Eldercare

Bridging Communities, Inc. (BCI) currently offers an extensive information and outreach program that promotes a holistic approach to serving the homebound elderly of southwest Detroit. Eligible seniors who demonstrate great need, be it financially, socially, physically, or emotionally, are supported through professional case management as well as volunteer services. These services include companionship through daily phone calls, medical transportation, prescription assistance, chore services, minor home repair, nutrition supplementation, budget planning to assist with utilities, and intergenerational programming for seniors and youth.

BCI takes great pride in never turning an individual away – those seniors who do not qualify for comprehensive case management are still provided with information and referrals to assist them in navigating the often complex and overwhelming system of resources available to the elderly. Likewise, those needs that extend beyond our realm of direct service are referred to a wide range of other programs, including home health care, legal advocacy, governmental services, adult day programs, and housing transitions.

There is also an educational component to Bridging Communities’ work, which includes a community outreach campaign focused on elder awareness, addressing stereotypes around aging, identifying the key needs of the elderly, promoting volunteer opportunities, and discussing ways to enhance intergenerational dialogue. In addition, BCI has partnerships with a number of universities, supervising internship and service-learning programs in sociology, social work, gerontology, and nursing at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The multifaceted needs of southwest Detroit’s seniors provide a vast learning environment to witness and understand the story of low-income elders and their caregivers through many different lenses.


Success Stories

Ms. Mary Landrum has been a long-time recipient of Bridging Communities’ services, with a number of challenges. She suffered from severe arthritis and had been using a wheelchair for most of her senior years. Because she did not have a power wheelchair, she was confined to her home with little contact with the outside world for over five years. She could not leave her house to go to church and serve as the organist, which she had done for many years. Despite these difficult circumstances, Ms. Landrum remained positive and strong in her faith, greeting each day as a blessing. BCI has had daily contact with Ms. Landrum through friendly calls, which has not only uplifted her spirit, but energized all of the staff to keep smiling.

Ms. Landrum’s optimistic outlook led her to eventually see through to a positive outcome. A professor from University of Michigan’s School of Architecture contacted BCI with a creative idea. He devised the curriculum for one of his classes to have students analyze some of our elders’ homes, design accessibility solutions, and craft these devices at seniors’ homes! A team of 10-15 students measured, manufactured and constructed a wheelchair ramp for Ms. Landrum over a period of five months. In the end, Ms. Landrum’s prayers were answered. When the project was complete, she was able to ride out the front door and to her church six blocks away!

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As a bilingual eldercare case coordinator for Bridging Communities, Inc., I have been fortunate to work with a number of senior citizens struggling with poverty and striving to remain a stable force in their communities. While some of my efforts have reaped immediate rewards for the elders, often the situation is much more complicated and can take quite some time before reaching a positive outcome.

When I met Hattie*, the very first elder I worked with through Bridging Communities’ Outreach and Assistance program, I was somewhat daunted by the extent of her needs and concerned about how I could help her as a brand-new social worker. She is a charming, cheerful lady but quite forgetful and was unknowingly buried in several past-due bills, with no one managing her finances. Beyond that, she was not getting adequate nutrition, had not received any medical attention for several years, was afflicted with a serious plumbing problem, and had no phone service which kept her out of contact with the outside world.

I obviously had my work cut out for me, but it was an incredible learning experience as I developed a network of support and resources for her to manage her situation. I enrolled her in the Focus:HOPE program and collaborated with her church to receive Meals on Wheels. Frequent follow-up calls with her two closest contacts from church helped us to continually identify her needs and problem-solve about financial issues, paying off bills, utility assistance, etc. We enlisted technicians to fix her plumbing and furnace, and I set up physician home visits and ongoing physical therapy appointments to monitor her health status. I am now able to follow up with her directly by phone to ensure that all of her needs are being met. The most important service I provided for Hattie was cultivating important relationships and identifying resources to sustain her independence and stability in her own home.

This first case management opportunity was a vital experience that taught me the importance of examining all options available and not being intimidated by a situation, no matter how chaotic and overwhelming it may seem for the elder. Projecting this positive attitude and innovative approach to each new case is key in instilling trust and confidence in the seniors we serve, so that they may regain some power and recognize their capacity to progress through a difficult situation.

Another very rewarding aspect of this work is the opportunity to collaborate with a number of individuals and groups through grassroots efforts to make positive change for the seniors of southwest Detroit. I have been cooperating with several agencies through the Southwest Detroit Aging Services Committee to organize a community resources health fair for seniors and their caregivers. Furthermore, I recently worked with an organization called Virtuous Women to deliver Easter baskets to grandchildren being raised by their grandparents who receive services through Bridging Communities. To see the children’s eyes light up as they received a gift with their grandparents’ Easter lilies was such a pleasure, and an important reminder that sometimes the simplest acts of kindness can make a world of difference.