Treasuring our seniors

From caring for pregnant women and infants to nursing care for those at the twilight of life, Catholic Charities preserves and protects the sanctity and dignity of human life at every stage of the life cycle. To be sure, compassionate care of seniors has been a vital part of our mission since our founding more than 100 years ago. 

It is truly an honor to care for seniors, whom Pope Francis reminds us are a treasury of wisdom and a gift of love and beauty for the church and the world. With every encounter, Catholic Charities strives to show our treasured seniors God’s love and mercy through our tender care and deep concern for them. 

As the population of people over 65 has increased and life expectancies have risen, Catholic Charities has responded by greatly expanding our service offerings to meet growing needs. Today, Catholic Charities is a leader in services to older adults, trusted by government and private funders to care for some of the most vulnerable seniors in our midst. 

We provide safe and affordable housing, in-home care, senior activity and adult day-care centers, meal programs, elder abuse investigations, long-term nursing care, hospital transition services, short-term rehabilitation and social services to nearly 300,000 seniors each year.

Although many of Catholic Charities services are open to seniors of all income levels, our in-home care programs traditionally have been provided to those who meet certain state low-income guidelines and geographic boundaries. However, over the past several years, increasing numbers of seniors and their families who don’t qualify for state aid have requested Catholic Charities to help with these needs. 

Some have been frequent participants at our senior activity centers or dining locations and now need more assistance, some are donors or volunteers who are well-acquainted with Catholic Charities, and some have just heard “through the grapevine” about the high quality of Catholic Charities’ senior programs.

We are honored they are reaching out to Catholic Charities for this important service and we are excited to announce that with the creation of Catholic Charities Home to Stay program, we can now help older adults of any income level and in all parts of Cook County with their in-home care needs.

Catholic Charities Home to Stay program is individually tailored to help seniors with as little or as much as is needed. 

We can prepare meals; help with bathing and dressing; perform light housekeeping and laundry duties; sit with a senior while a family member is away; or escort seniors to the grocery store, errands or medical appointments. Our home care aides receive extensive training and supervision and are chosen for their desire to help improve seniors’ quality of life. Many of our aides have been with us for years and enjoy close, long-term friendships with the seniors in their care. 

In addition to our Home to Stay program, Catholic Charities also operates three adult day-care centers, including two on the city’s South Side and Accolade Adult Day Care in Oak Park. The centers are available to seniors of all income levels and are ideal for caregivers who work during the day, or who need a regular or occasional respite from caregiving. 

Our centers are secure facilities, have nursing care and can accept seniors with cognitive and medical impairments. Seniors receive breakfast, lunch and a snack and are involved in a variety of activities that help them stay as active and engaged as possible.

With all of our senior programs, Catholic Charities’ goal is to help seniors gracefully age in place and safely remain in their own homes and communities. As our service offerings continually expand to meet growing needs, we welcome the opportunity to provide even greater numbers of seniors with the care and compassion that is worthy of their essential human dignity.  

For information about Home to Stay, call 312-655-7415 or email [email protected]. For information about adult day-care, call 312-655-7700.