Help for Seniors in Seminole County
As a Seminole County Attorney who focuses on Elder Law, I’m all too familiar with the high number of seniors in our area in need of a helping hand to continue living healthy, productive lives. Far too many have simply been falling through the cracks, because either seniors neglect to ask for help when they need it, or the programs that have been place for years just don’t have the resources to provide all of the necessary help.
If you need assistance or know a senior in need, you can find information for many available programs that provide help for seniors on Seminole County’s website here and here. You’ll discover senior centers, resource guides, Meals on Wheels, the AARP, and others.
Today, though, I wanted to highlight two programs in particular that are doing excellent things and providing help for seniors: The Seniors Intervention Group and Silver Sneakers.
Seniors Intervention Group
Practicing Elder Law helps me to protect and empower seniors in many ways but even in my profession, I’m not usually on the front lines. Zach Hudson, a police officer with Lake Mary, is out in the community every day, and he sees firsthand what our seniors have to live like.
After meeting with seniors in 2009 who were skipping out on medication one month and food the next in order to scrape by, he decided to create Seniors Intervention Group. It’s an organization composed of volunteers who make house calls to provide help for seniors in need with things as small as screwing in a light bulb or as big as rebuilding part of their house that’s been damaged.
Since its inception a few years ago, the group has grown to cover the entire county and is composed of hundreds of volunteers who help more than 1,000 seniors using charitable donations.
Silver Sneakers
Another innovative new program out there is Silver Sneakers. The idea behind this group is to keep seniors healthy and happy by helping them to stay active. How? By offering them a free gym membership through their health insurance—including Medicare!
Participating fitness centers not only provide seniors with access to their regular service but also customized classes for older adults, seminars to educate seniors on health and fitness, and even provide a Program Advisor to help seniors get started.
Care for Those Who’ve Cared for Us
With census data reporting that close to one-fifth of all Americans are going to be 65 or older by 2030, more mothers, fathers, grandfathers, aunts, and uncles are going to need our help than ever before. You don’t need to be a Seminole County Attorney who understands Elder Law to pitch in, either—it just takes a little time and effort to help.
