TAMPA — Most children face that moment when one or both of their parents begin to struggle as a result of old age.
Typical warning signs might include a decline in personal hygiene, forgetting to pay bills, falls, and a disinterest in hobbies and friends, leading to increased isolation, according to the Mayo Clinic.
It’s usually a precursor to difficult conversations about nursing homes or having parents move in with their children.
There is an alternative.
Senior Connection Center is one of 11 agencies across Florida that receive federal and state funding to help older adults age safely and independently at home.
That can include help with paying for long-term care, meal delivery, help navigating Medicare, and health and wellness classes and workshops to keep seniors active. It can provide respite care for adults who need a break from caring for their parents.
The nonprofit group receives around $35 million a year to provide and coordinate aging services in Hillsborough, Hardee, Highlands, Manatee and Polk counties. The funding is provided through the 1965 Older Americans Act that mandates social, nutritional and supportive services for people 60 and older.
“We are the community’s front door for aging services,” said CEO Kim Northup Wright.
Senior Connection provides some services directly, such as a telephone helpline for seniors who might qualify for assistance with transportation or meals at home. For other services, it contracts with other agencies, including county governments in Hillsborough and Manatee, and with other nonprofits such as You Thrive and Seniors First.
In addition to providing services, the group keeps a close watch on how the population is changing in order to plan for future needs.
The service area covered by Senior Connection is a challenging mix of urban and rural areas that can make delivering services difficult. Roughly one-quarter of residents are 60 or older, with 1 in 4 older adults living alone. In Highlands and Hardee counties, older adults make up more than 40% of the population.
“These are unique challenges in those communities with seniors having access to mental health care and food because things are just further away,” said Northup Wright.
Demographic changes coming down the pipe will mean more demand for services. That includes the baby boomer generation, more of whom are inclined to age in place. Staffers are increasingly interacting with more Gen Xers and millennials juggling the dual challenge of caring for growing children and aging parents at the same time, a group dubbed the “sandwich generation.”
One of the group’s biggest challenges is that not enough people know that this support is available, Northup Wright said. To counter that, it has organized marketing and awareness campaigns.
“People just don’t know we are here and don’t know how we can support people,” she said. “There’s also a misconception we only have services for people who are low income.”
While some services are only provided based on income, others, like health and wellness and activity classes like Bingocize — a mix of bingo and exercise designed to help people avoid falls — are available to all.
Senior Connection employs about 90 people. It’s a job that attracts those who find purpose in helping others, Northup Wright said. Some describe the work as their calling.
The nonprofit works hard to make sure that even those who don’t have direct contact with the people it serves understand how they contribute to improving the lives of seniors.
There’s also a recognition that the work can be emotionally taxing, and managers are encouraged to be compassionate in their interactions with those they supervise.
“The work is deeply meaningful for our team,” Northup Wright said. “Everybody feels a sense of purpose and connection to our mission.”
Senior Connection Center
Location: Tampa
Employees: 87
Website: seniorconnectioncenter.org/
Comments: “I love my job because it allows me to serve and connect with people in the community. It empowers me with a purpose and reminds me of the importance of helping older adults with dignity, compassion and respect.”
“I have a feeling of WORTH. Love the stressless atmosphere!”
