[Noozhawk’s note: Third in a series sponsored by the Hutton Parker Foundation. Click here for the first story, and click here for the second.]
One of the first orders of business when the Family Service Agency opened its doors in 1899 was to provide food to families in need.
More than 120 years later, food insecurity remains a vital issue in Santa Barbara County and one that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many older community members, particularly those living alone, were among the most impacted.
The Family Service Agency is skilled in aiding this population. The nonprofit organization offers a number of senior services, designed to help those aged 60-plus live meaningful, healthy lives.
Its capabilities include Caregiver Mental Health and Support, elder abuse case management, and a long-term care ombudsman (LTCO) program.
During the pandemic the agency expanded efforts, joining forces with local nonprofit partners to reach even more elderly residents. FSA led a consortium of 10 agencies that worked together to deliver food, medication and other necessities to those in senior living facilities.
Partner agencies placed door hangers in senior communities, and radio and TV spots informed elderly shut-ins how to get help. Private funders supported this critical work, and FSA reported that 28,687 seniors received outreach and assistance through the initiative.
“The pandemic brought to light this often-forgotten population in long-term care facilities,” said Marco Quintanar, program supervisor of FSA’s long-term care ombudsman program.
The ombudsman program advocates for seniors in licensed long-term care facilities to make sure they have the best quality of care and the best quality of life. The staff and volunteers make unannounced visits at least once a week, to observe and address any concerns.
Yet, during the pandemic even the ombudsmen were denied access. So, like nearly everyone else, they turned to Zoom and relied on phone and telehealth check-ins, which cannot adequately replace the value of an in-person connection.
The agency is now back in person conducting site visits, and perhaps no one is more thrilled than Mike Leu, the longest-serving LTCO volunteer. A trained aerospace engineer and former reserve deputy sheriff, Leu has been with the program more than 10 years.
He also has a law license and he told Noozhawk that the ombudsman volunteer opportunity appealed to him because it aligned well with his skill set.
A large part of Leu’s volunteer efforts includes talking with people, conducting investigations and resolving problems. Many of the cases he sees are family-related financial abuse.
This past year the long-term care ombudsman program served 3,201 residents of assisted living and long-term care facilities, with quality-of-care issues, advance health-care directives and resident rights education, as well as referrals to partner organizations.
At age 75, Leu noted he’s older than some of the people he serves.
“I was looking for something useful to do in my retirement and wanted to help the elderly since I figured I was headed that way,” he said.
Leu has built friendships over the years and shared that 15 of his charges died as a result of COVID-19.
“It was a difficult time and especially hard not being able to have that personal touch,” he said.
Quintanar echoed the enormity of the challenges of the last three years.
“We are working to advocate for legislation so that this never happens again,” he said. “Residents should not die alone.”
In some cases, when seniors are especially isolated without family nearby, the ombudsman is their only friend.
Thanks to funding from the California Department of Aging, Quintanar said his agency is seeing great success bringing electronic pets to select residents. The e-pets help them forge attachment.
Quintanar said the FSA is always looking for volunteers.
“We provide the training,” he said. “All you need is a passion for helping others.”
Another large part of FSA’s work with seniors are therapy and caregiver support programs, assisting those who are often family members juggling the demands of work and caring for their own families.
The Family Service Agency’s Caregiver Support Group enables individuals to connect with others in similar situations. FSA also provides counseling to help caregivers balance multiple pressures while stressing the importance of self-care, and directing individuals to appropriate community resources to further support their needs.
For more information on volunteer opportunities as a long-term care ombudsman, call 805.922.1236, or email ltco@fsacares.org.
In addition to the Family Service Agency, the Senior Outreach & Assistance Consortium that served seniors during COVID-19 included Carpinteria Children’s Project, Center for Successful Aging, Central Coast Commission for Senior Citizens, CommUnify, Community Partners in Caring, Cuyama Valley Family Resource Center, FSA’s Little House by the Park, Lompoc Valley Community Healthcare Organization, Lompoc Valley Medical Center and Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People.
Click here for more information about the Family Service Agency. Click here to make an online donation.
— Ann Pieramici is a Noozhawk contributing writer. She can be reached at news@noozhawk.com.