Be Santa to a Senior

Seniors’ Economic Struggles Continue This Holiday; Santa Program Provides Assistance

Be a Santa to a Senior,® the popular campaign that has delivered 1.5 million gifts to needy seniors throughout North America during the past seven years, again is helping older adults cope in tough economic times. 

The area office of the Home Instead Senior Care® network, the world’s largest provider of non-medical in-home care and companionship services for older adults, has partnered with Avery Plaza, Age Well Senior Services, San Juan Mobile Estates, Dana Point Senior Center, Florence Sylvester Senior Center, Lake Forest Senior Center, Lakeview Senior Center, Meals on Wheels, Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, Rancho Santa Margarita Senior Center (Bell Tower Community Center), Rancho Senior Center, San Clemente Senior Center, San Juan Capistrano Community Center and Sea Country Community Center, Mission Viejo Montessori, and Capistrano Valley Christian Schools as well as Curves in San Clemente and Rancho Santa Margarita and Senior Care Medical Associates to provide gifts and companionship to seniors who otherwise might not receive either this holiday season.

“Many older adults continue to struggle in a down economy, particularly those who live alone with no family nearby to help provide resources,” said Joe Sanders, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving Southern Orange County, Irvine to San Clemente and Dana Point to Rancho Santa Margarita. Seniors have faced a trying year amid the threat of Social Security payment delays as part of the debt-ceiling debate. What’s more, seniors have lost almost one-third (32 percent) of their buying power since 2000, according to the Annual Survey of Senior Costs from The Senior Citizens League (TSCL).

 That’s where Be a Santa to a Senior can help. Before the holiday season, the participating local nonprofit organizations will identify needy and isolated seniors and provide those names to the local Home Instead Senior Care office. Christmas trees, which will be up at Senior Medical Associates (23521 Paseo de Valencia Suite 108 in Laguna Hills), and at Curves (101 Via Pico Plaza in San Clemente and 29821 Aventura in Rancho Santa Margarita) until December 28 will feature ornaments with the first names only of the seniors and their gift requests.

 Holiday shoppers can pick up an ornament, buy items on the list and return them unwrapped to the store, along with the ornament attached. “We hope holiday shoppers will open their hearts to those seniors who have given so much to make our community a better place,” Sanders said.

For more information about the program, visit www.beasantatoasenior.com.

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Editor’s Note: For more information, or to arrange photos, contact Chris Lawler at 888.566.7671.

ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE

Founded in 1994 in Omaha by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care® network is the world's largest provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 900 independently owned and operated franchises providing in excess of 45 million hours of care throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, Finland, Austria, Italy and Puerto Rico. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ more than 65,000 CAREGiversSM worldwide who provide basic support services – assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), personal care, medication reminders, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, incidental transportation and shopping – which enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. At Home Instead Senior Care, it’s relationship before task, while continuing to provide superior quality service that enhances the lives of seniors everywhere.