UPDATE: 11/16/20 –
In accordance with new Michigan Department of Health & Human Services orders that take affect Wednesday, November 18 at midnight through December 8, Senior Services is making the following changes:
- Seasons Adult Day Health Services will remain closed until December 9.
- There will be no in-person classes (support or exercise). Most of these classes will move online.
- There will be no in-person center activities beyond curbside meal pick-up (some may resume via Zoom). If you have registered for an in-person activity, you will be contacted with additional information.
- Transportation will be for medically necessary appointments only.
Other services, including Meals on Wheels, will continue unchanged at this time.
We will continue to keep you updated since all is subject to change per MDHHS orders or other unforeseen circumstances. Please follow our social channels on Facebook and Twitter for the most up-to-date announcements. You may also subscribe to our e-newsletter at https://seniorservicesmidland.org/enews/.
11/10/20
Senior Services is monitoring orders from the Health Department as well as following guidance from the Michigan Aging and Adult Services Agency regarding the re-engagement of more services and sites. Thank you for your patience as we reintegrate more services safely. Please follow our social channels on Facebook and Twitter for the most up-to-date announcements. You may also subscribe to our e-newsletter at https://seniorservicesmidland.org/enews/.
7/5/2020
Senior Services is monitoring Executive Orders from our Governor as well as following guidance from the Michigan Aging and Adult Services Agency, and the Midland County Health Department regarding the re-engagement of more services and sites. Thank you for your patience and as we reintegrate more services safely. Please follow our social channels on Facebook and Twitter for the more up-to-date announcements. You may also subscribe to our e-newsletter at https://seniorservicesmidland.org/enews/.
6/4/2020
Senior Services is thrilled to announce that Meals on Wheels and Curbside Meal Service will both be expanding to five days a week beginning June 15th! Tina Podboy Laughner, Volunteer & Outreach Manager, and Michelle Burkett, Food Service Coordinator, have been training new volunteers to help in this endeavor and we will have our full Nutrition Team back to work and continuing to make their incredible meals.
We would also like to announce that the Foot Care Clinic, in conjunction with Mid-Michigan Home Care, will resume June 15th as well. We have added extra precautions to make this an extremely safe experience. Safety precautions and requirements will be communicated to clients when registering. Anyone who knows older adults who have problems with their feet knows how badly this service is needed. For those unfamiliar with our Foot Clinics, may call 989-633-3700 to make an appointment at the Trailside Center. The initial visit is $25 and subsequent visits are $20.
So, there is light at the end of the tunnel (setbacks by the virus notwithstanding)! Thank you for your patience and undeniable support while we navigate offering additional services.
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Senior Services continues to plan for the phasing in of more services. We have been working on virtual caregiver support, direct individual virtual support for Seasons clients and adding personal and respite care for higher need clients. We continue to evaluate guidelines for safety for our employees and our clients. Senior Services will continue to phase in services, as appropriate, and as directed by the State of Michigan.
Our Nutrition staff distributed a total of 19,445 meals since March 16th. We applaud the great team effort from the nutrition staff and volunteers; they are simply incredible. Elizabeth Baldwin, Nutrition Systems Coordinator, spoke to a Meals on Wheels recipient recently. It sounded like the recipient was almost in tears when she shared her appreciation. “You all have been so good to me. You just don’t know how much it means to have someone check on you when you are stuck in your little corner.”
Our staff has heard many heartwarming stories of strength and resilience as we check on our clients to ensure that they are cared for during this time.
4/30/20
When Senior Services made the difficult decision on March 16 to close our Activity and Dining Centers including Seasons Adult Day Health Services until May 11, our hope was that we were acting in an abundance of caution and we would be able to open prior to that date. Unfortunately, as we all know now, the pandemic has continued, and we obviously will not be able to re-open by May 11.
Since the people we serve are at higher risk than most population groups, Senior Services will be extra cautious in the timing of reopening sites that physically bring people together. It is possible, maybe even likely that closure of Activity and Dining Centers and Seasons may extend for several more months, even as we phase in other services.
Senior Services Activity and Dining Centers including Seasons Adult Day Center will remain closed for normal operations until further notice.
We will follow the guidance of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services-Aging and Adult Services and the Midland County Health Department to determine what is best for Senior Services regarding the phasing in of more services and the opening of our centers.
We will continue to phase in services as appropriate and continue the services we are currently providing.
We miss everyone like you cannot believe and we look forward to the day we will all be together. Until then, stay safe!
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Senior Services is working diligently behind the scenes during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and we’d like our clients to know that we are working very hard to ensure that their needs are met. Our Care Coordination, Home Care, Nutrition and Seasons Adult Day Health Services staff have been making phone calls and checking in on clients. The information from these calls has been and will be used to determine how they are doing in all aspects. By and large, the stories coming back are stories of humor, resiliency and grit, which we feel is amazing! One thing is very clear though, we all need connection.
At the end of this week, it will have been three weeks since we paused home delivered meals and curbside pick-up in order to balance contact between staff, volunteers and clients with need for meals and connection. It is time now to restart our Nutrition Program.
The Meals on Wheels program will resume an abbreviated schedule for all Midland County Meals on Wheels routes beginning Tuesday, April 21st. The abbreviated schedule consists of deliveries made on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The curbside meal pick-up schedule will resume an abbreviated schedule at the Trailside, Sanford, and Coleman Centers beginning on Wednesday, April 22nd. The abbreviated schedule consists of only Wednesday pick-up. Please call the hotline at 989-633-3789 to make a reservation by 9am one day prior to meal pick-up. Both Meals on Wheels and curbside schedules will be followed until further updates are given.
We look forward to restarting the meal program and seeing your smiling faces! Your health and safety remains our top priority at Senior Services. While we continue to practice social distancing there are a few updates and reminders to share. Your Meals on Wheels driver will be wearing a mask, using hand sanitizer before and after each delivery, and attaching the meal to your door handle if allowed. We would like to remind you to please keep as much distance between you and your delivery person as possible. If you are coming to one of the Centers for meal pick-up please remain in your vehicle. Thank you for your help with this process. We can’t wait to see you!
Meanwhile, we are continuing to provide personal care to our most vulnerable and transporting clients to medically necessary appointments, as needed. We are also taking precautions and ensuring the safety of those we are serving. Our Education and Outreach team have been keeping folks engaged through our social media channels and focused on their physical health by offering online fitness classes through the Zoom platform. Family and Children’s Services are using various telehealth methods to continue counseling clients, including our employees that are offered an Employee Assistance Program to maintain their mental health needs.
Our Clerical Staff is monitoring the phones and responding to calls and checking the mail while helping to keep operations moving smoothly during this time. If you have questions, concerns or ideas, don’t hesitate to call 989-633-3700. We are here to support all older adults in Midland County. We continue the mission and will continue to support our clients. It looks different than it used to and will keep evolving, but we are here to serve. Take care, stay safe, and be well.
4/3/2020
Senior Services is working diligently behind the scenes during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and we’d like our clients to know that we are working very hard to ensure that their needs are met.
Our Care Coordination, Home Care, Nutrition and Seasons Adult Day Health Services staff have been making phone calls and checking in on clients. The information from these calls has been and will be used to determine how they are doing in all aspects and what their food needs are. If there is an emergency, we have been delivering food to them. By and large, they are doing fine. In fact, the stories coming back are stories of humor, resiliency and grit, which we feel is amazing! One thing is very clear though, we all need connection.
As we navigate this situation, we will use the information received during our calls to determine when we will begin home delivered meals again. Our tentative plan is to phase things back in and deliver twice a week, with one day a week of curbside meal pick-up. The timing will depend on the status of our clients and, obviously, the status of the world around us. We will keep our clients updated as we make future decisions.
We are continuing to provide personal care to our most vulnerable and transporting clients to medically necessary appointments, as needed. We are also taking precautions and ensuring the safety of those we are still serving.
Our Education and Outreach team have been keeping folks engaged through our social media channels and focused on their physical health by offering online fitness classes through the Zoom platform.
Family and Children’s Services are using various telehealth methods to continue counseling clients, including our employees that are offered an Employee Assistance Program to maintain their mental health needs.
Our Clerical Staff is monitoring the phones and responding to calls and checking the mail while helping to keep operations moving smoothly during this time.
If you have questions, concerns or ideas, don’t hesitate to call 989-633-3700. We are here to support all older adults in Midland County. Take care, stay safe and be well.
3/26/2020
Senior Services takes seriously our commitment to provide nutrition and care for vulnerable older adults. In this challenging situation, we are also focused on reducing the number of interactions this vulnerable population has with anyone who may unknowingly be carrying the COVID 19 virus. Senior Services has continued to provide Meals on Wheels for the last few weeks of shutdown. During that time, we delivered numerous extra meals, both frozen and shelf stable. Each client is now well stocked with enough meals to last for several weeks. We feel at this time, it is most prudent to temporarily suspend meal delivery for this vulnerable population. We will deliver meals today, March 26 and tomorrow March 27 which will include curbside pick-up. We will remain in regular contact with each person in these next few weeks until we resume meal production and delivery.
The health and safety of older adults in Midland County is our top priority. We look forward to resuming service. In the meantime, we encourage local people to stay home whenever possible and to stay safe.
3/23/2020
Senior Services Only Providing Essential Services
In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Senior Services is reducing services to essential services only. Starting Monday, March 23, 2020, with the exception of essential services, Senior Services will be closed until further notice.
Essential Services:
- Administrator
- Facilities
- Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology
- Nutrition- Meals on Wheels and curbside pick-up
- Medical Transportation
- Limited Home Care
Employees have been notified by their supervisors whether they will need to report. Every effort is being made to continue to provide services while keeping clients safe.
The main building is only open to essential staff. Please call 989- 633-3700 if you have questions. You can also go to our website for information at www.seniorservicesmidland.org, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SeniorServicesMidland/ or Twitter https://twitter.com/SeniorServing.
3/16/2020
Senior Services, out of an abundance of caution, has made the determination to close or limit a number of our services for the next several weeks. We are deeply committed to preserving the health and well-being of older adults in Midland County, and our employees. Many of these individuals are among the most vulnerable individuals in our community.
Activity and Dining Centers, Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program, and Team Handyman: In keeping with the most recent suggestions from the CDC, we will close our five Activity and Dining Centers including all activities, classes, clinics and events for the next eight weeks. We hope to resume normal operations beginning Monday, May 11. We will also temporarily cease offering MMAP appointments and Team Handyman during that time.
In the meantime, it is important to ensure the older adults who normally attend have an opportunity to procure healthy meals with limited contact with others. As such, we will begin offering drive through delivery of meals on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at our Trailside, Sanford, and Coleman sites for people age 60+ who typically attended congregate meals. Meals must be reserved by phone by not later than 9 am the previous business day by calling 989-633-3789. Pickups at Trailside and Sanford will be 11:30 am – 12:00 pm, Coleman will be 12:00-12:30 pm.
Meals on Wheels: We will continue to deliver Meals on Wheels to current clients, and will try to expand that service temporarily for elders in need. Since most of our current volunteers are over 65 themselves, we will need to quickly recruit and train new volunteers to temporarily help in this unique situation. Meals typically go out between 10 – 10:30 am. Each route takes roughly two hours to deliver. Initial orientations will be conducted on Wednesday and Thursday, March 18 and 19. To volunteer, please call Tina at 989-633-3741 to schedule orientation and start the process of background checks if you are under 65, healthy, and interested in helping.
If you would like to donate toward the cost of your meal or are a community member interested in helping support our efforts to expand this vital service, we would encourage donations to be made online at our website, www.seniorservicesmidland.org, or by mailing a check to 4700 Dublin Ave, Midland, MI 48642. Please do not offer cash at meal pickup.
Transportation, Care Management, Care Coordination, Counseling, Home Care, and Seasons Adult Day Health Services:
- Transportation services will be reduced to only transport older adults to their medically necessary appointments for the next eight weeks.
- Home Care Services will also be significantly reduced.
- Where possible, other services including Counseling, Care Coordination, and Care Management will be conducted by phone only.
- Seasons Adult Day Health Services will get in direct contact with the families they serve to ensure these elders are safe and taken care of.
This is a very fluid situation. If we find we are able to resume some services prior to May 11 or extend closures beyond that date, we will be sure to communicate that change to clients, volunteers, and the public as quickly as we know.
We ask that you please not stop in the office with questions, but contact our office by phone. If you receive any of the services listed above, please be patient, we will be contacting clients soon to determine a plan of care moving forward. If you do not currently receive meals through Senior Services, are over 60, and have no family or other support nearby to help you with meals, please call 989-633-3700.
Above all, Senior Services encourages all of those in our community to follow the CDC guidelines to maintain social distancing, stronger than usual hygiene and disinfecting practices, and to watch out for your older neighbors. Your health is our priority.
