Thanks to a partnership among community benefactors and staff at the Area Agency on Aging, birthdays for some seniors served by the agency continue to be happy ones.
Denise Flannigan, of AAA’s Guardianship Unit, relates that DNP Imagingcomm America Corporation’s New Stanton office contacted her about two years ago and offered to provide Christmas gifts to some Guardianship Consumers. After supporting the program for a few years at the holidays, DNP asked what more they could do to support the elder population the Guardianship staff serve. They’re now providing a birthday party each month for one of the Guardianship Consumers. DNP provides a cake and specially selected, beautifully wrapped gifts. On one occasion, they went the extra mile, providing a pizza party for the personal care home where the Guardianship Consumer lives. Happy Camper Cakes ljoined with DNP this month, and began donating festive decorated cakes for the monthly celebrations.
Julie Maystrovich, Human Resources Manager at DNP: “Our employees love to support this effort—we know that sometimes the elderly can be forgotten, especially folks without family or friends around them. It doesn’t take much--a little bit of money and time, and you can make a difference in someone’s life.”
Upon receiving the gifts, cards and cake, the May birthday recipient, a 71 year old woman, stated, “I’ve never had anyone celebrate by birthday since I was a little girl.” She had retired from a career working with animals, her love of them lifelong. DNP incorporated this theme into the gifts, and Happy Camper Cakes made the beautiful dog cake-- a hit with the occupants and staff at her residential facility.
AAA’s Guardianship Unit provides surrogate or substitute decision-making services for persons who are unable to make decisions for them or have no family to do so. Individuals are referred by the agency’s Protective Services Unit. Guardianship Unit staff provide or pursue the provision of services needed to assure adequate food, shelter, clothing, socialization, financial management and safety for those they assist.
The Area Agency on Aging and AAA’s Guardianship Unit applaud the efforts of these thoughtful community members in making their clients’ golden years happy, because everyone deserves to feel like a kid on their birthday