Growing older faces its own unique challenges. Here’s a look at what resources are available in Philadelphia

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In Philadelphia, 26.4% of the population is above the age 55, 15% are past retirement age and those numbers are only projected to grow. Older adults in Philadelphia make up a significant portion of the population, yet the problems they face are often overlooked and passed by.

They experience the highest rates of social isolation, are more likely to be living under the poverty line than average Philadelphians and face ageism and stigmas preventing them from looking for solutions.

People like Sharlene Waller have made it their mission to change the perception around those problems, and she’s doing it, even if it means fielding one phone call at a time.

“On the day I buried my mother, I’m getting ready to get in the limousine to go to my mother’s funeral service. I get a phone call,” Waller said.

The caller was a woman who was worried about her parent being in the hospital. She was confused and didn’t know who to turn to, but even while Waller was grieving the loss of her own mother, she stayed on the phone and answered every question.

It’s this passion that’s led Waller, the executive director for the Mayor’s Commission on Aging, to advocate and raise awareness about the problems older adults face in Philadelphia. She started as a receptionist at a senior center, and worked her way up to become the director of the same center.

And she’s not alone.

There are many people, programs and organizations in the city of Philadelphia that help its aging community.

The problems older Philadelphians face

Stigmas around aging often make older adults reluctant to ask for help, said Katie Young, a planning manager at Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, which is a partner of the Mayor’s Commission on Aging.

“Something that our society has ingrained in us that it’s not okay to ask for help or, you know, be an older adult,” she said, adding that ageism can exacerbate some problems.

Another concern is the high cost surrounding programs geared towards this community, Young said. This concern is largely unfounded for Philadelphia Corporation for Aging’s programs because “much of it is fully funded, or a sliding scale to be able to get services.”

That highlights one of the biggest issues with combating the problems older adults face: awareness.

One of the main ways the commission accomplishes its mission of sustaining a supportive environment for older Philadelphians is “by increasing public awareness about issues affecting older adults in the city of Philadelphia,” Waller said.

“I just want every older adult — not even just older adults — but their caregivers, their family members to know, like, don’t be out there by yourself and not ask a question, or think that you don’t have anywhere to call. Call me,” she said.

Philadelphia’s programs

Throughout the city, there are programs designed for older adults that are waiting to be used, addressing issues from loneliness to help with accessing state assistance benefits to free SEPTA fares.

One of the stalwart programs Waller mentioned was the Senior Community Service Employment Program, which is “the job training program for individuals 60 and older in the city of Philadelphia.”

We “make sure that older adults, whether they want to continue to be in the workforce or coming back to the workforce, are able to be trained in the proper ways to make their skills and make their resumes grow,” Waller said.

Some other job related programming is run through community colleges and Temple University, making sure older adults’ resumes are up to date.

And, if an older adult doesn’t want to work but wants to stay involved, “we recommend that they volunteer within the city of Philadelphia,” Waller said.

This is the avenue Amelia Mitchell took, volunteering in the kitchen at Star Harbor Senior Community Center. She’s a member — which is free — and a regular at the center, coming everyday, working out and enjoying company.

“We’re just like family,” Mitchell said.

Senior centers like Star Harbor, which is a Philadelphia Corporation for Aging affiliated site, are another great resource for older Philadelphians, Young said.

“Some are simply congregate meal sites where they have limited programming, but a daily meal available, and the others are full blown senior centers that have a plethora of programming, education, health and wellness,” she said.

One example of this programming at Star Harbor is a “phone tech,” as Kenneth Munson put it. He is also a member and said he appreciates learning from the phone tech, notably being taught how to post on Facebook.

Another one of the programs Munson said he is a fan of is when a social worker comes in for a discussion about the topics most pressing to the center’s members, which happens on Wednesdays.

This education is a core tenet of both the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging and the Mayor’s Commission on Aging. Waller said one of the commission’s main missions is to make older adults their own best advocate by educating and supporting them.

When it comes to the most important issues that older adults face whether that is health and Medicare related or income and Social Security related, the commission is there to help with the BenePhilly program that offers free, personal help applying for public benefits.

When talking about Social Security, Walker said that “unfortunately, right now, all you get is the call center or you get the phone that just constantly rings and older adults get frustrated. So, sometimes we have to be that person that goes in and calls or maybe contact our state representative.”

After Waller’s time working at a senior center, she began working on boards for organizations helping older adults, later shifting her focus to work on the staff of Isabella Fitzgerald, a former Pennsylvania state representative.

Mayor Cherelle Parker led her return to senior advocacy, picking her to lead the Mayor’s Commission on Aging.

A list of resources

Below is a list of resources Waller or Young mentioned during their interviews or were compiled from the Mayor’s Commission on Aging website.

• Caregiver Support Program: Designed for both people taking care of older relatives and for older people taking care of younger relatives, giving a stipend for the caregiver.
• Domiciliary Care Program: This program pairs a resident who cannot live alone due to physical, emotional or mental impairments with one who can take care of them, it has a stipend to help with costs.
• Senior Companion Program: This is similar to the Domiciliary Care Program, pairing an adult 55 or older with a homebound, isolated older adult.
• BenePhilly: Free one-on-one help for older adults who want or need to enroll in public benefit programs.
• Senior Centers: A list of PCA senior centers.
• SEPTA Senior Fare Card: This card allows free transportation on SEPTA buses, trolleys, metro lines and regional rails that start and end in Pennsylvania.
• PA MEDI: A free service to help older adults understand their Medicare coverage, or help them get enrolled in the first place.

These are just some of the many resources that are available for older adults in the city of Philadelphia. Some, like PA MEDI, are applicable to any older Pennsylvanian.

For a full list of resources, visit the Mayor’s Commission on Aging website, and its list of resources.

Also visit the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging’s website too.

The Mayor’s Commission on Aging’s phone number is 215-686-8450.

Philadelphia Corporation for Aging’s help line is 215-765-9040.