Service Coordination

Other Programs

• Care Management
• Protective Services
• Guardianship Services
• Money Management
• Service Coordination

SUPPORTIVE LIVING ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM (SLEP)

In 2005, Ursuline Senior Services was awarded a 16 month contract through The Pittsburgh Foundation, the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP), and the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging (ACAAA) to work in collaboration with two other service providers: Primary Care Health Services and the Community Leadership Development Institute, Inc. to bring much-needed coordination of services to the City of Pittsburgh high rises for seniors and those with disabilities. This partnership provided for a "service-enhanced housing environment" consisting of on-site weekly social services, monthly nursing and socialization/recreational activities throughout the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh's system of high-rise facilities.

Upon successful completion of the pilot program, HACP has continued to fund Ursuline's SLEP service coordinators who assist residents with acquiring adaptive equipment, in-home supports, and health and financial benefits. They read and interpret mail, link residents with community resources, and provide long-term support, crisis intervention and advocacy as needed. Ursuline's consistent weekly presence in the buildings has worked in developing trusting and supportive relationships with both the residents and building managers.

To date, Ursuline's Service Coordination program continues to provide a circle of support to HACP, as well as other contracted facility residents. The goal of the program remains to enrich, educate and empower the residents we serve.

RELOCATION SUPPORT SERVICES

With many city and county housing facilities in need of renovations, hundreds of residents have been required to relocate, many more than once. Relocating seniors has been an ongoing concern for decades among the professionals working closely with them. Physiological and psychological decline, along with increased mortality rates, are the key negative outcomes observed for some time. Terms like "transfer trauma," "relocation stress," "admission stress," "relocation shock," and "transplantation shock" are all used to describe the potential effects of relocating seniors. This stress can be eased by the inclusion of programs to provide supports to residents prior to and throughout the relocation process. With this in mind, Ursuline Senior Services was awarded a grant through The Pittsburgh Foundation to provide specialized support to affected senior residents.

Several specialized Ursuline service coordinators assisted impacted residents with applying for available benefits; transferring utilities, accessing services at new locations (such as pharmacies, grocery stores, and senior centers); and coordinating assistance of actual packing, moving, and unpacking services provided through the housing authority.

They even helped relocated residents in maintaining important links to friends, physicians and clergy. Service coordinator support was provided to every resident through each step of the process to provide a safe, smooth and stress-free transition. After the move, the service coordinators provided follow-up support to residents, to ensure their satisfaction and resolve any issues with their new apartment.

Ursuline Senior Services is prepared and enthusiastically willing to expand its services to meet the ever-changing needs of seniors. The growth of our Service Coordination Program activities is just one example of how we move to fill the needs of those we are here to serve.

For more information on Service Coordination contact us at 412.683.0400 ext. 251 or servicecoordination@ursulineseniors.org