Senior Emergency Support Fund

The Lane Senior Support Coalition (LSSC) offers assistance from its annual fundraising proceeds to low income, older adults (age 60+) who live in urban or rural areas of Lane County. These funds are for services or products that are currently not eligible to be paid by other local, state, or federal funds, and are not available through other community organizations or agencies. LSSC does not take funding referrals directly from public inquiries.  Referrals for funding assistance are made by  Staff Advocates in the  Senior Connections-Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) Unit of Senior & Disability Services. Staff Advocates may refer applicants for support up to $300, twice per year, for services such as, but not limited to:

• Health Insurance (premiums, co-pays)
• Medical assistance (prescription medications, medical equipment)
• Home energy assistance (heating, water, utilities, lights, wood, fuel)
• Pet expenses (if, in the assessment of the Senior Connections worker, caring for a pet contributes to the health and mental well-being of the client, and to the motivation to maintain independent living)
• Miscellaneous (minor home or auto repairs, transportation, gasoline, rent, etc.
• Other

Some examples include:

• A woman’s doctor prescribed medications that she had filled. The cost of the medications left her short for rent due and she received an eviction notice for mid-month. The Fund paid half of the amount due and she was able to obtain financial help from friends to pay the balance.
• A rural resident could not pay for cremation costs for his wife. The gentleman was dealing with a lot of medical debt at the time and his wife had been ill for many years due to a chronic health condition. The Fund paid for a portion of the costs of this service for the family.
• An individual was having difficulty managing her medications. She forget to take her pills and was dropping them on the floor. She needed an automatic pill dispenser with tipping tray for easy dispensing, and auditory and light alarms. LSSC purchased the dispenser and provided it to her.
• A gentleman received caregiving and money management services from the state due to his cognitive care needs. He was in need of dentures, but his insurance would not provide him with any assistance for another five years. The Fund paid for a portion of the dentures and the balance was paid from other resources.
• An individual recently experienced kidney failure and incurred medical bills that he and his spouse were not expecting. At the same time their daughter was in treatment for Stage 3 cancer. They were 2 months behind with their mortgage payments. The Fund paid for the majority of the overdue payments and the couple paid the remainder.
• A rural couple needed assistance with their utility bill. She is on oxygen, is in very poor health, and they have had extensive medical bills. They had a disconnect notice for a past due amount on their utility bill. Our Fund helped pay their utility bill to stop the disconnection of their utilities.
• A Springfield client has MS and trouble with breathing in hot weather, or when her home is too warm, especially in Summer. Her home also has toxic mold, possibly caused by high humidity. She cannot afford to move, although her case manager is exploring other options. Our Fund purchased a portable air conditioner/dehumidifier, which will cool her home and help with the humidity, which will help her breathe and function better.
• An Oakridge client is a single senior whose income is less than $500 per month. Until recently, he had been homeless for about a year, living out of his van. When he went to open a Lane Electric account for his new apartment in low income housing he learned that he first had to pay an old Lane Electric bill. If he does not get the electricity on at his new residence he will once again become homeless. The fund paid the outstanding bill with an advance on the following month.

Too many seniors in our community walk a financial and emotional tightrope often caused by a lack of personal resources and no support available through any local, state or federal means.  Helping to preserve their independence is a gift we can all support. To contact the ADRC for help identifying potential financial assistance or other support services:

Aging & Disability Resource Connection (ADRC): 541-682-3353, toll free 1-800-441-4038, via email at adrclane@lcog.org or search for resources online at https://adrcoforegon.org/consite/index.php

Emergency funded requests have increased significantly since the inception of the Senior Emergency Support Fund in 2011: