Eastern Agency on Aging consultants have the answers

It’s 8 a.m. and Chuck and Marilyn, coffee in hand, head to their shared office at Eastern Agency on Aging in Bangor. Soon the phones start ringing and the pair jump into action, doing what they do best – answering your questions.

Chuck and Marilyn are resource and referral consultants logging 40 calls per day. They also accept walk-ins.

If you are looking for help with benefits, transportation or just general information, this is your first stop. Their days are spent helping the elderly with whatever question or problem prompted them to call or visit the Eastern Agency on Aging.

“A lot of the calls I get are from seniors who want to know if they are eligible for any benefits or services,” said Marilyn Hilyard. “For some, even if they don’t need anything right now, they are curious.”

The first task is to take down all of their pertinent information, she said. If the caller is inquiring about additional government benefits, aside from Social Security, the next question she asks concerns their income.

Then, after determining whether there is a specific need and whether the caller fits the income eligibility guidelines, the request is referred to a community service outreach consultant who will set up an appointment for further assessment.

Questions regarding housing for the elderly also keep the phones ringing.

“Oftentimes, they just want a list of all the housing available to seniors,” said Chuck, “so we send them one. Then they call us back if they require more assistance.”

Chuck and Marilyn agree that one of the most common calls concerns transportation. Since many seniors no longer drive, they require a ride to medical appointments.

Seniors who are on Medicaid are referred to Lynx – formerly Project Ride. If they do not have Medicaid, Eastern Agency on Aging’s Ride Program can help.

“A transportation provider for the Ride Program can include agencies, churches or other community organizations that use volunteer drivers,” said Deb Chapman, director of outreach services for Eastern Agency on Aging.

“In cases where a person is not on Medicaid but is disabled and needs special equipment, such as a wheelchair lift, we can make arrangements with Lynx or a taxi service that Eastern Agency has a provider contract agreement with,” Chapman said.

There is no income guideline for this service, but the person must be 60 or older. The transportation must be for medical reasons such as appointments to doctors, dentists and physical therapists or for medical testing including X-rays and lab work.

Because of limited funding for the program, a person is restricted to one ride per month and must give advance notice of at least two business days in order to allow Chuck or Marilyn time to contact transportation providers and make the proper arrangements.

“It can sometimes take up to half an hour to process a transportation call,” said Chuck. “We take the person’s information, then contact the provider to be used, then enter all the information in the logbook and the computer.”

The EAA also must be notified as soon as possible if the appointment has been canceled or rescheduled. An “at the door” cancellation may make the senior responsible for payment of all or part of the provider’s mileage fee.

EAA pays for the bulk of the ride if provided by Lynx or a taxi service, but there is a small co-pay. The client is billed monthly by EAA for this fee.

“This program was designed for elders who have absolutely no other means of transportation,” said Chuck. “We always recommend that people with available family or friends go that route first, but of course, with Maine being so rural that can be hard. And no one is ever turned away. We do the best we can for them.”

Their best is plenty good enough.

It’s now 4:30 p.m. The lights are turned off, the computers are shut down and calls are routed to voice-mail.

Chuck and Marilyn head to their cars knowing they have provided help to some elderly people who often have nowhere else to turn.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For more information on EAA, check the Web site at www.eaaa.org or call Chuck or Marilyn at 941-2865.