Meals on Wheels - We serve one meal a day to home-bound seniors. Sometimes the help is short term, e.g., after surgery. For others, the help is ongoing. The meals are meant to augment the nutritional needs of home-bound seniors, not to be the only food available to them. Fresh, hot meals are delivered Monday through Wednesday. Frozen meals to cover the rest of the week are delivered on Wednesday, along with the hot meal.
Our suggested donation is $5.00 per meal for those who can afford to pay. Clients who cannot afford the full donation are asked to donate what they can. To sign yourself or a family member up for Meals on Wheels please contact Stacy Cox, our Meals on Wheels Coordinator, at (707) 882-2237.
Senior Lunches - On Monday and Wednesday of every week lunches are served at Veterans Hall in Point Arena (24000 S. Hwy. 1). Lunches are served at the Gualala Community Center every Tuesday. At both sites the salad bar opens at 11:30am and the hot meal is served around noon. Menus are posted on our Menus & Events tab, in the ICO, and broadcast each day on local radio stations. The suggested meal donation for a senior is $8.00 for both the salad bar and the hot entrée or $4.00 for one course. Non-seniors are welcome to have lunch for $10.00 or one course only for $5.00.
Commodity Distribution - Produce and a variety of other foods, are donated to COASTAL SENIORS by local grocery stores and given away during the Wednesday lunch at 11:30 a.m., every week in Point Arena. The amount and type of food available each week varies depending on what has been donated.
Point Arena Food Bank - Once a month the Point Arena Food Bank opens for low-income people of any age. Food distribution is done at Veterans Hall in Point Arena (24000 S. Hwy. 1) on the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Income qualifications change regularly. Call us at (707) 882-2137 for information.
Calfresh Registration - Any senior who needs assistance paying for groceries can sign up for CalFresh benefits (formerly known as Food Stamps) by making an appointment with Stacy Cox at (707) 882-2137 (appointments are available in Point Arena and Gualala). Seniors who qualify for the program will be issued a debit card which can be used at any grocery store to purchase food items only.
Transportation Services
Bus Service To/From Senior Lunches and Local Errands - Bus service is available to our lunches and local errands from any part of our service area on Monday through Wednesday. Our bus is equipped to accommodate wheelchairs. Seating is limited so reservations are required. Bus fares run between $1.00 and $4.00 round-trip, depending on the distance between home and the lunch location.
Seniors who attend the lunch by bus are driven to errands such as the post office, grocery store, pet store or bank before being driven back home. This door-to-door service is available to all seniors and persons with disabilities. To schedule a pick-up contact our office at (707) 412-0201 by 5 p.m. on the day before your pick-up.
Bus Service to Santa Rosa - EVERY THURSDAY - Each Thursday of the month our bus takes seniors to Santa Rosa for errands and/or medical appointments. Fares for out of town trips are $10.00 round trip: reservations are required. Limited vouchers are available for those who cannot afford the fare. For more information or to make a reservation call (707) 412-0201.
Bus Service to Fort Bragg or Ukiah - EVERY FRIDAY - Each Friday of the month our bus takes seniors to either Fort Bragg or Ukiah for errands and/or medical appointments. See below for scheduled dates. Fares for out of town trips are $10.00 round trip: reservations are required. For more information or to make a reservation call (707) 412-0201.
Occasional Bus Service to Cultural Events - Every once in awhile COASTAL SENIORS will offer bus service for seniors to and from a play, a movie, or other cultural event. These are not regularly scheduled programs, but are announced on our website (www.coastalseniors.org) at our lunches and in our newsletter, when they arise. Information is available through our office at (707) 882-2137.
Fall Prevention Program
The Community Fall Prevention Program (CFPP) has been collaboratively developed by Coastal Seniors, Redwood Coast Medical Services, Coast Life Support District, Aging in Place Mendonoma, local Strength and Balance training resources, and the Sonoma County Area Agency on Aging covering Irish Beach down to Timber Cove. Our goal is enhancing the safe and independent quality of life of our senior Mendonoma community by reducing falls and their related injuries by educating seniors on the frequency and outcome of falls. Approaches include:
• Creating a safer home environment (e.g., removing trip hazards, installing grab bars, etc.) • Identifying fall risks, including those related to medications and changes in vision • Educating seniors to address behavior and habits that contribute to falls • Understanding how chronic conditions can increase the risks of falling because they may result in pain, lightheadedness, loss of function, inactivity, and depression • Improving your strength, balance and gait results in greater stability and decreases the likelihood of falling • Providing opportunities to talk about one’s fear of falling
Did you know that 1 in 3 Americans aged 65+ falls each year? Or that falls are the number one cause of injury sending Sonoma County seniors to the hospital? How about this: accidental falls are the top cause of Mendocino County Emergency Room visits. And, falls are the number one reason Coast Life Support ambulances are dispatched (~100/year). Seventy-five percent of these calls require a transport to the hospital.
To learn more about the CFPP and your potential risk of falling, click on the documents below:
Many falls are preventable. The following tips can help to keep you safe:
• Do a Home Safety Check. Keep walkways clear, check the lighting in each room of the home, putting railings on all stairs and install grab bars where they are needed. • Enroll in the Matter of Balance Program. Matter of Balance is a program designed to reduce the incidents of falls, reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels in adults. Taught with certified instructors, classes provide a structured group process to address the physical, social, and cognitive factors affecting the fear of falling and to learn fall prevention strategies. To enroll, call Micheline at (707) 412-3176 extension 104. • Take Strength and Balance Exercise Classes. Build balance, strength and flexibility by finding a strength and balance program that you would enjoy and maybe encourage a friend to join you. • Enlist family and friends. Talk to family and friends to help keep you safe. Falls are not just an issue for seniors.
For more information: Mendonoma Health Alliance: Micheline Kirby: (707) 412-3176 extension 104
Decreasing Isolation & Increasing Social Interaction
Senior Lunches (discussed above)
Bingo - Bingo is played every Wednesday in Point Arena following lunch.
The Exchange - The Exchange is a discussion group held once per month and led by a trained meeting facilitator. The facilitator will encourage a dialogue among the senior participants on various topics (from growing up in the '50s and '60s, to life experiences, and much more). Imagine a book club without a book. The sessions have a discussion guide: typically light food and drink are served. Transportation is available to and from these events; no fare is required. Call (707) 882-2137 for more information.
Friendly Visitors - This is a visitor program for seniors who are isolated, lonely and in need of interaction. Seniors who sign up for the program will be paired with a trained volunteer based on compatibility; all volunteers undergo background screening. The senior and volunteer will coordinate visits up to once a week (the frequency of the visits will be determined by the senior and volunteer). Call Program Coordinator Stacy Cox at (707) 882-2237 to sign up as a volunteer or to refer a senior who is in need of socialization.
Welfare & Quality of Life Checks
Meals on Wheels Drivers - In some cases our drivers are the only people an isolated senior may see on a regular basis. Our drivers check on seniors and are trained to detect signs of illness, abuse, neglect, or the effects of isolation, all of which are reported immediately to the Executive Director, the RCMS outbound nurse or other relevant organizations.
Spot Visits to Households - Based on information or concerns from family members, friends, or neighbors during normal work hours we check on seniors who haven’t been heard from or are having some kind of problem. If we are not available we call the Sheriff’s office, the RCMS Visiting Nurse, or other appropriate organizations.
Car Service to Doctors and Health Care Providers - We try to find drivers to help people get to important appointments but we refer, when possible, to Community Resource Center (CRC).
Mental Health/Mood Scales - We administer mood scales to our clients quarterly and whenever there is a noticeable change in a seniors’ mood. The purpose of the mood scale is to evaluate the overall mood of a senior to detect whether a senior is suffering from or at risk of depression.
Information, Assistance & Referrals
Tax Preparation - If you have low or moderate income, free tax preparation is available at the RCMS Dental Clinic in Point Arena. Returns are prepared by volunteers who are certified with the IRS through AARP. The local program is sponsored by COASTAL SENIORS and by RCMS but you do not have to be a senior to use the service. If you are a senior, it is important to file a tax return to avoid identity theft, even if you do not receive income from working. Appointments are available on Mondays and Tuesdays. Call Richard Henrikson at (707) 884-9069 to schedule an appointment. When you come to your appointment, please bring last year's tax return, social security card, photo ID card, and any documents relating to you or your family (W2s, Form 1099-Int, 1099DIV, 1099 R, 1099 Misc, SSA 1099, information about deductions, etc.).
Phone Help to Seniors or Their Families - We try to provide or find any kind of help which seniors or their families need, either through our own services or those provided by others. We have a list of paid caregivers and if we don’t have a service to recommend we can find it through the county’s Senior Resource Directory. We can also assist in finding help for things like moving, finding furniture, a new roommate, or carpentry help.
We work hand-in-hand with other organizations, for example, with the Northern California Law Project to provide information and referrals related to:
Health or Medical issues (including health power of attorney, Advanced Health Care Directive)
Legal Issues and services (including above plus wills, and tax preparation in conjunction with RCMS volunteers) Housing Issues
Energy Assistance
Veterans Services
Paid Caregiver Names
Community Education and Information - We provide seminars and discussion groups and distribute information related to nutrition, depression, and suicide. We educate on burial rights, permits to die at home, and other issues related to natural death care. We talk to people about how to set up “Neighborhood Check” programs that help check on aged seniors living alone.
Loaner Equipment - We loan equipment like walkers, canes, wheelchairs, specialized toilet seats, etc. to our seniors, often through or in conjunction with the RCMS outbound nurse. If a senior is unable to pick equipment up from our offices, we will arrange a delivery.
Have any questions? Contact us! 24000 S. Hwy. 1 PO Box 437 Point Arena, CA 95468 • (707) 882-2137 • info@coastalseniors.org
