“Mary Butler is just the very best there is for us,” said Josephine Wiley, resident since 1993 at the Florence Janss senior housing complex off Brazil St. in Thousand Oaks. “Representing Senior Concerns Senior Advocacy Services, Mary calmly and firmly helps us through the health, financial and legal issues we face with insurers, medical care providers and government agencies, among others. Without her wide knowledge, personal contracts, confidence and gentle direction, we’d often waste a lot of time and effort.
Jo is one of dozens of residents at the Janss and TaFoya Terrace apartments in Moorpark who have met on site to resolve a range of personal issues and opportunities that regularly confront seniors. The Florence Janss and Tafoya Terrace services were inaugurated in May 2006 as a landmark partnership with the Area Housing Authority and Senior Concerns funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. (maybe a group picture of residents)
In addition to the work at the senior housing complexes, Senior Advocacy Services at Senior Concerns is helping seniors and their families with care management through office and in-home needs assessment and evaluation, support, community resource linkage and education. Services are offered at
• Goebel Senior Center
• Simi Valley Adult Senior Center
• Senior Concerns Center on Hodencamp Road
• In home assessments by appointment
Staff members include Toni Hagopian, Lori Bliss, Mary Butler and Betty Berry.. Collectively they bring years of combined experience in care planning and assistance for families coping with the challenge of elder care. (Group picture)
Senior Advocate Betty Berry may be the most famous of the group with her weekly column in the Ventura County Star and many public education classes throughout the County. “Caring for an Aging Loved One” is available for businesses to offer to their employees on site as a “lunch and learn” program.
Caring for a loved one changes family roles and takes physical and emotional energy, time, financial resources, and is made a little easier if professional assistance is involved in the planning. The Senior Advocacy Services does just that. Additional information or appointments can be obtained by calling Senior Concerns at 805 497 0189 or by visiting our website www.seniorconcerns.org.
