QUINCY, Fla. (WTXL) — The Elder Affairs department is new for Gadsden county but Senior services are not. Gadsden County Senior Services has been providing services to seniors for 30 years.
LaToya Fryson, director for the Elder Affairs department said this will help them offer services to more areas in the county.
"This is a way for us to grow and expand and the word I like to use is corner the market to provide anything or any available services to seniors," said Fryson.
Dritches Clery started utilizing the senior center about a year ago. She said once she started, she couldn't stop.
"I retired and I didn't have anything to do at home and I tried it for a couple of days and now I don't want to miss because there be something going on that I didn't see before that could probably enrich my life some... so I like coming," Clery said.
With the creation of the Elder Affairs Department, Clery hopes it will make seniors more aware of the services available to them.
"I don't think we have enough participation and I think it's because they don't know the services are being offered," said Clery.
Services they offer include events, transportation for those events, utility assistance, congregant meals, home making and companionship services, and programming, but Fryson said that's not all they offer.
"We are that one stop shop for any services, if they need prescription assistance, we know how to link them for services for that, if they need information for burial, or getting connected to a funeral home, we can provide them and connect them for resources as well," Fryson explained.
Gadsden County provided $475,000 in funding to create the department. They also work with insurance providers to provide the home making and companionship services.
