BOOTH’S BOOMER PERSPECTIVE

DCSS TAKING CARE OF NEEDS AND LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

| 2014 Q3 | story by HANK BOOTH    | photos by STEVEN HERTZOG |
Boomer perspective

Left to right: Long time volunteers Craig Tucker (11 years), Evan Jorn (eight years), Hank Booth, Mary Taylor (18 years), Susie Rice (20 years) and Earl Nehring (two years).

All of us folks in this new “Boomer Generation” have watched our parents, relatives and friends grow older and reach that magical retirement age of 65.

There’s one big problem. For many, there hasn’t been anything magical about it. Some, even with Social Security and a retirement fund, don’t have the resources to walk away from their jobs and maintain the standard of living they’ve reached during their younger years. Many simply like to work, love their jobs and don’t want to stop getting a paycheck just because they’ve turned a certain age. Retirement can wait. Most of the time their employers are happy they want to continue.

Whether they retire or not, many find they need special services and don’t have family nearby to help take care of the basics. Meal preparation, transportation, help with legal and financial problems, entertainment and simply companionship are some of those key elements of living a comfortable life. Since 1972, Douglas County Senior Services has been an active provider of those services and advocate for seniors in Lawrence and this county we call home.

Now we’ve reached a new era in aging America: enter the Baby Boomers. Ten thousand men and woman reach age 65 daily in the U.S. One thing I’ve found we share is little interest in being the same kind of senior citizens our parents were. We don’t even like being called seniors, retirees and certainly not elderly retirees. OK, so what’s that mean to an organization called Douglas County Senior Services? Great folks, who have been helping “the elderly” for decades and doing a real good job. But, there’s a new gang in town and we have many new and different expectations. Hundreds of seniors who came before the new bunch of boomers will still depend on the old plan of action at meal sites, transportation to the doctor’s office, etc. However, what else will be needed and expected in the years to come as the boomer generation expands to become one-third of the U.S. population?

At DCSS there have been many directors that led the organization, several of those people were there for a very short period of time. Today, the center’s director is Kristen Scheuer, a strong leader with excellent marketing skills and many ideas for creating a new direction for DCSS. Scheuer is pleased to have several long-time employees who know how the system has worked best in the past while she undertakes the improvements needed to build an organization for the future. Those folks behind the scenes who have been with the DCSS for many years have carried out the tasks necessary to make the show run smoothly. One of those individuals, Lois Meade, recently retired. Meade took care of so many office activities that it’s impossible to list them all, and she truly loved the people she worked for at the center, which were the seniors. Janet Ikenberry, the Community Services Director, has been with DCSS for nearly 22 years and can remember when there were a dozen full-time employees taking care of the day-to-day business. Today, there are six and two to three part-time people on the payroll. Ikenberry started running the “Friendly Visitor Program,” which went out into the community to talk to seniors about their particular needs. That program has been consolidated, but Medicare counseling and the Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansans, or SCHICK, are a big part of her work today.

Boomer perspective

DCSS staff (back row left to right): Darrell Shuck, Hank Booth, Tina Roberts and Kale Atwood. DCSS staff front row (left to right): Kristen Scheuer, Kathryn Newman, Shirley Brown and Janet Ikenberry.

Tina Roberts, the Resource Development Manager, has been with DCSS for seven years and went there because she loves working with seniors. Her primary task is finding the resources and finances to pay for meals, transportation management, care givers support, Safe Winter Walkways and general community services. Roberts is quick to point out that with limited staff available, everyone does a little bit of everything. For good measure, Roberts takes care of everything from media news releases to the custodial staff. Carol Mason has spent 25 years taking care of the Eudora Meals Site and Katherine Newman has taken care of the Lawrence Center’s meals program for many years.

Volunteers are a major part of the work force for DCSS. Last year, more than 2,000 people received help with their taxes and about that many were helped through the SCHICK program. DCSS is a “people first” organization and even with changes planned will remain dedicated to better living for older residents of Douglas County.
Watch for changes ahead as DCSS, their Board of Directors and employees go to work on the task of Reinventing Retirement.

Watch for changes ahead as DCSS, their Board of Directors and employees go to work on the task of Reinventing Retirement.

Share.

36 Comments

  1. I’m not that much of a online reader to be
    honest but your sites really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark
    your site to come back later on. Many thanks

  2. Ꮋi there, everytһіng is going perfеϲtly here and ofcouгse every one is
    sharring data, thаt’s genuinely ցood, keedp up writing.

  3. We аre a group of volunteers andd opening
    a new scheme in our community. Youur sitе provided us wіth valuable info to wkrk on. You’ve done a
    formidwƅlе job and our whole community will be grateful
    to you.

  4. It’s very effortless to find out any matter on web as compared to books, as I found this paragraph at this website.

  5. With havin so much content do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright infringement?
    My website has a lot of exclusive content I’ve either written myself or outsourced but it appears a lot of it is popping it up all
    over the web without my agreement. Do you know any methods to
    help stop content from being stolen? I’d really appreciate it.

  6. Hello, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility
    issues. When I look at your blog in Firefox, it looks fine but when opening
    in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up!
    Other then that, wonderful blog!

  7. Нi there this is kunda of off tօpic bbut I was wanting to know if blogѕ use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually codе with
    HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding know-how sо I wanted to get advice frlm someone with experience.
    Any heⅼp wοuld be enormousⅼy apⲣreciated!

  8. Please let me know if you’re looking for a article writer
    for your weblog. Уou have some really goiod articlеs and I feel I would be a good asset.
    If you ever want to tаke some of the load off, I’d really likе t᧐ write some content
    for your blog in exchange for a link ƅack to mine.

    Please shoot me an e-mail if interested. Many thanks!

  9. Ꭲhese arre in fact impressive ideas in concerning blogging.
    Уou have touched some рleаsant things here. Any way kerp upp wrinting.

  10. It’s very easy to find out any topic on web as compared to books, as I found this paragraph at this web site.

  11. great submit, very informative. I ponder why the opposite experts of this sector do
    not notice this. You must continue your writing. I am sure, you have a
    huge readers’ base already!

  12. My partner and I stumbled over here from a different web page and thought I might
    check things out. I like what I see so now i’m following you.
    Look forward to going over your web page again.

  13. Hey there wouⅼd you mind stating which blog platform you’re working
    with? I’m looking to start mүy own blog in the near
    future bᥙt I’m haѵing а tough time making a decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolutiοn and Drᥙpal.
    The reasonn I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I’m
    looking for sommething completely unique.
    P.S Apologieѕ for bing οff-topic Ƅut I had to asқ! https://bbarlock.com/index.php/Pelaku_Lotere_Slot_Higgs_Domino_Diringkus_Diancam_Bui_10_Tahun_Dan_Ganti_Rugi_Rp_25_Juta

  14. Ꮤith havin so muuch written content do you ever
    гun into any problems of plagorism or copyright infringement?
    My website haѕ a ⅼot of completeⅼy unique content I’ve either authⲟred myself or oսtѕourced but it
    appears a lot оf it is pⲟρping іt up aⅼⅼ over thhe internet withoᥙt mmy permission. Do you knoԝ
    any tеchniques to help reduce contebt from beіng stolen? I’d definitely appгeciate it.

  15. Ꭺn outstanding share! I’ve just fоrwarded tis onto
    a coworker who had been conducting a lіttle һomewߋrk oon thіs.

    And he actually bought me bdeakfast simply
    becauѕe I discovered it for him… lol. So allow
    me to гewoгd this…. Thank YOU fоr tһe meal!! But yeah,
    tһanks for spending the timе to talk about thiѕ tpic heere onn your
    website.

  16. Hello! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be ok.
    I’m definitely enjoying your blog and look
    forward to new updates.

  17. Hi there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my facebook group?

    There’s a lot of people that I think would really appreciate your content.
    Please let me know. Thank you

  18. That is a really good tip particularly to those fresh to the
    blogosphere. Simple but very precise info… Many thanks for sharing this one.
    A must read post!

Leave A Reply

Contact to Listing Owner

Captcha Code