PCOA offers help to seniors

Fran Coleman believes in the words, “Living today for a better tomorrow.”

Pima Council on Aging has made that this year’s theme for what they are all about — helping older adults and caregivers learn about resources and information concerning elder benefits and rights, caregiving issues, Medicare and other assistance programs.

Coleman is a PCOA elder rights, benefits and caregiver specialist who helps seniors in PCOA’s outreach office at Green Valley’s Pima Community College campus.

“Since 1967, the Pima Council on Aging has provided advocacy and assistance to older adults in Tucson, and the exciting thing is, now we can help right here in Green Valley and Sahuarita,” Coleman said. “This was the vision of Jim Murphy, our executive director, and now we can help people in rural areas without them traveling to Tucson and spending extra gas money.”

The office also services Amado, Arivaca and Robles Junction/Three Points.

“Sun Shuttle is servicing the Green Valley Pima Community College campus on a three-month trial period, too,” Coleman says. “If people use the shuttle to get to the campus this route will continue.”

Coleman said the elder rights and benefits assistance program is directed toward empowering people to help themselves whenever possible.

The program has assisted senior citizens with issues involving Social Security, Medicare, the Arizona Long Term Care System, AHCCCS (Arizona’s Medicaid program), nursing homes and other assisted-living situations, supplemental security income, housing, HMOs, consumer fraud, debts, guardianship and conservatorship, as well as helping report financial, physical and emotional abuse.

Coleman says PCOA also makes referrals to agencies or organizations that can resolve the problems. PCOA even assists the client when necessary in following through with the referral.

“Issues in Green Valley right now seem to be about Medicare and health insurance,” Coleman says. “Maybe their co-pays have skyrocketed or their hospital co-pays are draining their funds. I am here on Mondays to help them with those issues.”

PCOA and the Tucson Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys have also come together and created a legal clinic providing information only to assist the elderly. The clinic is established to allow people 60 and over to see an Elder Law attorney for 30 minutes at no charge, although donations are accepted.

There is no charge for the ombudsman services, however PCOA does accept donations to help cover the cost of the operation. Major funding for the program comes from Pima County and the federal Older Americans Act through the Arizona Department of Economic Security, Aging And Adult Administration.

rford@gvnews.com

Here’s help

PCOA’s outreach office at Green Valley’s Pima Community College campus, 1250 W. Continental Road, is open Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m. by appointment. The phone number is 399-1256.

A walk-in service provided by PCOA Ambassadors for general information and referral consultations available Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon. The PCOA community office Green Valley schedule is available online at: www.pcoa.org

Call PCOA Elder Rights & Benefits Assistance & Caregiving at the PCOA Help Line, 790-7262, to schedule an appointment on Mondays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for consultation about specific consumer issues, how to report a scam, or resolve a personal budgeting or elder law issue. Caregiving provides information and counseling to those caring for a loved one.

Call RSVP at 546-2002 to schedule an appointment on Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to learn about the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) for those 55 years and up, who want to volunteer in their communities and will agree to complete the RSVP training.

Call Mature Worker Connection (MWC) at (520) 623-3304 to schedule an appointment on Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for this employment, placement and referral service for job-seekers and local employers. MWC was started 3 years ago to connect well-qualified job seekers, ages 50 and older, to fill full-time, part-time and seasonal staffing needs of employers in Pima County.

Every Friday, 10 a.m. to noon, a trained PCOA Ambassador volunteer will be in the office to offer information and referrals to other local agencies.