Some 380,000 people aged 65 or older live in Kansas, more than 13% of the state?s entire population. With people living longer lives, the number of seniors in Kansas and the nation on the whole is expected to skyrocket over the next few decades. That leaves the state with the difficult job of caring for all of these seniors, leading to this mission statement:
“The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services mission is to foster an environment that promotes security, dignity and independence for all Kansans.”
It does this by providing programs and services to ensure that all seniors in Kansas live happy and healthy lives.
Those programs include:
-- Adult Day Care: Daily services for seniors when their caregivers are away at work.
-- Commodities Program: “USDA Food Commodities” for low-income seniors.
-- Elder Rights Protection Activities: Protecting seniors from abuse, neglect and exploitation, as well as guarding their consumer and individual rights.
-- Family Caregiver Support Program: Support and assistance to caregivers of the elderly.
-- Food Assistance: Food stamps to help pay for groceries.
-- Low-Income Energy Assistance Program: helping pay heating bills for low-income seniors.
-- Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly: Better known as PACE, provides in-home care and services for seniors who would otherwise have to go to a nursing home.
-- Promoting Excellent Alternatives in Kansas Nursing Homes (PEAK): Making sure nursing homes in Kansas perform up to standards.
-- Senior Care Act Program: Services include attendant care, respite care, homemaker, chore services, adult day care, and transportation.
It is not a program directly from the state of Kansas, but all seniors should still consider getting a medical alert system, especially if you live alone. Let’s face it; everyone can use someone watching over us regardless of our age, but seniors are more vulnerable to tragic things happening when they are alone.
For example, a third of all seniors will suffer a serious fall each year. If you are alone when that happens and cannot call for help, well, the results could be fatal. With a medical alert system, all you would have to do is press the button on your wrist or around your neck and help will be in the way.
Medical alert companies are national, so they operate in all 50 states, including Kansas.
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