This Year's Project: In home supports and Services for Older Iowans
About Our Organization
Connections Area Agency on Aging is your one stop shop for aging in place in Iowa. We enhance the quality of life for elders through education, planning, and coordination of services. Connections Area Agency on Aging provides services and supports to older Iowans and their caregivers in the following Iowa counties: Adair, Adams, Cass, Cherokee, Clarke, Decatur, Fremont, Harrison, Ida, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Plymouth, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Shelby, Taylor, Union, and Woodbury. Services we provide include: information and assistance, service navigation, meal programs, caregiver support, respite services, consumer protection, evidence-based health programs, advocacy, senior transporation, Older Worker Program, and recreation and educational programs.
Current Project: In home supports and Services for Older Iowans
As an Area Agency on Aging, Connections provides many different supports and services to older Iowans and their family caregivers. Som of our services include information and assistance, case managment, home delivered meals, congregate meals and learing opportunities in person or online.
Donations to Connections will help us to help older Iowans stay independent and to age on their own terms.
Meals on Wheels
Project Details
Meals on Wheels are an essential service in Siouxland to help older adults who are homebound. This vital service provides a variety of nutrients, keeping the senior healthier. Often, for many, this hot noon meal is the only meal of the day for a person with limited abilities to stand, cook and clean up, or shop. The daily interaction with the volunteer drivers serves as an informal wellness check and helps to decrease the amount of isolation and depression experienced by many without meals. These meals are one of many services provided by Connections to help seniors maintain their independence in their home. Keeping our older neighbors, friends, and relatives independent prevents premature institutional care and preserves the person's resources and as well as our tax dollars.
Right now in Sioux City, there is a 3-6 month waitlist for Meals on Wheels due to budget constraints. $60 provides a week (M-F) of meals for a senior. A generous donation of any amount helps us to provide meals and shorten the wait list.
Assuring Services for Older Iowans during the Pandemic and beyond
Project Details
Since the beginning of the pandemic in Iowa Connections Area Agency on Aging has worked to assure that our older Iowans have the support and services that they need to be successful, healthy and well during this time of social distancing.
Due to the support and generosity of supporters and volunteers like you we were able to continue excellent supports and services to Older Iowans across Siouxland. In fiscal year 2021 we provided:
· 122 Siouxland Seniors with 7,651 rides
· 838 homebound Siouxland Seniors with 73,145 meals
· 1088 Siouxland Seniors and their caregivers received 1745 sessions of information and assistance
· 1,734 Siouxland Seniors we provided with 96,566 units of service from information and assistance to home delivered meals options counseling and case management.
We are truly thankful for the generosity of our supporters and communities we serve. We are still in need of additional assistance, to assure that we can continue offering expanded services to Older Iowans throughout Siouxland and our entire service area. Your generous donation of any amount helps your family members, friends and neighbors remain in their homes and age on their own terms.
Assuring Services for Older Iowans during the Pandemic
Project Details
Since the beginning of the pandemic in Iowa Connections Area Agency on Aging has worked to assure that our consumers have the support and services that they need to be successful, healthy and well during this time of social distancing. We have taken 3011 calls providing information and assistance to Older Iowans and their caregivers.
With the closure of the meal sites, we began providing frozen and shelf stable meals for all our meal site attendees and home delivered meals consumers. In the beginning of April we worked with our meal provider, Trio Foods, and were able to offer care packs to everyone receiving our meals. Since early April, we have provided over 100,000 frozen and shelf stable meals and 1,364 care packs to seniors who are homebound and/or may be social isolating. Not only are we providing meals and essential items, we are conducting monthly check in calls for everyone receiving a meal.
We are truly thankful for the generosity of our supporters and communities we serve. We are still in need of additional assistance, to assure that we can continue offering expanded services to Older Iowans throughout Siouxland and our entire service area. Your generous donation of any amount helps your family members, friends and neighbors remain in their homes and age on their own terms.
Family Caregiving Project
Project Details
The proceeds from the Siouxland Big Give 2019 will benefit our Family Caregiver Programs. The Family Caregiver Program works to provide family caregivers with the resources they need to enhance and extend their ability to care for a loved one.
In Siouxland and within the 20 counties we serve, our caregiver specialist and service navigators work with caregivers one-on-one and within support groups. We are pleased to announce that a Grandparents Raising Grandchildren support group is offered in Sioux City, meeting twice a month. The group has speakers on specific topics and time for discussion. Child Care and an evening meal is provided. On-line support groups for Caregivers are also available on our facebook page.
Seventy-seven percent of caregivers report that services definitely enabled them to provide care longer than otherwise would have been possible; 89% of caregivers report that services help them to be a better caregiver; and nearly half of the caregivers of nursing home-eligible care recipients indicate that the care recipient would be unable to remain at home without the support services. Across the United States, almost 7.8 million children are living in homes where grandparents or other relatives are householders, with more than 5.8 million children living in grandparents' homes and nearly 2 million children living in other relatives' homes. In 2016 in the state of Iowa, 16,681 children under 18 were being cared for by a grandparent. Connections AAA assists Family Caregivers through • respite services which provide temporary relief for families caring for adults aged 60 and older. Respite care can range from a few hours of care provided on a one-time basis to overnight or extended care sessions. Respite care can be utilized on a regular or irregular basis and must be provided by skilled care providers or professionals; • individual counseling; • support groups; and • assistance (including financial assistance) in the areas of health, nutrition, financial literacy, and in making decisions and solving problems related to their role as a primary caregiver.
Family Caregiver Programming
Project Details