Alone at the End of the Road

About the project

 

 

From Yuma on the Mexican border to Bullhead City in the north, each year sees thousands of winter visitors coming from as far away as eastern Canada. These retirees come to spend the winter in a climate that’s warmer than their home state or province.

 

Often a choice is made to stay in Arizona year-round, for a variety of reasons.Time passes, and aging, along with any illness or disability progresses. Some people have no local friends or family to help them. Where and how do they find help?

 

In La Paz County, the Parker Senior Center is truly the central access point for services of all kinds, ranging from basic needs such as food and clothing, to home health & "age-in-place" assistance.

 

Providing services to those who live outside the population centers is difficult and costly. Funding cuts from governments, as well as decreased donations from the public, and fewer granting opportunities due to a lagging economy, all combine to present challenges to serving this population.

 

However, services that help the elderly stay in their homes can be provided at dramatically lower costs than traditional assisted living or skilled nursing facilities. It is a maxim in the non-profit field that communities tend to support the more successful programs the most, and while the Parker Senior Center has exceptional community support, it is also true that La Paz County is the poorest county in the state.

 

The median family income is only about $27,000 per year; well below national and state averages. Meanwhile, 32% of the county’s population is already 65 or over, well above the averages for other Arizona counties, and this number will continue to grow for the next decade and a half as the Baby Boomer generation ages.

 

Please note: while this project was begun with the best of intentions, we have been unable to raise the funding necessary to continue with parts 2 & 3. And as things in life are in constant flux, I find I am moving to Phoenix to help out with the grandkids. I'm leaving the website here to keep the video and background material available for the use of the Parker Senior Center, WACOG, and those in Western Arizona who may find it useful!