Services for Seniors and Adults with Disabilities

Program Size: 1,500+ individuals served yearly

Services: Transportation, educational and recreational activities, case management, information and referral

Impact Northwest believes that people living in the later stages of life and individuals with disabilities can thrive when they are able to remain in their own homes, surrounded by the community with which they are familiar. Our services for seniors and adults with disabilities are giving people the support they need to be healthy, active engaged members of our community.

Our Information and Assistance program serves as a point of entry for individuals needing assistance with housing, in home care, food, clothing, medical equipment and other pressing needs. We work with partner agencies throughout the region to identify available resources that help people to meet their basic needs and improve the quality of life for those on fixed or limited incomes.

Every week, hundreds of seniors and adults with disabilities come to the Impact Northwest’s Multicultural Center in SE Portland and North Portland Senior Center to take part in organized activities such as bingo games, exercise and wellness classes, and for healthy meals provided by partner agencies. Impact Northwest hosts a variety of educational workshops, including a Finance Seminar offered by our partner, Home Street Bank. These activities provide seniors with social opportunities that reduce feelings of isolation and depression, while also providing an opportunity for them to become aware of other services provided by Impact Northwest.

For those with needs for additional assistance, Impact Northwest provides client support designed to support the safety and quality of life of people who are living independently and who wish to remain in their homes and in their communities.

Transportation: In partnership with Multnomah County ADS, TriMet, and Ride Connection, our program annually provides over 14,000 rides, and the coordination of thousands more, to frail elderly and adults with disabilities for their medical appointments, shopping and life enhancement activities. Two recent, major grants from the United Way have allowed us to expand transportation services, streamline our dispatch and ride-tracking system, and hire a volunteer coordinator to promote volunteer involvement in the program.

Community volunteers participate in our Friendly Visitors program, which provides companionship and support for an isolated elderly person or an adult with disabilities. Volunteers visit once a week, phone regularly, encourage recreation or involvement outside the home and assist with shopping for groceries and other personal needs.

Through our Senior GAP program, we provide money management services for seniors that are otherwise self-sufficient but can no longer adequately manage their own financial affairs. Senior GAP has provided money management, conservator and guardian services for seniors and disabled individuals since 2004. Our program meets the need of seniors to remain independent for as long as possible, safe from financial abuse, fraud, and neglect.

The Congregate Housing Services program is a partnership with the Housing Authority of Portland, where we meet the needs of frail or temporarily disabled seniors and adults with disabilities, living in public housing by providing include case management; in-home care coordination; transportation for shopping and medical appointments; activities; education through partnerships with OASIS, AARP and local community colleges; money management through partnerships with AARP Foundation and Easter Seals of Oregon; legal services through The Oregon Law Center; Medicare/Medicaid information through SHIBA volunteers; and advocacy and education through Elders in Action and the Disabled Services Advisory Council, as well as on-site meal service in a group setting and assistance with activities of daily living.

Through partnerships with Linfield School of Nursing and University of Portland, Impact Northwest provides Medication Management services to seniors in North and Southeast Portland, with the goal of promoting their health and independence. Nursing students from these schools meet with Impact clients one on one to assess their needs and develop care plans to assist them with their medication regimens. The student nurses also present educational seminars on medication management for low-income seniors at community centers and housing sites throughout the city.

For more information about these services, please call (503) 988-3660.