LIFE ElderCare Healthy Aging, Independent Living

Direct service programs for frail, homebound seniors living in Fremont, Newark and Union City, California

AS ANY PERSON who has gone through a loss of independence knows, it can be a very disorient-ing experience. A sudden down-turn in health, an accidental fall, the death or functional decline of a spouse, the loss of a trusted care-giver – any or all of these things can and do happen to many of the older people who seek out our help.

During the past seven years our VIP Rides service has provided over 12,000 rides to frail seniors whose independence hinges on staying connected to the commu-nity. Close to 80% of these rides are requested by women in their late seventies to mid-nineties who are widows and live alone.

Anna is one of these women. At 95, she is the sole survivor of her family. She has outlived her

spouse and all of her children, but still wants to continue living inde-pendently in her Fremont home.

"Anna is still very strong and likes to be active," says Lori Vogel, VIP Rides Coordinator, "but she has vision and hearing problems that make it unsafe for her to go out on her own. The volunteers that assist her often have to repeat what is said or help her with directions."

The biggest challenge we face is finding enough caring volunteers. Those who find this opportunity most enjoyable are retired people with a flexible schedule who enjoy meeting new people and who find helping others fun and rewarding.

Meals On Wheels 510-574-2092 | Friendly Visitors 510-574-2097 | Fall Prevention 510-574-2088 | VIP Rides 510-574-2096

Fall 2011

An added bonus is the opportunity to meet family members and learn about different cultures. “Help-ing people through VIP Rides has made me aware of the importance of maintaining good health and a good attitude as I age,” says Linda, a long-time volunteer. “I am cur-rently taking a yoga class at the se-nior center with a instructor who is 87 years old!”

• If you would like to help a frail senior stay active and healthy,

please consider donating two hours a week or month. Call Barbara at 510-574-2094.

October 22 Wheels for Meals Ride Help seniors while enjoying a 15, 30 or 75 mile bike ride through the beautiful Livermore Valley. Sign up at https://www.wheelsformealsride.com. Proceeds from this event support the six Meals on Wheels programs in Alameda County.

LIFELINES

Wheels for Meals RideOctober 22, 2011

"There are so many

people who are

alone and have no

one to help, and all

of their stories touch

my heart."

Lori Vogel, VIP Rides

Building a Network to Support Aging In Place

Bobbie, 92 LIFE Client

After taking a fall that landed her in the hospital, Bobbie signed up for Fall Prevention. With limited vision due to macular degeneration, and limited mo-bility due to chronic bone disease, Bobbie needed a customized exercise routine that she could do in her own home that included weekly monitoring and support. The program helps her maintain her independence.

Learn about how the Fall Preventon Program works by watching our new videos.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE lifeeldercare.org WATCH OUR VIDEOS youtube.com/lifeeldercare

Do Good For Others - Volunteer Meals On Wheels 510-574-2086 VIP Rides 510-574-2094 Friendly Visitors 510-574-2097

Vehicle Donation Program Cars, boats, trucks and vans are all welcome, working or not. Call 1-800-320-0476 or visit: http://www.donatecarusa.com

Partnerships Watch our NEW videos on Fall Prevention at lifeeldercare.org

Dianne Martin, MD LIFE Board Member

"Physicians need to be more proactive in iden-tifying fall risks during a visit. Some of my patients who have had minor falls brush it off as not impor-tant because it only resulted in minor bruising. But minor falls can be an early warning sign that they need to start working on building a stronger, health-ier body that can withstand a more serious fall in the future, one that might lead to hospitalization."

Britt Green Unitek College LVN Student

"At Unitek, we fulfill our community service hours by working with LIFE's Fall Prevention seniors. By improving balance, muscle strength and coordination, we help restore the person to the level of functioning they had before they fell. And, if we can get them to a place that is even better, that's our ultimate goal. I've seen improvement in everybody we have worked with."

Barbara Hauser LIFE Certified Fitness Trainer

After testing her fall risk, Barbara created Bobbie's initial exercise routine based on her age, current health history and physical limitations. After get-ting approval from her physician, Bobbie was ready

to get started. The exercise plan was passed on to Britt who, along with other LVN

students, worked with Bobbie to build strength and improve her balance.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Like most nonprofits, our success is closely tied to the extent to which the community we serve commits its time and resources to help us. In this regard, we have always been abundantly blessed. Thanks to the generosity of Tri-City donors, our campaign to End Senior Hunger brought in $17,377 towards meeting our $20,000 goal. This money helped us cover the cost of a 7% increase in the number of meals that were urgently needed. For the first time ever, we delivered over 100,000 meals to Tri-City seniors with the help of our dedicated, all-volunteer drivers who donated close to 15,000 hours making sure no senior went hungry. We also saw a 12% increase in rides requested through our VIP Rides program. Volun-teer drivers donated 3,620 hours to cover 2,200 round trips to medical appointments and shopping. In our Friendly Visitors program, 200 volunteers donated an amazing 12,375 hours visiting, frail, lonely, isolated seniors. Our Fall Prevention program continued to work with the oldest-old in our community (the average age is 87). Unitek College nursing students provided 5,140 community service hours helping 367 clients achieve increased strength and mobility.

Fourth-year, CA State East Bay nursing students contributed 5,600 hours this year to our Meals On Wheels program and their efforts greatly strengthened our home health assessment visits. The education, training, case management and referrals they pro-vided gave many Tri-City seniors a new lease on life. I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who so generously contributed this year towards making the the Tri-City area an aging-friendly community.

Caring Hearts Do Make a DifferenceMessage from Mary M. Anderson, LIFE ElderCare Executve Director

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER twitter.com/lifeeldercare

•Connect with

LIFE

Since 1975, LIFE ElderCare has operated on the belief that “with some help,” many at-risk older adults can maintain a good quality of life while living independently in their own home. We offer meals, friendship, rides and a personalized exercise program to Tri-City residents, who are age 60+ or disabled. With the exception of Meals On Wheels, which is a donation program, all of our services are available at no charge. We depend on volunteers and financial support from the community to help seniors stay healthy, independent and connected to their neighborhoods. We would love to have you join us!

Volunteer Hours Donated(FY 2010-11)

30,838

Nursing Students Hours Donated(FY 2010-11)

10,740

Donate or sign up to volunteer at: lifeeldercare.org.

Our Supporters As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we depend on the generous support of individuals and businesses.

Join the 2nd annual Bay Area Dine Out for Meals On Wheels on Tuesday, October 4, 2011. Grab your family and friends, choose a participating Fremont restaurant and try out a new culinary adven-ture. Do you have a book group meeting? Are you a member of a Rotary or Lion's Club? Ask your group to hold their meeting at one of the restaurants.

This event brings together seven Meals On Wheels programs in the Bay Area for one night in support of seniors. Collectively, the seven programs deliver nearly 3 million meals annually to over 9,000 seniors in need of hot, nutritious meals. Last year, nearly $50,000 was raised. Visit www.dineoutnow.org for more information.

Dine Out for Meals On Wheels on October 4th

LIFE ElderCare, Inc.3300 Capitol AvenueFremont, CA 94538510.574.2090 lifeeldercare.org

Judy Zlatnik, PresidentLinette Young, Vice PresidentJanice Cook, TreasurerMary Anderson, Secretary Kim AgasaveeranJanice Futch-ClaridgePatricia HoffmanDr. Dianne MartinLily Shih

LIFE ElderCareBoard of Directors

Serving Tri-City seniors since 1975 •

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDFREMONT, CA

PERMIT NO. 147

LIFE ElderCare provides the basics of life to frail, homebound seniors in Fremont, Newark and Union City. If you need help, or if you know of a senior who needs help, please give us a call at 510-574-2090 or visit us at lifeeldercare.org.

Dickey's BBQ Pit43321 Boscell Road

Papillon37296 Mission Blvd.

Sweet Orchid34460 Fremont Blvd.