Transportation
Local transportation to and from the doctor’s office, grocery store, pharmacy, personal shopping, post office, bank and other local errands.
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation: The Council provides non-emergency medical transportation in Sabine Parish to all doctor’s offices and medical facilities on a daily basis. We also provide the following: MONDAY-FRIDAY Local Dialysis and Natchitoches. TUESDAY-Shreveport and Leesville. WEDNESDAY- Alexandria (there must be three or more trips scheduled) and Local errands. THURSDAY-Shreveport. Although priority is given to clients over the age of sixty, we also transport Medicaid participants to doctors and medical facilities. Non-Emergency medical transportation averages 328 trips per month.
Non-Medical Transportation: The Council provides approximately 300 units of non-medical transportation each month. A unit is one person, one ride. We have eight shopping routes per month and we provide general transportation to many locations in the parish such as pharmacies, banks, the Post Office, groceries stores and shopping centers.
Information, Assistance & Outreach:
When a client or family member requests services a trained outreach worker goes into the client’s home and fills out an assessment form provided to all Councils on Aging by the Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs. This helps the council know what services the client needs. The client is re-assessed at least annually or more often if the client’s condition changes or new services are requested. We average assessing or re-assessing approximately seventy-nine clients per month.
Meal Services:
Congregate Meals: Sabine Parish has four congregate meal sites. They are located in Many, Toledo Town, Converse and Florien. We are in the process of increasing participation at each of our meal sites by adding programs and activities to make the sites more attractive to the younger seniors. At the present time we are averaging 967 meals per month at our congregate sites.
Home Delivered Meals: The number of requests for home delivered meals is increasing daily. Meals are delivered in Many, Florien, Toledo Town, Converse, Pleasant Hill and two routes in Zwolle. We have expanded our delivery area coverage and try not to turn down any qualified senior requesting home delivered meals. At this time, we average 3,780 meals per month through our homebound meal program.
Emergency Food Bank:
The Council houses an emergency food bank. This service is open to anyone in the parish over the age of 18 years. Any resident of the parish having difficulty buying food may come to the Council and receive emergency staples. Our Emergency Food Bank is supported by donations.
Nutrition Education:
Nutrition Education programs are given at least once per month at each meal site. Kelli McLendon, our Nutrition Coordinator, oversees this service.
Recreation:
Recreation is provided at each meal site daily. Examples of recreation provided at each meal site include bingo, quilting, crafts, dominoes, fast track, pokeno and other games. We have now added shuffle board, pool, skee-ball, basketball shoot out and there is also a two lane bowling alley and air hockey at the Toledo site.
Wellness:
Programs to enhance the wellness of our clients are held each week. Examples are providing blood pressure checks (by volunteers), blood sugar checks and programs/talks given by individuals from medical facilities. Each year we conduct or refer seniors to a Health Fair in the parish where they may receive such services as cholesterol and lipid profile testing, blood pressure testing, and other health related tests. Daily exercise classes are encouraged at each site as well. We are enhancing the quality of life in the area with these important services. We have a Walking Track at the Legacy Facility the Toledo Facility and the Florien Facility. The tracks are blacktop and provide nice scenery while walking.
Medical Alert System:
Units are now provided by an ambulance service that contracts with the state. Sabine Council on Aging, Inc. cooperates in every way to assist this service in seeing that residents of our parish have the opportunity to receive one of these units. The cost of these units is $22.00 per month. A client receives a necklace or bracelet that can be activated if that client falls or needs other help. Approximately sixty-three parish seniors have one of these units. We try to make as many referrals to the ambulance service as possible through our agency, which saves the individual the $25.00 installation fee.
Homemaker:
We have homemakers that go into clients’ homes to provide light housekeeping services. The homemakers will visit every other week and provide: sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, changing bed linens and clean the bathroom. We have a wonderful group of dependable trust-worthy ladies that would be more than happy to assist our seniors.
Emergency Utility Assistance:
Our participation in this program assists seniors having difficulty paying their utility bills This service is directed and funded by Entergy and Cleco.
Legal Services:
The Sabine Council on Aging, Inc. contracts with a legal firm to provide legal services free of charge to parish seniors. Our contract for this plan period is with Legal Services of Northwest Louisiana.
Caregiver Program:
This program provides respite services for senior caregivers, as well as, caregivers of seniors. We also provide public education, and other supplemental services to caregivers.