2017 was a year of continued expansion for the Council on Aging of Martin County across all of our core services. Here are a few highlights.
Meals on Wheels: We delivered hot, fresh, nutritious Meals on Wheels to 580 low-income, homebound seniors five days a week, rain or shine. Of those served, 250 received the service because of the generosity of many donors, big and small. This means 250 of our most vulnerable neighbors were not left wondering where their next meal was coming from or when the next person would walk through their door to check on them. In addition, our restaurant-style meal delivery service, which is available to anyone looking fo the convenience of a fresh, home-delivered meal, grew to 149 clients.
Care Management: Our care managers supported 111 clients and their families. With their expert guidance and management of in-home support services, their clients are able to remain in their homes safely and improve their overall quality of life. Through a grant from the WellMed Foundation called the WellMed Crisis Program, we have more resources available for our care managers to help seniors when they are experiencing a financial crisis. In the last three months, we have helped five seniors get the funds they need to pay for essentials like electricity, rent and medications.
Joseph C. & Ann S. Day Medical Center: We saw the transformation of the Kane Medical Group from a relatively small primary care clinic serving only a few hundred patients to a panel of more than 3200 patients. At the beginning of the year, the clinic was located in a few offices in the back of the Kane Center. By April, it was the Joseph C. & Ann S. Day Medical Center located in a brand-new, state-of-the-art medical suite with a dedicated entrance at the front of the building. The transformation included an expanded clinical care team composed of Dr. Kenney, a Board-Certified Internist; Dr. Sabo, a Fellowship-Trained Gerontologist; and three highly skilled nurse practitioners, Katie Diamond, Lindsay Serey and Danae Clark Dowd. The construction was made possible by an enormous team effort on the part of the Council on Aging staff and several generous community members, most notably a significant donation from the Joseph C. Day Foundation.
In addition, the Medical Center established a relationship with Brain Matters Research, a renowned Alzheimer’s disease research facility located in Delray Beach, which has allowed us to better educate our patients and their families about options to participate in clinical research for the disease. Our service to Alzheimer’s and dementia patients was also enhanced by a generous donation from retired neurosurgeon Dr. Reza Khatib, which allows us to provide specialized PET scans for patients suspected of having Alzheimer’s disease, but who have not received an official diagnosis.
Adult Day Club: In response for a growing need to help seniors diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), we launched Memory Enhancement at the Kane Center. At its core is the Integrative Memory Enhancement Program, a highly effective research-based solution that stimulates the mind/body connection and boosts cognitive reserve through education, mental agility exercises, brain integration exercises, strength and fitness, and much more. From this foundation, we expanded our program to include such activities as client support groups, art and music therapy, and caregiver training and support. We can accommodate up to 30 clients per day in the Memory Enhancement Program. On average, the Day Club serves 86 clients daily and provides much-needed respite and peace of mind for more than 130 caregivers.
Membership & Activities: Our Kane Membership grew to more than 500 this year, marking an all-time high. To meet the demand for more wellness and cultural programming for active seniors, we added new fitness classes and clubs and expanded our entertainment calendar to include more high-quality live entertainment throughout the year.
The foundation of all this activity is our mission: to be the primary provider of life-saving, life-improving programs and services for seniors in Martin County. Our work is never finished, and as we jump into 2018, our list of projects and goals is ever-expanding. We can’t do any of it without the ongoing support of our donors, members, clients, caregivers, and community, business and civic partners. We are thankful every day for each of you and will continue to be good stewards of your trust and generosity by providing excellent care, service and support for the seniors of Martin County and the people who care for them. Thank you in advance for helping us make 2018 our best year yet!
