5031.0: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 - Board 4

Abstract #8593

Linking seniors to community resources to promote independent living: A gatekeeper program

Judith A. Hess, RN, PHN, Tessa Janian, MA, Nancy Lewis, BSN, Ron Arias, MPA, and Angela Coron. Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, 2525 Grand Ave, Long Beach, CA 90815, N/A, juhess@ci.long-beach.ca.us

This presentation will discuss how a local health department addressed the need of seniors in their community by collaborating with a local funder to implement a program to enable at-risk seniors to stay in their own homes whenever possible. By the year 2020, at least 16% of California’s population will be over the age of 60. Much of this senior population will live comfortably, but some will need assistance with even rudimentary activities. Living independently is the preferred manner of living, not only from the senior perspective, but also by senior service providers. Independent living can become burdensome when functional decline sets in. As a consequence, when decline begins and activities of daily living (ADLs) are interrupted, there is reluctance to ask for help. Even family members may be unaware that the situation has become dire and that activities of daily living, such as doing laundry, cooking meals, grocery shopping, paying bills, and even picking up the mail have become too burdensome for their loved one. In many cases, decline continues and leads to difficulty in completing instrumental activities of daily living (IADLS). As decline continues and interferes with ADLs and IADLs, seniors put themselves at risk of self-neglect. Implemented 1999, the program consists of three components: community awareness, telephone help line, and professional intervention.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the presentation, the participant should be able to: 1. Describe the gatekeeper concept. 2. Identify at-risk situations for seniors. 3. Understand how linking seniors to community agencies will enable them to live independently

Keywords: Collaboration,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA