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PCA: Enriching Lives, Preserving Dignity
By Kate Shuman, Staff Writer
Many cities have an Area Agency on Aging, also known as “AAA”.
Philadelphia has the “Philadelphia Corporation for Aging” or PCA. As
one of the largest private, non-profit organizations in the region,
and the fourth largest of its kind in the country, PCA has been
around since 1973. Their mission for over 30 years has been to help
improve the quality of health and life for seniors and for those
with disabilities, utilizing the abilities they do have, instead of
concentrating on what they are unable to do, allowing for an
experience which includes more independence for everyone involved in
the caregiving process.
PCA employs about 650 people and contracts with over 100 community
organizations and service providers in order to ensure that a
variety of social support and health care services are contributed
to the 70,000 seniors, disabled persons, and their caregivers. PCA
provides many services such as care at home for those who may not
have family caregivers close-at-hand. They also provide: advocacy,
assistance with employment, health promotion, home repair,
information and referral services, legal assistance, home-delivered
meals, protective services, senior community centers, and
transportation.
One special program PCA offers is the Family Caregiver Support
Program (FCSP). It has been set up in order to help caregivers who
are unpaid and who are caring for physically or mentally impaired
adults. The services provided by FCSP include care management,
counseling on what benefits a caregiver may be able to receive
considering their particular situation, caregiver education, and
limited financial assistance to help caregivers with the purchase
of: personal care items; homemaker services; companion care, adult
care, and overnight care; over-the-counter items; and supplies
related to the care of the impaired adult not covered by Medicare or
Medicaid, such as Tylenol, bed pads, skin products, products for
adult incontinency, etc. There are even some home modifications and
assistive devices available through some of PCA’s financial aid for
people who have special, physical needs. Things like safety rails in
the bathtub, lift-chairs, hand-held showers, safety rails for the
toilet, and ramps may be included; however, the financial assistance
is based on household income, and cost-sharing may apply in some
cases.
The eligibility requirements for FCSP state that the caregiver must
be 18 years of age or older and assume daily care and provisions for
an adult who is either physically or mentally impaired. The person
being cared for must be 60 years of age or older and unable to
perform some or all of the self-care tasks necessary to carry out
healthy, safe daily living. The only situation where FCSP would be
provided for an individual who is under the age of 60 and is being
cared for by a caregiver would be someone with a physician’s proven
diagnosis of chronic dementia. A caregiver can get more information
pertaining to the Family Caregiver Support Program by calling the
PCA Helpline at (215) 765-9040, Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
E.S.T. In order for a caregiver to apply for FCSP services, they
must first go through an assessment process. The assessment process,
which is conducted by PCA, will determine what services a caregiver
and the person they are caring for will need, enabling PCA to know
which program(s) will best suit the needs of both the caregiver and
their loved one. The assessment process is a mandatory tool used by
the Pennsylvania Department of Aging throughout the state, so PCA is
obligated to enforce the assessment, but it’s done with every
intention of helping, not hindering, the caregiving team. In order
to arrange for an assessment from PCA for the Family Caregiver
Support Program, you’ll need to call the PCA Helpline (see above).
For a long-distance caregiver who may be too far from the
Philadelphia County area, and whose loved one may need more help and
care than can be provided for them in their own home, PCA offers a
program called the In-Home Support Program. Located in five senior
community centers spread throughout the city of Philadelphia, the
In-Home Support Program, or IHSP, offers assistance to those who are
60 years of age or older and who may be temporarily homebound
because of having to recover from a medical condition, surgery, or
because of some other issue. IHSP’s goal is to assist and supervise
seniors to obtain their former level of independence through early
intervention and prevention services during their need for
assistance. Some of the services offered are only for a short amount
of time (up to six months), while other situations may call for
assistance to last much longer.
Once IHSP is contacted by a caregiver or by a senior in need, a
social worker is sent out to visit the senior’s home. Through a
series of questions and open dialogue, the social worker is then
able to determine the person’s needs and will work with the person
and their family to develop a plan which will best meet their needs.
The social worker will take the person’s strengths and abilities
into heavy consideration when designing the plan of care. Home
support services like housekeeping or shopping are considered short
term assistances, up to six months. Some seniors also may qualify
for services like home-delivered meals, transportation, or a senior
companion for as long as these services may be needed. Other types
of services which are available include: home support (up to six
months); personal care (four weeks); laundering; advocacy; and help
applying for benefits and entitlements. For more information
regarding the IHSP agency closest to you, call the PCA Helpline at
(215) 765-9040 or contact one of the following senior community
centers:
North Central Philadelphia
North City Congress
1438 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19121
215-978-1360
Northwest Philadelphia
Center in the Park
5818 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19144
215-849-5100
Northeast Philadelphia
JCCs David G. Neuman Senior Center
6600 Bustleton Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19149
215-338-9804
South Philadelphia
Philadelphia Senior Center
509 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-546-3065
West Philadelphia
Haddington Multi-Services Center for Older Adults, Inc.
5331-41 Haverford Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19139
215-472-6737
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