92-year-old Tommie is a resident of Bakersfield, CA and lives with arthritis, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and type 2 diabetes. She has been a participant of Partners in Care Foundations’ Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) for 3 years now – a program that offers free services to seniors, 65+, with complex health issues. She expressed her sadness at no longer being able to do a lot of things she used to love doing. Yet, Tommie finds support and comfort in the community through Partners.
As a participant of Partners MSSP, Tommie was assigned to a Social Work Care Manager who helped her identify her care needs and together, they formed a long-term care plan to support independent living at home. MSSP really focuses on providing services and resources to their participants so they can ultimately avoid placement in a nursing home or assisted living facility.
Through a care assessment, Partners provided Tommie with new and comfortable furniture to address body aches from her arthritis, as well as supplement drinks for her diabetes that she could not often afford herself. She was also provided with an emergency response device that she carries with her around the house and especially in the shower because she is at falls risk.
Aside from the material services, the human interaction she received with her Social Work Care Manager immensely helped combat her depression and feelings of social isolation. This was pertinent during COVID-19 Stay at Home orders because she could not go to church, which was the only time she really interacted with other people.
Tommie sees her Social Work Care Manager as family, especially since she lives on her own. She is grateful for the help from Partners in Care Foundation and quotes “I got somebody that I can call and get help from, so that’s comforting to know. That really changed my life, to know somebody cares, somebody cares!”
If you or someone you know could use free services provided by Partners’ MSSP, please visit our webpage for more information and to see eligibility requirements.
