Catholic Charities Hawaii has expanded its services to include a fee-based program, Premium Senior Services, that provides housekeeping, light meal preparation, companionship and transportation to medical appointments, shopping and activities.
The agency, with a 65-year history, already offers about 30 programs. The goal of the newest one is to help seniors continue living independently by providing support services.
"It’s just an evolution of what we already do. We already have a solid reputation with the senior population," said Jerry Rauckhorst, president and CEO of Catholic Charities Hawaii. "The new program is an ideal solution for seniors who may … need services but may not fit the eligibility requirements."
Premium Senior Services initially will be offered to seniors within the 96822 (Manoa-Makiki), 96826 (McCully-Moiliili) and 96816 (Palolo, Kaimuki, Waialae-Kahala) ZIP codes. Rauckhorst encourages seniors outside of those areas to call if they would be interested in the services, as Catholic Charities hopes to expand the program once it begins to grow.
"Some seniors stop cleaning their house, stop seeing friends or don’t go shopping for necessities. We get calls from people in the mainland who have kupuna in the area requesting us to step in and do some case management. That definitely sparked our interest," Rauckhorst said.
Seniors can request a free home assesment and will be provided rates for desired services. "They can also request help with managing their money, balancing their checkbook or paying bills — things that become complex to an aging individual," he said.
"If we get to a point where we are generating profits, we can keep funding critical senior programs," he said.
For more information, visit www.premiumseniorservices.com or call 527-4777.
