Council on Aging Martin Begins Mobile Outreach Service to Martin County Seniors

STUART, FL - A brightly colored bus with the Council on Aging Martin County logo emblazoned on it is now bringing services directly to seniors in neighborhoods throughout Martin County.

“We realized how difficult it can be for some of our vulnerable seniors to get to us,” Council on Aging Martin President and CEO Karen Ripper said. “The best solution for helping those in need is for us to go to them and provide them with services and links to resources right in their neighborhood.”

Board Members, staff, funders, public officials and supporters joined together on January 7 for the official ribbon cutting for the bus, made possible with funding from Impact100 Martin, the Wong Family Foundation, and Cleveland Clinic Martin. The United Way of Martin County is providing funding for the social worker, the “Navigator,” who is staffing the van.

In just four weeks on the road in Hobe Sound and Stuart, the Elder Mobile Outreach Program staff has already assisted more than 80 individuals with resources like securing affordable housing, referrals to Meals on Wheels or the Adult Day Club at the Kane Center, enrollment in the GUIDE program for people with dementia and their caregivers, medical consultation and screening from the Day Primary Care Center, and assistance with everything from unpaid utility bills to loneliness and isolation.

“Our overriding goal is to help seniors remain in their own homes,” Ripper said. “With the right resources, they can cope with the stresses of aging and continue to live in their home with a sense of safety and security. It’s a blessing to them as well as to their families and the community.”

The Elder Mobile Outreach Bus will continue adding stops to its itinerary, including Hobe Sound and Indiantown. “By meeting people in their own neighborhoods,” Ripper said, “we will relieve some of the stigma of asking for help and overcome any transportation challenges. Our community will be healthier as we address problems before they become catastrophes for seniors and their families.”

For more information about the Elder Mobile Outreach Program and other services of the Council on Aging Martin County, visit www.coamartin.org.

About the Council on Aging of Martin County

The Council on Aging of Martin County is the community’s hub for senior resources and the county’s Lead Agency on Aging. Founded in 1974, the organization offers expertise, programming and support for older adults and their families to help seniors maintain lives of quality and purpose. Services include Day Primary Care Center, Memory Enhancement Center, Adult Day Club, Meals on Wheels, care management, caregiver support, and a robust offering of educational, cultural, fitness and wellness programs.

The Kane Center located at 900 SE Salerno Road in Stuart is the Council on Aging of Martin County’s headquarters and is also an event venue available to the public. It serves as a special needs hurricane shelter when necessary. The Council on Aging of Martin County also operates senior outreach facilities in Hobe Sound, Jensen Beach, East Stuart and Indiantown. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Council on Aging receives funding from state and federal agencies and relies on philanthropic support from the community, including other agencies, private foundations and individual donors. For more information, visit www.coamartin.org.