Project Title

Older Adult Outreach & Engagement Program

Community

The Older Adult Outreach & Engagement Program was designed to serve the needs of adults aged 60 and older living in primarily rural areas of Toulumne and Calaveras counties in the Sierra Nevada region of central California.

Goals

The goal of the Older Adult Outreach & Engagement Program was to improve access to services for older adults at risk of isolation and depression and assist them in maintaining their health and independence. Specific objectives included:

  1. providing professional assessment of seniors’ mental health and other needs, developing service plans, and referring older adults to existing services in the community;
  2. reaching out to underserved vulnerable older adults and, with the help of volunteers and other non-profits, engaging them in social activities to maintain their mental and physical health; and
  3. establishing a senior home sharing program to reduce housing costs and promote companionship.

Selected Accomplishments

Specific accomplishments of the Older Adult Outreach & Engagement Program project include:

  • Providing case management services from a licensed clinical social worker to link vulnerable seniors with available community-based services and resources, provide short-term counseling to those with mental health needs, and coordinate services to make the use of public resources more efficient
  • Recruiting additional volunteers to make home visits and engage older adults in social activities
  • Expanding local community partnerships with organizations such as the local Area Agency on Aging, the San Joaquin Community Data Co-Op, and the Calaveras and Toulumne Senior Peer Counseling Programs
  • Conducting an AdvantAge Initiative Online survey of 500 older adults in the project’s service area and bringing together area service providers to strategize ways to address the three top priorities identified in survey results: transportation, home repairs, and dental services.

Additional Products

Other

Older Adult Outreach & Engagement Program Director Kathi Toepel was one of ten individuals who received the very prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Health Leaders Award , in 2012 - awarded to those who “have surmounted significant challenges to help improve health and health care in their communities.”

Contact

Catholic Charities - Diocese of Stockton
Mother Lode Office
www.ccstockton.org

Kathi Toepel
Program Director
ktoepel@ccstockton.org