MISSION STATEMENT
The Coalition of Agencies Serving the Elderly (CASE) engages the provider community in advocacy efforts to inform and influence public policy to sustain and enhance services for seniors and adults with disabilities. CASE is a public voice for seniors, adults with disabilities, and service providers, and provides leadership, information and expertise on public policy and issues affecting older adults and adults with disabilities in San Francisco.
San Francisco Responds to Covid-19
Keeping Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities Healthy and Engaged
The Coalition of Agencies Serving the Elderly, a collaborative of some 40 San Francisco non-profit organizations, and the San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services have partnered to illustrate the incredible response by San Francisco non-profits in the face of a global pandemic. The sharp pivots made to keep older adults and adults with disabilities who were sheltered in place healthy, engaged, and connected to their communities was no small feat in the midst of rapidly changing health guidance and community restrictions. With this project, we profile eight organizations whose extraordinary efforts provided service, support and community to San Francisco’s very vulnerable population of older adults and adults with disabilities.
Agency Case Studies
CASE Advocacy
Working daily to meet the needs of San Francisco's elderly and disabled.
Case advocacy
CASE advocacy, now, and in the past has secured City funding for various community services & needs of providers serving seniors and people with disabilities. Apart from advocating for our specific budget requests, CASE also collaborates with agencies around the City for a stronger, united voice in our City’s budget process
Advocacy 2021-2022
Mental Health Support for Caregivers – $20,000 – Mental Health Support for Caregivers of Seniors and People with Disabilities
Keep Us Connected – $3,500,000 – Internet access, devices, digital literacy training, tech support, and assistive technology to older adults and people with disabilities
Advocacy 2020-2021
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City’s financial health was in doubt and budget cuts were seemingly imminent. CASE’s advocacy was focused on three particular budget requests along with continuation of existing programs & services:
Keep The Promise – $750,000 – COVID-era patch for the Dignity Fund
Digital Divide – $225,000 – Expansion of funding from FY20-21
Advocacy 2019-2020
While research on our budget advocacy requests and subsequent proposals were being finalized, due to the COVID-19 health pandemic, CASE had to shift its advocacy platform to fight for existing services given anticipated budget cuts. Our efforts were then focused on helping our members through the pandemic by compiling resources, hosting town halls, and creating spaces to hold conversations on combating ongoing as well as long term challenges because of COVID-19. A constant theme from the onset of the pandemic has been the increasing gap on the digital divide amongst seniors and people with disabilities. CASE formulated a budget request, along with Community Living Campaign, the SF Tech Council, and Community Tech Network to bridge that divide and secured $300,000.
Advocacy 2018-2019
In FY 2018-2019, CASE’s advocacy helped secure funding in the following areas:
- Aging in Place – Health Care and Activity Programming
- Food Security – increases in:
- In-Home Grocery Delivery- $683K;
- Congregate Meals – $100K;
- In-Home meal delivery; $400K
- Housing – Residential Care Facilities – $300K.
- Housing Subsidies – Seniors and Adults with Disabilities – $1,000,000
- Workforce Development – $600K
- $275,652 in funding for infrastructure – support/improvement for agencies
- Subsidies for Group Vans (Paratransit) – along with small grants by District
Current Plan
Study after study has shown that social connection is imperative for older adults to lead a life free of the ill health effects of isolation, depression and lack of community connection. The pandemic has shone a spotlight on a severe lack of connection for older adults in San Francisco as well as high need for alternative options to reach the most vulnerable seniors. While many organizations and agencies have made impressive efforts to get seniors connected, we need more assistance in reaching this population.
As we slowly move back into in-person events and activities, there will continue to be residents who will not feel comfortable leaving their homes due to vulnerable health, mobility issues and new Covid variants. Older adults and persons with a disability make up 25% of SF’s population and 30% of them live alone. Of those older adults, 40% report having a disability. And, 15% of all of these cohorts live below FPL. This is more than 225,000 SF residents who need some form of help connecting to the outside world.
The first step in welcoming this population back into a social environment is through Hybrid Programming, allowing all older adults to connect to and participate in live in-person activities, reconnecting them to their chosen communities once again. To support these seniors in connecting with others, there are three main elements required: more available devices, more training opportunities and trainers and internet and technical support specific to seniors. These elements not only enable seniors to make these social connections, but they also allow access to telemedicine, education, SMART technology, family & friends, benefits websites, and so much more. Through this request, not only is it possible to increase the longevity of our seniors, but we can help them THRIVE.
Mental Health Support for Caregivers
About 44 million Americans provide 36 billion hours of unpaid, informal care each year for adult family members and friends with chronic illnesses or conditions that prevent them from handling daily activities such as bathing, managing medication or preparing their own meals. Many family caregivers rely on support from community organizations. Organizations such as Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA), Adult Day Programs, and Senior Centers, provide caregivers different types of support services to be able to care for themselves. Caregiver support services play a pivotal role in a family caregivers’ physical, mental and emotional health.
With COVID-19 safety precautions closing many of these agencies and in-person support, family caregivers had a decrease in assistance from formal and informal supports. With this, the need for mental and emotional support for family caregivers increased. As an example, FCA in SF offers a short-term individual counseling model to family caregivers. During COVID-19, FCA tripled the amount of family caregivers using individual counseling services. PreCOVID: October 2018 to March 2020, 8 family caregivers in SF used $2,700 worth of individual counseling. Since COVID-19: March 2020 to October 2021, 26 family caregivers in SF used $8,400 worth of individual counseling. Towards the end of 2020-2021, FCA had family caregivers on a waitlist to access individual counseling services. PreCOVID-19, FCA offered 2 in-person caregiver support groups (1 in English and 1 in Spanish). PreCOVID-19: October 2018 to March 2020, 23 family caregivers in SF participated in 318 hours of support groups. Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, FCA moved all caregivers support groups to an online platform. With the increased need for support groups during this time, FCA added an additional three caregiver support groups. Since COVID-19: March 2020 to October 2021, 28 family caregivers have participated in 342 hours of support groups. FCA has a waitlist of 5-10 family caregivers in SF at any given time. Additional staff time is also needed to help monolingual caregivers gain access to join and regularly participate in virtual support groups
key facts
We are living through one of the most challenging economic environments in 70 years. in these times, our most vulnerable citizens, need our help the most.
• The elderly and adults with disabilities are among the poorest residents in San Francisco – most live on less than $1,000 each month – and face additional challenges based on their disabilities and frailty.
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ABOUT US
The Coalition of Agencies Serving the Elderly (CASE) is a non-profit, professional organization of agencies and individuals who are committed to protecting and enhancing services to older adults and adults with disabilities in San Francisco. CASE member agencies have been serving seniors and adults with disabilities in San Francisco for over forty years, and thus our work and priorities reflect the thinking of experienced and knowledgeable staff working to provide crucial support to these populations on a daily basis. Through our work, we continue to advocate and support programs & services that improve the quality of life and help these populations thrive in the city of San Francisco.
BOARD of Directors
Daniel Gallagher - Co-chair
Steppingstone Health
Fiona Hinze - Co-chair
Independent Living Resource Center SF
Christina Irving - Secretary
Family Caregiver Alliance
Dave Knego
Curry Senior Center
Greg Moore
Tenderloin Community Benefit District
Ligia Montano
Senior and Disability Action
Patty Clement-Cihak - Treasurer
Catholic Charities
Sylvia Sherman
Community Music Center
Valorie Villela
On Lok
Stephen Minor -
Community Tech Network
Aurora Alvarado
Mission Neighborhood Centers, Inc.
CALENDAR EVENTS + MEETINGS
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Coalition of Agencies Serving the Elderly (CASE)
P.O. Box 27183
San Francisco, CA94127
(415) 407-4270
@case_sf_