The Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind has successfully raised $75,000 to extend its Senior Services Program into Jefferson County, according to a press release."This is a very exciting time for us, getting an opportunity to provide screening for seniors in Jefferson County. Right now, we are working with some 38 senior centers in different locations, with an average of about 25 people tested in each center," said Dr. Horace Patterson, Senior Service Program director.
"The Canterbury United Methodist Church(‘s) Lucille Stewart Beeson Committee pledged a $25,000 award to the AIDB Foundation to bring its Senior Services Program to Jefferson County if the foundation could raise an additional $50,000," the press release stated. "The Robert R. Meyer Foundation and the Hugh Kaul Foundation met the challenge, committing $25,000 and $20,000, respectively, to help expand the program to the Birmingham area … AIDB has added $5,000. The program already collaborates with four state Area Agencies on Aging in other regions of Alabama."
Lynne Hanner, director of Institutional Advancement, said, "We had been wanting to move into the greater Birmingham area for some time.
"The Lucille Beeson money was a great match for what we were trying to do, and a great challenge for the foundations we work with. It’s a beautiful thing when funding and ideas come together."
Hanner said most of the money will go toward the first year of a projected three year program. The law firm of Bradley, Arant, Rose and White has already pledged $1,000 for the second year, according to the release. The new program also has the support and endorsement of the Jefferson County Commission, the Youth in Aging Program and the Alabama Ear Institute, all based in Birmingham.
"We are pleased the Birmingham organizations have recognized the value of this program," AIDB President Terry Graham said in the release. "With the success of the Senior Services program in other parts of the state, it is a natural transition to the Jefferson County area, especially since Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama.
"With advancements in the medical field, people are living longer," Graham added. "The demand on AIDB’s Senior Services Program is growing as the population begins experiencing vision and hearing loss due to age. I truly appreciate the leadership of these Birmingham agencies in not only providing quality vision and hearing services to Jefferson County’s senior populations in places convenient to them, but also providing increased independence and quality of life."
Hanner said, "We will be going in first to build up support in the community, so we can justify state and federal grants to continue into the future. That’s always the difficulty with that type of ‘soft money’ like grants and donations."
The program will provide hearing and vision screenings for low income or minority seniors as well as information, case management assistance, and counseling and training for groups, families and individuals. It will also establish education and training programs in Jefferson County, as it has in other areas of the state.
"There will be increasing need for programs like these, particularly as the baby boomers get older," Hanner said. "You’ll be seeing more and more active adults who are going to want to stay active. This will help them accomplish that.
"The four leading causes of new blindness in seniors are cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration," Patterson said. "So much can be done for all of those conditions through early diagnosis, and we at AIDB feel a need to educate people on that. Part of aging will always involve vision loss, but the process does not have to mean a reduced quality of life. We know some problems are preventable, and regular eye exams can reap positive results. We believe very strongly that our screening work will save the visions of seniors in Jefferson County by making the appropriate early referrals."
The prognosis for early detection of hearing problems is also promising. "Hearing loss affects more than 9 million people 65 years old or older in this country," Patterson said. "Hearing loss is the third most common chronic condition in older individuals. But even with the social consequences, far too many seniors are waiting 10 years or more before seeking assistance. Like vision screening, this work will result in positive referrals. While loss of hearing will involve both change and challenge, it doesn’t have to mean a loss of independence."
Established in 1997, the Senior Services Program works with AIDB’s nine regional centers, four state Area Agencies on Aging (including East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission, the Lee-Russell Council of Governments, Central Alabama Aging Consortium and the Alabama-Tombigbee Regional Commission) and countless other agencies serving people 55 years old or older.
