Policy & Practice February 2018

locally speaking By Dan Eggleston and Trish Suszynski

Establishing Partnerships to Address Social Issues with Older Adults

I t’s 11:45 p.m. on a Saturday night and the fire fighters/paramedics assigned to Albemarle County Fire Rescue (ACFR) Medic 8 are en route to 808 Elm Street for an elderly woman who has fallen out of bed and in need of medical attention. Medic 8’s crew is very familiar with 808 Elm Street and Gertrude Smith. Just today, it is the third call to this address and there are still hours to go before the shift ends. The crew members pull up to Gertrude’s apartment, remove the key from the front door lockbox, and go inside after a brief announce- ment—very much like the actions of a family member or a close neighbor. They approach the bedroom and find Gertrude on the floor in a state of panic—exhausted, covered in filth, and embarrassed about her condition. She cannot remember when she fell, but it has been hours. The crew members help her up from the floor and to her wheelchair, clean her up, change the sheets, and tidy up the place. They even make her a sandwich and turn the television to her favorite show. Gertrude loves her fire fighters, because they always respond when she needs them, are polite, and take care of her needs with no com- plaints. She often refers to them fondly as “her boys.” Fire fighters are problem solvers and are very skilled at mitigating complex, technical emergencies. Their compas- sion and focus on customer service makes them a great asset for people like Gertrude Smith. However, older adults like Gertrude often have challenges that, on the surface, may seem simple and straightforward. But a deeper look reveals more complex social issues that

Adult Services at DSS investigates reports of abuse, neglect, and exploita- tion of adults older than 60 years of age with the goal to protect a vulnerable individual’s life, health, and property without a loss of independence. JABA is a nonprofit agency that serves the Charlottesville/Albemarle region by providing an array of services to the aging community. One particular service JABA provides is options counseling, an in-depth conversa- tion with the individual and their family to educate them about the specific resources available for care and services in their community. This process assists the individual in obtaining and maintaining optimum functioning in the least restrictive envi- ronment possible while respecting the individual’s right to self-determination.

require a highly skilled specialist who can assess the situation and get to the root of the problem. Gertrude’s needs exceed that of a single agency and the long-term solution would require a team approach. A group of dedicated fire rescue employees, motivated by their desire to “fix the problem,” formed a task force with the mission of addressing Gertrude’s challenges. Based on prior experience working with county and nonprofit agencies, fire rescue staff reached out and expanded the team to include agencies that were better suited to address social issues affecting older adults. The two primary agencies were the Department of Social Services (DSS), Adult Services Division, and the Joint Area Board of Aging (JABA), Options Counseling.

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Policy&Practice February 2018