With the economy in the shape it is, there is no doubt that many people have fallen on difficult times. It is even more disturbing that many of our senior citizens, both retired and still working, have been some of the most hardest hit, especially with increasing gas bills, electric bills and other expenses.
May 1st marked the beginning of the Ceda, PIPP Programs and the ComEd Weatherization program, that help alleviate the stress of bills and heavy payments on our seniors.
At Arab American Family Services, we place our seniors on a pedestal and strive to help them get every benefit they earned and deserve.
Wafa Zegar, lead case manager of the elderly services department, says that every senior that walks through her doors is not just a client, they are treated like family.
“We treat them the way we want to be treated and the way we would like to see our family be treated,” said Zegar.
“As I always say, we may never know, we could be that client one day that walks through the door and needs assistance, we want them to feel calm and relaxed and assure that they are given all the help they need, along with patience and respect,” she said.
Zegar’s initial meeting with her senior clients begins with a thorough assessment to determine which services they qualify for. This is performed by asking questions based on income, rent, mortgage and other factors. Zegar says that it is important, when dealing with such private information, to assure the client is treated with the upmost respect and to help them stay relaxed during what some may consider, a tough subject to discuss.
AAFS success stories show throughout the proven track record that we are proud of. When some seniors were close to giving up and faced with so much adversity, we were able to step in and show them that there is hope. They are not just a number or a statistic, they are valued and respected and we ARE here to help.
“I recently had a client who was 104 years-old,” said Zegar.
“She was having a difficult time renewing her medical benefits due to the fact that the State of Illinois did not even believe she was alive,” she said.
This woman’s caregivers visited our office and brought in a beautiful picture of the client who was celebrating her birthday.
“We put a case together for her, along with a letter with all the necessary documents and sent them to the local Department of Human Services office,” said Zegar.
“Once we were able to explain the situation to DHS, her case was immediately reactivated and her medical card was reissued, this was as rewarding as they come,” she said.
Another case worker success stories was when an elderly woman came to our office with a heartbreaking story.
She was a low-income client, taking care of her divorced daughter and her daughter’s four children. She had an outstanding ComEd electric balance of $900. We were able to help her apply for Liheap and upon reviewing her case, we were able to prove she was eligible for the ComEd hardship program where they would take care of the past due balance.
Our client was ecstatic!
“We are persistent in helping our clients,” said Zegar.
“We do not give up on our clients like some other agencies do. If we cannot help them, we keep looking until we provide them with resources if we can’t offer them,” she said.
“We are trusted and caring and I believe that is why our clients come to us, they know they are in safe hands,” said Zegar.
(708) 599-2237
