Life Senior Services

Last year, Life Senior Services (Life or lss) helped over 30,000 seniors, caregivers and disabled adults navigate challenges and opportunities by providing information, education, and Services to help them maintain their independence and quality of Life. Additionally, Life is a trusted community resource, providing information and resources to health and social Services professionals who support seniors. Lss offers a wide variety of programs and Services to meet the needs of seniors and caregivers, including: seniorline: aging can present new challenges and questions, seniorline focuses on providing answers, solutions and resources. Lss's seniorline brings convenient access to hundreds of Services through dozens of organizations. Callers are connected not only to Life's Services, but to local, state, and national programs, helping address problems, large and small. Adult day Services: lss offers nationally-accredited adult day Services at three locations in tulsa and broken arrow. Life's adult day health centers offer a safe, friendly, daytime home for adults who may be socially isolated, have a physical impairment, alzheimer's, dementia, mental health issues, or a developmental disability. The centers also provide support to family and caregivers, making the time at home more manageable and enjoyable. Lss's three adult day centers are the only centers in Oklahoma accredited by carf (the commission on accreditation of rehabilitation facilities). Case management Services: aging in place is the goal for most of us. Lss's medicaid advantage program and independent case management teams focus on helping people remain independent and safely at home. By matching a Senior's needs with in-home and community-based resources, case managers help fill the gaps that threaten an individual's independence and safety. With the right supports in place, seniors can remain independent, safe, comfortably at home. Caregiver support Services: lss offers support and Services essential for successful care giving. Personal resource counseling, information and referral, classes, support groups, and three resource centers help lighten the load of caregivers of all ages. Behavioral health Services: seniors may experience mental health challenges at the same rate as other age groups, but they are the least- likely demographic to seek help. Therefore, it is particularly important to remove any barriers for seniors who may need professional therapy. Changes such as chronic illness or loss of a spouse can cause depression or anxiety. Life's behavioral health Services are free of charge to any Senior who needs them, and are especially designed to meet the unique needs of aging adults; some of these Services are provided in partnership with family and children's Services. Community education: lss offers a variety of community education programs and an active speaker bureau to help older adults and their families learn more about issues, Services, resources, and opportunities. Senior centers: research shows that staying active and socially connected are key components to aging well and living longer. Life's two Senior centers offer seniors a safe space to enjoy a wide variety of social, creative, educational, and physical activities. The centers offer space for both structured classes and casual relaxation. Publications: lss publishes "the vintage newsmagazine" an award-winning publication written especially with seniors' interests and issues in mind. It reaches over 82,000 readers monthly, and is a trusted resource for information on Senior issues. Lss also publishes the annual "the vintage guide to housing and Services" - Oklahoma's most comprehensive guide to Senior resources - which in 2022 expanded to cover central Oklahoma as well, with a combined total of over 50,000 copies distributed at no charge. Medicare assistance program: the medicare assistance program offers information, education, and personal one-on-one enrollment assistance to medicare beneficiaries in 21 counties in northeastern Oklahoma, sponsored by the Oklahoma insurance department. Through medicare assistance with part-d enrollment, Life helped 5,038 seniors last year find more effective plans, resulting in an average savings of 1,948 per person. Volunteers: lss offers a variety of volunteer opportunities to seniors, serving as a centralized resource for seniors wanting to volunteer and non-profits who need help. Volunteers also help here at lss, assisting us and those we serve in a multitude of ways, serving as board and committee members or working directly with the seniors we serve. Their donation of time provides a personal touch and allows Life to maximize its impact. Tax assistance program: the tax counseling for the elderly (tce) program offers free tax preparation assistance annually by trained irs-certified volunteers, available to help seniors age 60 and older, making 54,000 or less annually, with free, basic income tax preparation and electronic filing. In 2022, Life prepared and e-filed returns for 1,685 taxpayers. General administrative and fundraising: accounts for the administrative operations of lss, and fundraising campaigns and special events to obtain donations to support Life's programs. Life is uniquely broad in its range of Services for seniors. Its comprehensive nature allows seniors and caregivers to spend less time researching, and have a resource for a variety of issues. It helps identify solutions in an often complicated landscape, and enhances the quality of care as needs change. As an umbrella organization, lss provides an effective and efficient combination of programs, providing abundant resources for lower administrative costs.