ELDERLY OPPORTUNITY AGENCY, INC.

 Senior Services

 Year in Review

 January 1, 2006 – December 31, 2006

 Netti Bain – Executive Director

Donna Waters – Fiscal Officer

Elizabeth Medes –Housing

134 N Washington Avenue

Emmett, ID 83617

208-365-4461

 Message from the Executive Director

Netti Bain

    2006 has been a year of learning and change.  It has been an exciting year and sometimes a worrisome year for EOA as we see funds dwindle and needs increase for our aging Idaho senior adult population.  Sixteen percent of Idaho’s population is 60 and older and is projected to be twenty-five percent of by the year 2020.  Persons aged 85 and older constitute the fastest growing segment; their numbers are increasing five times faster than those of the state’s total population (all ages).

   We have developed a strategic planning process to assist us in focusing on the crucial issues and challenges as we strive to provide quality services to our senior citizens in an environment of increasing need and reduced resources.

    We could not begin to serve the number of senior adults that we are able to serve without the community support we receive.  We are extremely grateful for the county, city, and private donors as well as the support we receive from our long-term funding partner, United Way.

    We also greatly appreciate the thousands of hours our wonderful volunteers give so freely to this program.  We couldn’t do this without the help of these volunteers and also without the help from the Southwest Idaho Area Agency on Aging, the agency that contracts services out to EOA.

    In the year of 2007, our goal is to find ways to enhance our existing programs to continue to serve our Idaho Senior Adults without interruption of service.

 Netti Bain

Who We Are

    We provide quality services and programs to senior adults in southwest Idaho through nutritional, social and recreational activities, and senior housing that enhance their well-being, support their independence and encourage their continued involvement in and with their communities.

  With increases in longevity, our society is becoming increasingly mature.  Baby boomers influence every aspect of our community through their cultural, economic, and lifestyle choices.  EOA is dedicated to leading older adults and those poised to become seniors toward building healthy, productive and active communities, now and in the future.

  Our service area includes the counties of Adams, Boise, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, Valley and Washington.  Our services are coordinated with and provided in partnership with senior centers located in these counties as well as through meal sites at Mercy Medical Center in Nampa and West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell.

  We also own and operate subsidized senior and multi-family housing apartment complexes in the communities of Parma, New Plymouth, Council and McCall.  These apartments are subsidized through the USDA Rural Development program.

Our senior service programs are supported in part by funding from Title III of the Older Americans Act and the Idaho Senior Services Act, as administered by the Southwest Idaho Area Agency on Aging, a division of Sage Community Resources. Medicaid, local fund raising activities, private donations, fees, contributions and community involvement add additional financial support.

   Our programs employ 95 to100 people who are committed to supporting older adults in achieving positive aging and high quality of life.  We describe our work as challenging and view it as rewarding because of the creativity, knowledge, flexibility and commitment it demands.  We most enjoy the daily variety and the interaction with older adults we serve, our dedicated volunteers and colleagues.

    Volunteers play a very important role and their efforts contribute highly to the overall success of EOA’s programs.  Volunteers are utilized in all of our programs and provide such services as delivering meals to home bound seniors (5%); transporting seniors to medical and other essential appointments (3%); assisting with the congregate meals programs (59%); assisting with health promotion activities (1%); providing information and assistance (6%) and miscellaneous services (26%).

Our Programs and Accomplishments

Congregate Meal Program focuses on providing delicious, balanced meals in welcoming group settings to meet the nutritional and social needs of people 60 years of age and older. All ages are welcome and encouraged to be involved.

Total Meals Served - 152,150

Total Participants – 3,046

Meals on Wheels Program provides nutritious meals delivered to the homes of our homebound seniors.  This program not only provides a hot meal, but the day-to-day contact of our staff provides a wellness check that contributes as much to the senior’s emotional health as the balanced diet does for his/her nutritional well-being.

 Total meals delivered – 95,872

Total Participants – 957

Transportation Services are offered at most of our senior centers and include transportation to and from health care (9%), the senior center for congregate meals and other activities (49%), shopping (30%), and recreational activities (12%).

 Total boardings age 60 and over – 10,291

Total participants - 253

Total miles logged– 85,829 

Disease Prevention and Health Promotion programs are offered at our senior centers to provide disease prevention screenings and health promotion activities.  Activities included wellness clinics that provide routine health screenings for hearing, cholesterol, diabetes, vision, foot clinics, physical fitness programs, etc.  Our centers also coordinate the administration of flu shots; an annual health fair; and provide nutrition education and nutrition counseling.

 Total activities – 390

Total health fairs – 20

Total participants – 20,141

 The Chore Service Program provides minor home maintenance and repairs; handicap ramp construction; handrail repair; and yard care (mowing, raking, and trimming to 67 clients.  Lack of funding required that ongoing services such as yard care be severely limited in frequency.  For example, yard care authorized on a weekly basis was only provided every other week or once a month depending on the need.  Unfortunately, due to lack of sufficient funding, we discontinued this program on 12/31/06.

Total hours of service – 733.25

Total participants – 67

Stand by You Program (Alzheimer’s Demonstration Grant) is an adult day services program that provides relief and support to family members and other primary caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia.  This program also offers opportunities for persons with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia to engage in a program of meaningful social and recreational activities in a secure and supportive setting in order to maximize their cognitive and social abilities.

   Services were located in senior centers in the communities of Emmett, Payette, Weiser and Idaho City.  The rural nature of our program sites presented participation problems for this valuable program. In addition there appeared to be more of a need for in-home respite rather than outside respite programs in our service area.  Because of this we regretfully had to discontinue this program.  Services are still available and more information can be found by calling 1-800-859-0341.

 Outreach  functions to locate persons in the community who are not participating in available programs or receiving services for which they qualify; identify their service needs; provide them with information about aging programs and services available in their communities; and assist them with accessing services they need or programs in which to participate.

 2,102 individuals contacted

1,018 follow-up contacts

Nutrition Education programs help older people to identify and understand their nutrition and health needs. Emphasizing prevention, programs are designed to improve participants' health through improved food purchasing, diet, food preparation, etc.

 12,357 participants

Senior Centers are a vital link in our service delivery network.  They function as meal sites, screening clinics, recreational centers, volunteer coordinating centers, and community meeting halls. Our centers also obtained assistance for our seniors with the complexities of such things as that of the Medicare Part D program and income tax preparation.  

 The significance of senior centers cannot be underestimated for they provide a sense of belonging, offer the opportunity to meet old acquaintances and make new friends, and encourage individuals to pursue activities of personal interest and involvement in the community.

 Our senior centers are located in the following cities:

Senior Housing is subsidized through USDA Rural Development and provides affordable housing to individuals aged 62 and older or the disabled through rental assistance. 

  Improvements during the year included the installation of underground sprinklers at Council and New Plymouth with trees and landscaping added at these two locations.  Council also saw storm doors replaced and new toilets installed.  Appliance replacement, new carpeting and repainting at all sites are part of an ongoing maintenance program.

  EOA purchased a six unit apartment complex in Parma called Parma Park and began the process of selling Osprey Court in McCall, a 17 unit low income multi-family complex.

 More information about our programs and senior centers (when they are open, meal times, activities, etc.) can be found through links on our Home Page..

Audited Financial Statement for Year Ended December 31, 2006