Ursuline Support Services

Programs: Guardianship services - ursuline originally established its guardianship program through a contract with the allegheny county area agency on aging (aaa). This program primarily serves low-income persons who are 60+ in age and meet the aaa criteria for service. Today, ursuline is the only agency in allegheny county contracted to provide such services for this segment of the population. As part of the county contract, ursuline maintains a contract with kane regional nursing centers to provide services to appropriate residents in their facilities. In addition to this county-contracted activity, ursuline provides guardianship services to both indigent wards and those with large estates who reside inside and outside allegheny county. These services are provided through ursuline's private (fee for service) guardianship program to individuals residing in more than 15 counties throughout the western pennsylvania area, the largest concentration of those residing in the cambria care center in cambria county. Services are also provided to wards and other disabled persons through ursuline's special needs trust.

protective services - through a contract with the allegheny county area agency on aging, ursuline's protective services investigators identify older adults who are vulnerable to abuse, neglect and exploitation. These abuses can take the form of self-neglect, caregiver neglect, abandonment, or physical, sexual, emotional and financial distress. Ursuline's staff investigates all allegations of abuse and, through working with various resources, develops a plan to correct the situation.

service coordination/supportive living enhancement program (slep) - with nearly 35 years' experience working with seniors, ursuline is able to meet and face the challenges apparent in present-day public housing facilities. The addition of service coordination was a natural extension of ursuline's existing array of services provided to the elderly throughout the community. In addition to providing information and referral, advocacy and linking individuals to community resources, ursuline's service coordinators throughout the city of pittsburgh work with the residents to arrange recreational activities and provide health support. Service coordinators also arrange informational and educational presentations for residents. Slep is a program of, and underwritten by, the housing authority of the city of pittsburgh and supported by the allegheny county area agency on aging.

good grief center for bereavement support (ggc) - staff, volunteers and student interns provide support and education, create awareness, and in the process, instill hope in people who are grieving. Peer support volunteers and organizational support volunteers work alongside staff at the ggc's location in squirrel hill. Volunteers at ggc have an opportunity to choose from a variety of volunteer opportunities. Independence support services (iss) - -checks & balance - ursuline's money management program (now referred to as "checks & balance"), sponsored by the allegheny county area agency on aging, assists low-income elderly persons who have difficulty with their financial affairs and maintaining their monthly cash flow. Implemented according to a national model developed by aarp, this program matches trained volunteers with seniors who need help budgeting and ensuring that their bills are paid on time. The volunteers prepare bills for payment, assist with check writing and balance checkbooks. One of the core concepts of the program is to keep seniors financially independent, by ensuring that all their monthly obligations are met. Beginning in 2014, the program began offering representative payee services in conjunction with the social security administration using the same volunteer support model that is the basis of the checks & balance program. -cart to heart - volunteer shopping service enables homebound seniors to receive needed groceries on a regular schedule. The program matches local seniors who are in need of shopping with volunteers who want to make a difference in the life of a senior neighbor. This service assists seniors throughout allegheny county and utilizes community volunteers. -reassurance - telephone reassurance volunteers reach out to persons living alone to ensure their well-being. By ensuring that the participant is safe and well enough to answer the phone (and provide emergency follow-up if they do not), these specially trained volunteers help individuals remain stable in their own homes.