Senior Services of Rock County

Benefit specialist: the elderly benefit specialist is a person who istrained to help older persons who are having problems with theirprivate or government benefits. Often times referred to as red tapecutters, the benefit specialist position specializes in assisting olderpersons with the extensive and complicated paperwork that is oftenrequired in benefit programs. The benefit specialist is continuallytrained by attorneys knowledgeable in elder law. Major benefits thatthe benefit specialist assists with are: medicare, medigap, ssi,social security, medical assistance, homestead tax credit, andfoodshare.

Senior Services has a display of assistive devices that we demonstrate for wi residents. Clients try the equipment to see if it is effective. We also assist them in the application process; this program utilizes the telecommunication equipment purchase program (tepp) to provide vouchers to eligible clients with limitations in speech, hearing, vision and/or mobility. Our program receives commissions from the vendors of this adaptive equipment. We use this income to pay for the administration of this program.

Stop Gap Registry and Home Repair Registry sends in screened, qualified workers to provide supportive home care to our clients who reside in Rock County, WI and receive county assistance; these workers are our employees and/or independent contractors and we refer them to clients homes to provide assistance on a scheduled basis. They provide such tasks as cooking, cleaning, vacuuming, run errands, assist with bathing, laundry, and home repair chores such as mowing and shovelling, etc. We pay our workers semi-monthly and bill the county or private long-term care insurance monthly at a higher rate which produces the revenue to run this program and cover administrative costs.