CINCINNATI — A new study shows that the demand for in-home care for seniors is increasing here in Ohio and across the country.
One woman near Cincinnati is able to stay in her home despite health challenges because of a program some Ohioans may be unaware of.
Zelda White is like a lot of seniors living alone. The cancer survivor wants to stay independent for as long as possible:
“I’ve been here for 23 years,” White said. “I like to do things on my own and I just don’t want to be a burden on anybody.”
That appeared to be almost impossible until the Council on Aging got involved.
“My knee started going out on me,” White said. “Then I fell on the steps. And so they (The Council on Aging) gave me the stairlifts, which was a blessing to me because I was barely going up and down the stairs. At one point I was like crawling, you know, I wouldn’t be able to be here without them because I wouldn’t have anyplace else to go except for maybe a nursing home, and I wouldn’t want to go to a nursing home.”
The Council on Aging’s Paula Smith said White’s not alone.
“Nine out of ten people prefer to stay at home as they age,” Smith said. “But on the flip side of that, seven out of ten people are going to need some form of help in order to do that and to stay independent. So Council on Aging can be a resource in the community when people need care and they don’t know where else to turn or what their options are or how or how they’ll pay for it.”
White’s enrolled in the Hamilton County Elderly Services Program, funded by a tax levy. A recent study by Harvard’s Joint center for Housing shows there are more services here in Ohio for seniors than in many other places around the country. Southern Ohio has more options than most.
“So where you live as you age really matters because what you can access here in southwest Ohio would not be the same as what you might be able to access in Columbus, in Cleveland, in another state,” Smith said.
White also gets help around the house with cleaning and other chores, so she can stay here with her best friend.
“I wouldn’t be able to have my dog if I’d go someplace else and I wouldn’t want to get rid of her because she keeps me company. She loves me unconditionally,” she said.
In Hamilton County, more than 9,000 people like White are able to stay at home because of programs connected with the Council on Aging, serving more than 26,000 across Southwest Ohio.
“Both of my grandparents benefited from these services,” Smith said. “So I’ve seen firsthand, you know, the value of that and what it means to an individual to be able to live at home.”