The Egyptian Area Agency on Aging conducted two surveys in late 2000 and
early 2001 to determine the needs of older people and identify gaps in service
in Southern Illinois.
One survey was aimed at professionals representing a
comprehensive list of health and social service agencies. Many, but not all of
these respondents, provide service to older people in their homes. One survey
was mailed to each different type of agency, for example, one survey to a home
health care agency, one to a community mental health agency, etc. The total
number of questionnaires returned for this survey was eighteen (18).
The survey of professionals indicated the following
priority of services needs.
- Home Delivered Meals;
- Elder Abuse, Neglect & Financial Exploitation services;
- Information & Assistance and Outreach visits to the homes of senior adults;
- Congregate Meals;
- Ombudsman services;
- Legal Assistance; and
- Employment Assistance.
The second survey was aimed at senior adults. The
Illinois Office of the Attorney General conducted a series of meetings at
various locations to discuss scams and fraud. At these meetings, staff of
the Attorney General distributed our survey form and returned the completed
forms to us. In addition, we surveyed senior adults who attended senior
centers in our area. The total number of
questionnaires returned for this survey was 131. The survey indicated the
following priority of services needs.
- Home Delivered Meals;
- Congregate Meals;
- Crime Issues, Scams, Fraud, Personal Safety & Safety Education;
- Legal Assistance;
- Information & Assistance and Outreach visits to the homes of senior adults;
- Ombudsman services;
- Elder Abuse, Neglect & Financial Exploitation services; and
- Employment Assistance.
The priorities identified by the professional group
were compared to the priorities from older people to determine what, if any,
differences there were in the priority of needs and gaps. In general, the views
held by professionals and older people alike revealed quite similar issues which
are similar to those from past needs assessment surveys we have conducted.
Gaps in Service
Gaps in service identified by staff of health and
social service agencies include the need for more staff in nursing homes, more
assisted living facilities, information on volunteer opportunities, raising
awareness of staff in public agencies, informing public as to increasing needs
of the elderly, respite care for family caregivers, transportation across county lines
for health and safety issues, increased home health assistance, evening
transportation, and counselors who will visit the elderly in their homes and
provide alcoholic counseling and treatment.
Gaps in service identified by participants of senior
centers include the need for transportation and information for homebound
seniors, hospice and volunteer visitors for dying patients, a retirement home,
computers in senior centers, payment sources for dental work and eye glasses,
medication reminders, funding for volunteers who drive seniors to medical
facilities out of town, more games especially Bingo, help with caring for pets,
more personal assistance and housekeeping, companions, better meals at senior
centers, more one-on-one contact with elderly people, help paying for
medications, information on fraud and scams, information on Powers of Attorney.
Survey Comments
Comments from Staff of Health and Social Service Agencies
There are needs for more staff and better
quality in nursing home care. More facilities that allow for transition from
total independence to assisted living to nursing home care with less disruption
and excellent quality of workers.
Information for well elderly regarding
volunteer activities and social opportunities. Continued effort to inform
public as to increasing needs of the elderly. Raising awareness of staff in
public agencies of special needs of the elderly.
I find many older adults needing assisted
living facilities, but not being able to afford private pay or not meeting low
income requirements for assistance. Also, many of the above mentioned services
are currently available, but older adults and their families have difficulty
accessing them.
#1-Respite for family caregivers. #2-Transportation across county lines for health and safety issues.
#3-Increased
home health assistance.
#1-Respite care services for
spouses/families needing a break from their caregiving of an impaired older
person. #2-Evening transportation.
Need counselors who will visit the
elderly in their homes and provide alcoholic counseling/treatment.
Comments from Senior Center Participants
Anna:
Good information at meeting today. My
concern however are the seniors unable to get to meetings. How do they get
this information? Usually they are the most in need of many of these services.
How do we reach these people? Doctors? Churches?
After working and being licensed in the
Home Medical field, Union County needs to be re-adjusted to their seniors.
Also after going through the illness and death of my husband, I have found
families need also hospice plus an extra friend.
No!!!
Carterville:
One of the most valuable results of
senior programs is the opportunity for senior citizens to mix socially. When a
person develops friendships you can just see them blossom, and I would hope
that part of the program will continue to be funded, even more so if the need
is identified.
It would be nice to have someone to help
the elderly at times of their loss of loved ones. Everyone is trying to do
something good at the Center for people. We need more people being friendly
and helping the elderly.
Would like to have a retirement home
built in Carterville.
If people are unable to get around more
home service would be appreciated.
Hardin County:
The knowledge that elders are an
important segment of society, having experiences to help the youth and a
program of young and old interaction.
Harrisburg:
I would like to see computers in our
Senior Centers. I would (also) like to see eye glasses, dental and hearing
aids for our citizens.
People need help to remember to take
their meds–those who don’t remember.
Request funding for volunteers who
transfer people to doctors, hospitals, especially out of town.
Many services help seniors to have
independent living in the home and gives them contact with others and opens up
opportunities for questions and answers as well as association with others
with similar problems.
Glad these services are offered to
seniors. They are most deserving of these services. It is like receiving
something when one grows older–what a blessing.
Herrin:
I think most all are helpful to us.
It would be be nice to have more Bingo.
That is our most important day. More games.
More Bingo. All services are important.
I think all of these (services) I marked are very
important to us.
Mounds:
We need the HDM’s and senior center very much.
Care of pets-Older shut ins need help caring for their pets (i.e., cleaning
litter boxes and taking pets for their walks. The pets are very important to
the people and their companions.
Survey’s From the Attorney General’s Office
Presentations:
Help with safe use of medications such as taking
with herbal medications, over the counter products, etc.
My mother who is 91 could not exist away from a
Nursing Home if not for HDM’s and for Home Aides.
Everything listed is of extreme importance and it is
difficult to say which is the most important.
For instance, In-Home service, many are very much in need of personal assistance and housework, but also
very lonely and in need of companionship. Everything that
can be done to make a senior citizens life easier and more independent should
be done.
Better meals than what are being served.
There are so many important issues in this group it
is hard to make a decision. The meals for seniors and health issues seem to
be the most important.
We have people who will dust and mop floors. We need
people who will come in and clean cabinets top to bottom, not just as high as
they can reach. Also, someone to change light bulbs, clean ceiling fans, and
tops of refrigerator.
We need more one on one contact with our elderly.
There are a lot of elderly people who fall between the cracks because they
are too proud to admit they need help, therefore they do without and don’t
get the help they need and deserve.
Medication are a great concern for the seniors. They
need help with the expense, if there is any way you can help them, please do
so.
We think they should do more for seniors as we feel
they are just as important as Head Start. There is so much wasted on the Head
Start Program, and they just keep getting more money to throw away.
Assistance with medications is what most of our
seniors need. They are on fixed incomes and Doctors just keep pumping them
full of medications and bills.
The program on frauds and scams seem to be of much
help to the seniors as the information on wills and Powers of Attorney. The
seniors appreciate updates on anything they can benefit from.
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Note: Services available in
Southern Illinois are listed in our Resource Guide on Aging.
Use this link to view the survey form for seniors.
Use this link to view
the
survey form for agencies.
Return to Surveys and Research
Return to Area Plan