The Foundation for Senior Care: Looking forward and expanding outward

FALLBROOK – If you have a senior family member, or you provide care for an older adult, or you, yourself, have reached the age where you could use some support, then you've likely been to, or heard about, the Foundation for Senior Care.

Located on the corner of South Mission Road and Fig Street, the Foundation for Senior Care is a nonprofit, charitable organization committed to helping seniors, and adults with disabilities, live independently, stay safe and age with dignity.

Established over 40 years ago, the foundation is a vital community asset and the go-to senior agency in Fallbrook and nearby Bonsall, Rainbow and De Luz. The foundation provides transportation, grocery delivery, referrals and advocacy for all types of senior issues, recovery support from hospital-to-home, senior-focused community education, and an adult day program – affectionately called the "Club."

Through the foundation, clients can get a ride to the dentist, borrow a much-needed wheelchair, work with a care advocate to navigate medical paperwork, arrange a home safety assessment, and find a trusted and safe place for the day that offers caregiving, companionship, and interaction with others.

Most services are free-of-charge with a suggested donation, and the adult day program has a fixed fee. Otherwise, the foundation is funded by the Fallbrook Regional Health District and other grants, community businesses, and private donations. In 2022 alone, the foundation provided over 5,100 rides, helped 850 seniors by providing 1,500 trusted referrals, and managed nearly 1,500 total days of care in the adult day program.

Moving forward, the foundation has several key initiatives in the works – all of which involve an expansion of some kind.

First, they intend on expanding services into Southwest Riverside County. Right now, Temecula seniors can get rides to and from the foundation's adult day program. In 2023, plans include offering three key programs (advocacy, transportation, and adult care) and establishing a dedicated Temecula office.

Another area the foundation hopes to expand upon is the ability to offer clients an insurance option to pay for services. As a newly certified Medi-Cal provider and a Community Support Partner, the foundation will be looking for ways to offer clients consistent and familiar payment options for both transportation and adult day care.

The foundation will also work to make further inroads into the local, Spanish-speaking community through focused community outreach and Spanish-language messaging and literature.

A final area that the foundation plans to address is the issue of homelessness – or the threat of homelessness – in the local senior population. Through education and community awareness activities, the foundation hopes to shine a brighter light on this problem and collaborate with senior living communities and other partnerships to find sustainable solutions on how to help overcome obstacles.

For the Foundation of Senior Care, 2023 will be a year of growth and expansion, with the continued objective of helping seniors, and adults with disabilities, receive the compassion, respect, and services they deserve.

For more information about the Foundation for Senior Care, call 760-723-7570 or visit http://www.foundationforseniorcare.org.