Everything Elderly is on Saturday mornings at 8:30, on 1290 am WLBY, sponsored by Senior Helpers. This past weekend we enjoyed two interesting talks, about Evangelical Homes of Michigan and the Community Alliance.

Julie Sage is the community liaison eirector for Evangelical Homes of Michigan. I have been fortunate to meet lots of wonderful people working in the senior living community, and Julie is a personal favorite, someone very passionate about what she does every day. Julie currently works mostly in marketing, helping to get the word out about what Evangelical Homes has to offer.

Evangelical Homes provides every type and concept of senior living. They offer independent living to skilled nursing care, as well as a growing emphasis on in-home care services.

We talked about the new Memory Support Center that opened this past October, at Brecon Village. It’s the “best kept secret in Saline”. I’ve been to this facility, and it is beautiful and very well laid out. The building is divided into three “neighborhoods” where each one is its own household, with its own dining arrangements. The center features motion detectors to better monitor the residents.

The Memory Support Center is hosting an Adult Day Program Open House this Wednesday, Feb. 23, from 5 to 7 p.m., at 101 Brecon Drive in Saline. This event promotes the adult day program, a unique program focused on those with mild to moderate dementia. This special program is a better fit for these people than typical day-time programs at a traditional senior center.

The Open House features a presentation by Bruno Giordani, Ph.D., associate director of the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. There will be wine and cheese, and chair massages available. Please RSVP for this event at 734-295-9811.

To get in touch with Julie or Evangelical Homes of Michigan, please visit the website evangelicalhomes.org, or call 734-222-7207. To listen to the full 12-minute segment click the audio link below:

We next had the opportunity to get to know Kate MacEwen and learn all about Community Alliance, where Kate is the director of development and external relations. It was quite interesting to hear about the variety of much needed services provided by this impressive organization.

Community Alliance started in 1986, with about 12 group homes caring for adults with developmental disabilities. The organization has evolved into one supporting adults that need assistance with housing and other necessary services. Community Alliance focuses on those living in Washtenaw County and is supported through government funding and private donations.

We discussed the “oral health crisis”. Medicaid cut the dental benefit last year, and there are many special needs segments of the population not receiving appropriate dental care. COHA, the Coalition for Oral Health in the Aging, is a group of professionals actively involved in helping people in need of dental care. Special needs people frequently have trouble accessing dental care because of the cost or simply because they do not have transportation.

Housing for those with special needs has evolved. Historically people with disabilities were institutionalized, then group homes became popular, and now it’s more about ‘supported living sites’. The Community Alliance helps people stay in their homes or apartments. They can provide the necessary support services.

If you would like to contact Kate MacEwen, or Community Alliance, please visit the website communityalliance.com, or you may call 734-482-3300. To listen to the full 11-minute discussion click the audio link below:

Alan Caldwell is the owner of Senior Helpers, providing in-home care services, primarily to the elderly. He can be contacted at acaldwell@seniorhelpers.com, or at 734-927-3111.