Valparaiso Magazine - Spring 2021

Giving Care & Caregiving | SERVICES FOR SENIORS
and housing,” Lindner said. In January
2021, 370 seniors were receiving Section
8 housing assistance. The highest previous
total was 325.
By Doug Ross
eniors often require more than physical
care. That’s why it’s great that there are
organizations and individuals who are willing
to fill in the gaps between medical and family.
And that’s where Porter County Aging and
Community Services and St. Agnes Adult Day
Service come in.
Porter County Aging and Community
Services (PCACS), with offices at 1005
Campbell St, offers a variety of services for
seniors and low-income residents, including
bus transportation, energy assistance,
wheelchair ramps, health insurance advice
and more.
“We are a large umbrella,” Executive Director
Bruce Lindner explained, “but the biggest
demand is for transportation.“ The bus
service offers 25,000 rides per year to 400
riders, including to St. Agnes.
The need for transportation services for
senior clients increased last year because of
COVID, but it also made it more challenging.
Drivers have close contact with riders
because it’s a door-to-door service, unlike
some other bus services in Northwest
Indiana. Drivers go to the rider’s door to help
the client get to the bus and get strapped in
safely. They help the rider when they get to
the destination, too. That can’t be done while
maintaining six feet of social distancing.
When drivers were idle because of COVID-19
from March 23 to June 1 last year, Lindner
had drivers deliver 30-pound boxes
of food to clients. “There are
probably 6,000 people in
Porter County that are living
way below the poverty line
that are struggling for food
In addition, PCACS assists seniors in
exploring health insurance options, especially
Medicare Part D. Those costs can vary widely
and can be confusing without help.
PCACS also partners with other agencies
and service organizations to help seniors get
wooden or metal ramps as needed. “For most
of these people, it’s a life sentence to them
where they’re ‘locked’ in their house,”
Lindner said.
“That’s what I love about this job. We try to
solve people’s problems,” he said.
St. Agnes Adult Day Service Center, on
the grounds of St. Paul Catholic Church
on Harrison Boulevard, offers activities for
senior citizens to keep them stimulated
on weekdays. The center specializes in
Alzheimer’s and dementia care for guests, but
some seniors attend just for socialization.
“We’re not a nursing home. We’re not assisted
living,” Director Barb Kubiszak said. “People
here have a higher cognitive level. They’re
able to walk around and make friends. We
keep them active. Every half hour they’re here,
they’re changing rooms, they’re changing
activities,” Kubiszak said.
“We can slow the progress of dementia. We
can’t stop it, we can’t cure it, but we can slow
it down,” she said. “If you have to go to >>
“
There are...
people in Porter County
that are living way below
the poverty line, struggling
for food and housing... We try
to solve people’s problems.
“
Bruce Lindner
Porter County Aging &
Community Services, Inc.
12 VALPARAISO MAGAZINE | SPRING 2021