips five days a week to the VA Clinic in Seaside;
One van and driver dedicated to out-of-county medical destinations north of Santa Cruz County every weekday, including Stanford Hospital; and,
For the first time in Santa Cruz County, same-day transportation, similar to a taxi, filling a vital need for clients with urgent or unexpected medical needs.