By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
The Grand Traverse County Commission on Aging will debut its new six-bay garage a week from Friday, showcasing a range of services available to area elderly homeowners.
Situated on Keystone Road, the new facility will hold the fleet of standing lawn mowers, leaf blowers, snow blowers, shovels, weed whackers and other assorted equipment. County employees use these items to maintain the yards of seniors living independently but unable to do the work.
The 2,600-square-foot Home Chore garage building replaces a cramped, one-bay facility the program outgrew as clientele expanded. The program has four full-time employees on staff who service participants.
"The reason why we built the garage, we received a new millage last year and so we added new clients and staff," noted Jill Case, Chores program coordinator for the Commission on Aging. "Now that we're up to four crews, we needed more and it's just going to keep growing."
The Home Chore program serves between 250-310 clients whose average age is 80 years old. Different clients receive different help, with the most popular assistance being lawn mowing, a service used by 310 clients.
"Not everybody gets everything, they get what they want and need," said Case.
Any county resident more than 60 years old is eligible for the program if a medical reason precludes them from doing the work themselves. The county charges a sliding scale fee that varies with the job, usually between $1-$20 an hour, billing clients monthly. The program does not have any income eligibility requirements.
"Any money we make goes right back in to the program so we can help more people," said Case.
City resident Mary Way has been enrolled in the Home Chore program for between 10-15 years. The county helps her with snow shoveling, lawn mowing, outdoor window washing and leaf blowing. The affordable rate allows her to keep her oversized lot looking nice as well as safe.
"They do everything and if it weren't for them, I would not be able to be living in my home," said Way. "I have a son and a daughter, but they work, though they do a lot for me."
Way also has a home health aid visit her twice a week to take her blood pressure and pulse, help her bathe and changing her bedding. Another Commission on Aging helper comes every other week to clean, performing chores such as mopping, dusting and vacuuming.
All these services are facets of the Commission on Aging's mission to promote elderly independence.
Beyond enabling her to stay in her home at 92, for Way the helpers become friends.
"They're just lovely, every one of them," she said. "They're just fine and I've never, never had a problem with any of them — in fact I make friends with them and I look forward to their coming."
The open house for the new Grand Traverse County Commission on Aging's Home Chore garage will be held on Friday, July 28 at 2 p.m. The building is located at 2565 N. Keystone Road, next to the Animal Control facility. For more information on the event or the Home Chore program, contact the commission at 922-4688.