Ancillary Services To Be Provided To Eligible Ulster County Seniors
Kingston, NY – Ulster County Executive Mike Hein visited one of the recipients of a recliner lift chair yesterday thanks to the continued partnership between the County Office for the Aging and the Resource Center for Accessible Living (RCAL). Recliner lift chairs are electric recliners which allow the user to lie flat with feet above heart level and, which when reverted back to a seated position, can gradually lift the user up to standing position without any injury. Through this partnership effort, several elderly consumers with ambulatory limitations have received lift chairs.
“Today I was excited to meet senior Margaret Hardin, who was a recipient of a recliner lift chair and was pleased to see her demonstrate how the lift chair works,” said County Executive Hein. “Being able to help and enable seniors to remain in their homes is so important to both the individual and their families. In actuality, we are able to provide more to those in need due to our community partners who are able to assist and help support local government efforts. I would like to thank the Resource Center for Accessible Living for their continued service to those who need assistance in our County.”
“It is wonderful to have the help of the professionals of RCAL in helping the County provide our seniors with this type of assistance so they can continue to live a lifestyle they are used to,” said Anne Cardinale, Director of the Ulster County Office for the Aging. “It is a win- win for seniors, community organizations and an economic boost as well.”
“Resource Center for Accessible Living (RCAL) is pleased to be partnering with the County Executive’s office to help Ulster County seniors age in place,” said Suzanne de Beaumont, Chief Operating Officer for the Resource Center for Accessible Living, Inc. “Providing equipment or services can allow someone to remain in their own home and avoid institutional placement. County Executive Hein and his staff understand and support the desire to be independent in the community. RCAL’s work with the County Executive’s Office has focused on the goal of independent living for everyone.”
Ancillary services are those services that maintain or promote the individual’s independence and addresses everyday tasks. New York is fourth in the nation in the number of adults sixty and over. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of individuals sixty and older has increased 15% statewide, however, in Ulster County it has increased by 21.4% during this same time. The need for elder care services will continue to increase. Data proves that the cost of in-home services provided through an Area Office for the Aging costs $10,000 per year per person to continue to age at home versus an estimated $103,000/year in a nursing home.
According to the Association on Aging in New York, “Investing in community based services will postpone the need for more medically intensive and costly forms of care.” Contact Anne Cardinale, Director Ulster County Office for the Aging for more information 845-340-3456.
Photo – Ulster County Executive Mike Hein, Ms. Margaret Hardin
