Texas Health issues grant to help Springtown seniors

May 16-- May 16--Texas Health Resources awarded $1.15 million to United Way of Tarrant County to, in part, address food insecurity and social isolation in Springtown's elderly population.

In total, 12 programs in five North Texas regions received $5.2 million as part of the new Texas Health Community Impact initiative. The program located many zip codes that need attention through leadership councils that oversee the five regions.

"This is our opportunity to play a role in upstream issues that impact health and well-being," Texas Health's Vice President of Community Health Improvement Catherine Oliveros said in Texas Health press release. "Siloed efforts have limited success. If we are really going to transform health and health care, we must transform systems and communities."

The Springtown zip code 76082 was chosen along with ones in southeast Fort Worth and east Arlington, all of which will benefit as part of the $1.15 million grant to United Way Tarrant County.

Area Agency on Aging Director and United Way Tarrant County Community Investment Vice President Donald R. Smith said Springtown has a higher percentage of lower income earning older adults, who can face issues like not getting enough healthy food or depression.

"If there's loneliness, there's now a growing body of research that shows that that can lead to more depression and earlier onset of chronic diseases, and in some cases even dementia or Alzheimer's. Texas Health has wisely chosen to address what I think is a growing problem that we're seeing."

United Way Tarrant County is working with organizations like the Parker County Committee on Aging and Good N.E.W.S., both of which offer services to seniors, to address these issues that Texas Health has pinpointed.

PCCOA is expected to help increase home delivered meals to people over age 55 and continue operating a congregate meal program, Smith said. Good N.E.W.S. volunteers will help seniors with transportation to medical appointments.

The initiative may also allow United Way Tarrant County to bring the PEARLS program to Springtown, Smith said. That program brings mental health care for communities with vulnerable elderly residents.

The extra funding can help PCCOA spread more awareness about Meals on Wheels and other services to help seniors, Executive Director Shelly Mowery said.

"The only way we know if someone is in need of Meals on Wheels is either they call us or a loved one calls us or a neighbor reaches out," Mowery said. "I'd like to find a better way that it doesn't have to get to that extreme. That's the only way we know, and then of course, once we know that, we're right in the middle of whatever we can do from groceries to anything besides just our Meals on Wheels, to make their life better, and know that there's somebody there for them."

Good N.E.W.S. Director Terri Bartlett said the initiative will help Good N.E.W.S. continue to aid seniors as well as expand some services. For example, Bartlett may assist in the PEARLS program by screening for depression and referring seniors to an advocate.

"Depression is really rampant among seniors, most especially isolated seniors, but so many times that's kind of overlooked in the senior population," Bartlett said. "They're alone, some of them, they have busy families. Sometimes that doesn't have anything to do with love or caring. People are busy now. People are very mobile."

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