Seniors lose a lifeline - S.F. eliminates escort program

[Kadie]

Seniors lose a lifeline
S.F. budget problems lead to elimination of escort program
Julian Guthrie, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, January 13, 2005


A program that survived five mayors over 25 years and brought door- to-door service to thousands of senior citizens in San Francisco will close Friday because of budget cuts, leaving a vulnerable and largely unseen population with nowhere to turn.

The elders served by the Senior Escort Program and Crime Prevention Services are invisible to most. Many live in small apartments and have no one to take them to the bank, doctor or store. Some reside in sketchy neighborhoods and fear venturing out alone. Others have medical impairments such as blindness and bad hips and need extra help.

The program, which primarily provides shopping and medical escorts, has 356 elderly people in its current client base and costs the city $800,000 a year.

Darrick Lam, executive director of the city Department of Aging and Adult Services, lamented the loss of the program but said San Francisco faces a growing, multimillion-dollar deficit this fiscal year and next. "The Senior Escort Program is a very expensive program," Lam said. "We have created a task force to look at ways to fill the gap."

more...
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/01/13/MNGATAPKOB1.DTL

The answer to most problems, create a task force. /sarcasm

[murray hill farm]

1. That is so sad!

What can replace that for the elderly and disabled..who are so vulnerable..even if they are able to get out on their own.?

[pinto]

2. Doesn't the "task force" solution just burn...if SF can't afford the costs

why isn't Mr. Lam on the phone to any number of qualified volunteer organizations trying to enlist some able bodied support. And going back to the budget folks to keep enough funding to coordinate in-kind service?

Bureaucracy's great when it works and a hell of a stonewall when it doesn't.....my 2 cents.

[secedeeconomically]

3. I was wondering at first what type of escort you were refering to lol

[Malva Zebrina]

4. the elderly are the most exploited population

In this illustration, the Nazis demonstrated that the daily cost to the state of maintaining one chronically ill person (5.5 marks) could be better spent supporting an entire healthy German family.

[stopbush]

5. It would have been nice to create the task force BEFORE

and had them offer solutions BEFORE cutting the program. Surely a city like SF could have band-aided the program for a few months.

Where are the expenses? Most likely in the transport services. What are those van companies going to do to replace the revenues they've lost? Surely, they would have agreed to a temporary cut in revenues over a complete end to the program.

This cut happens now. The effects will be felt immediately. In a few months, the problem will have dissipated into the ether as these unseen seniors suffer and die. Seniors scared and in their apts or dead = end of problem! Next, we'll hear that they budgeted $800,000 for the task force to find a solution.

Meanwhile, there's plenty of money around to coronate the monkey and throw cigar parties for the Gropinator's buds.

Sick.