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Berkeley County Senior Services outlines expanded in‑home care, new dementia-simulation training and ongoing meal and outreach work
Summary
The executive director of Berkeley County Senior Services reviewed expanded in-home homemaker services, a pilot virtual dementia tour training for staff and caregivers, meal-delivery operations covered under the Older Americans Act, and other community activities; she thanked the commission for prior support and requested continued backing.
Amy Orndoff, executive director of Berkeley County Senior Services, thanked the commission for prior support and outlined program expansions, a new dementia-simulation training pilot and ongoing meal- and home-care operations.
Orndoff said the agency added a homemaker program that expands allowable in-home services to include more extensive light housekeeping, laundry and dusting in addition to personal care, bathing and meal preparation. She described a pilot “virtual dementia tour” training for staff that uses sensory overlays — goggles, gloves, auditory distraction and shoe inserts to simulate neuropathy — to help staff and caregivers better understand day-to-day challenges faced by people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The agency plans to train staff, then caregivers, and later the broader community.
Orndoff said the agency employs about 100 staff, most of whom provide in-home care and meal delivery. She noted Berkeley County Senior Services’ meals are provided on a donation basis under the Older Americans Act and that the agency continues to serve homebound seniors even if donors cannot pay. She described an example in which staff assisted a client who lost housing and required coordinated emergency help to secure temporary shelter and later an apartment.
The director described other services and community engagement: a fleet of three “hot-cold” meal trucks (with one vehicle from 2010 still in use and being repaired), outreach events, chair-volleyball outings with local high-school teams, and plans for senior outings and an AED donation. Commissioners praised staff monitoring and follow-up, and no appropriation or policy actions were taken during the presentation.
Ending: Orndoff reiterated appreciation for county support and asked the commission to continue funding and collaboration; commissioners thanked staff and noted the agency’s community contributions.
