By Eileen Connelly, OSU

ARCHDIOCESE — My parents really shouldn’t be driving anymore. What can I do to help them? Where can I find transportation to my doctor appointments? I can’t afford my prescriptions. Can Medicaid help?

These are just few of the question seniors or their loved ones may find themselves asking. The answers are easy to find with just one call to TriHealth Navigator for Senior Services, a free comprehensive resource for Cincinnati’s older adults, their families and caregivers.

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Some callers need quick, simple answers; others have more complex questions or issues to wade through, she explained. "We provide information and resource education. We also do assessments, such as their financial needs and the level of care, and, if a caller allows, we’ll make calls and make arrangements for services for them."

"We get calls from the seniors themselves, their families, the hospitals, physicians’ offices and outpatient clinics," Roach added. "We might hear from a physician’s office because they haven’t seen the patient for a while, so we’ll help the person get there if it’s a transportation issue. The driving issue is huge. We get calls from concerned loved ones about people who shouldn’t be driving anymore. When Mom or Dad can no longer live at home, we help with that first step in finding nursing home care — looking into how it gets paid for, what’s available in the geographic area they’re interested in, arranging a time for tours. We walk through the process with them."

The staff can also help guide callers through the complex network of senior care options including in-home medical care, personal emergency response and home safety services, rehabilitation services, diagnostic and testing locations, hospice care, senior-oriented classes and events, holistic health and fitness. "Sometimes we get a call for one issue and it turns out there are so many other things we can do to help," Roach said.

"They do a fantastic job of thinking outside the box and getting to the root of the problem," said Brett Kirkpatrick, director of TriHealth Seniors’ Health. "Our staff has incredible knowledge and expertise in the field of aging."

Among the many callers Roach has assisted is Mozell Butler. "They were foreclosing on my house," said Butler. "I no longer had a job and my sister, who paid the bills, died. The realtor knew I needed advice and told me to call TriHealth Navigator."

Roach responded quickly finding Butler an attorney, a subsidized apartment and help with her bills. "She even called my pharmacist about Medicare and Medicaid. My medicine is cheaper now," said Butler, whom Roach still calls to check on.

The most rewarding part of her job, said Roach, is working with callers like Butler. "People are very trusting when they call for help. I’m humbled by the fact that they open up to me. It’s very gratifying."

Feedback from the callers, both the seniors themselves and their loved ones, is also gratifying, said Kirkpatrick. "They call our social workers angels and saviors. It’s amazing the gratitude they express. They had no idea where to turn and we were able to point them in the right direction."

If you or a senior you know needs help, call TriHealth Navigator for Senior Services at 513-569-6200.