The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Service helps seniors to live alone with ease

By Pam Marino

For senior citizens, living alone can be a major hurdle day to day.

But a unique new community outreach program is aiming to take down some of those hurdles.

Sunny View Retirement Community is now offering a program called Senior Services to senior citizens within a 15-mile radius of the Lutheran-run campus at the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Cupertino Road in Cupertino.

"It's the only one of its kind in California," said director Chris Oliver.

For an annual $400 fee, seniors can access a wide array of services including help in finding home-repair services at discounted rates, nutrition counseling, assistance in scheduling appointments, health screenings, educational seminars, chaplaincy and access to activities at Sunny View.

Additional services at discounted rates are also available, such as bathing and dressing, grooming, housekeeping and laundry, grocery shopping, pet care, transportation, yard work, meals at Sunny View and hot, home-delivered meals.

"I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have the support and help of this program," said Senior Services' first client, a woman who declined to be identified. "I would not have been able to feel safe staying in my home. It's nice to know that people care about you and this means a lot when you live alone."

Oliver pointed out that Meals on Wheels, which delivers hot meals daily to seniors, will soon change to delivering frozen meals once a week. Senior Services will deliver a hot meal for $10. More importantly, seniors who subscribe to the overall program have regular personal contact with staff and volunteers.

Oliver said one of the most significant benefits in joining is that seniors may call a staff member, they know at any time.

"For the client's family or caregiver, this can be a huge and welcome relief," Oliver said.

Service plans are tailored to the individual's "physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual" needs, Oliver said.

Discounted prices for additional services include $14 an hour for home-care needs assistance for bathing, housekeeping, meal preparation and grocery shopping, and assistance with exercise. There is a two-hour minimum. Heavy-duty cleaning costs $14 to $16 an hour. Other services cost $20 an hour for money management, $13 an hour for yard work, $19 an hour for minor home repairs, $12 an hour for transportation with an attendant, and $4.40 to $10 an hour without an attendant.

Meals at Sunny View cost $4 per lunch and $3 per dinner.

Seniors who are interested in eventually moving to Sunny View get the benefit of meeting current residents and staff by taking advantage of programs at the retirement community.

"It's really neat if someone is on the waiting list to get in," Oliver said. "It's much, much less traumatic when they finally move in."

For more information about the program, call Oliver at 252-1500.

[ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ]

This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, May 6, 1998.
©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.