Supportive Services
For information on resources and services needed to remain independent in the community, you can contact the Area Agency on Aging 1-B. They assist individuals seeking information on Medicare or Medicaid benefits. They also offer the assistance of a professional Resource Specialist or Support Coordinator to help them develop a plan that meets their specific care needs.

St. Clair County Senior Citizens Millage funds provides match money to Agency on Aging 1-B for critical state and federal grants.

Elder Advocate
Blue Water Safe Horizons provides advocacy services for those aged 60 and over who identify as victims of abuse. Older adults who are trying to rebuild their lives from abuse present with a variety of needs. Most notable is a safe and accessible living environment as well as access to the resources needed for building and enhancing quality of life (physical, psychological, social, intellectual, and financial). The Advocate benefits victims by providing crisis intervention, allowing them the ability to recount experiences or express feelings without blame or judgement. The Advocate also helps address a victim’s safety concerns by discussing fears and creating an individualized safety plan.

Emergency Shelter
Carolyn’s Place provides shelter and supportive services to female survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their dependent children, as well as, women impacted by elder abuse and exploitation. Carolyn’s Place is staffed twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and is supported by counselors and victim advocates. Shelter and services are free, voluntary, survivor centered, and non-judgmental. Services are created to empower survivors by providing information, tools, resources, and opportunities to support individual choice, confidence building and decision making.

Older Adult Counseling Program
The Older Adult Counseling Program at Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan provides mental health counseling and case management services to adults, sixty (60) years and older, who reside in St. Clair County. They offer clinical services to those who are experiencing psychological problems, trauma, or whose social well-being is impaired by a significant life change or crisis.

Senior Nutrition
For those seniors who are home bound, Council on Aging’s Senior Nutrition Program provides a nutritious hot meal delivered right to their door. For those seniors who are mobile and able to get out, the congregate meal sites provide a safe welcoming setting to share a meal and socialize with others. To qualify for the home delivered meals, you must be a senior who is considered home bound or unable to prepare adequate meals for yourself.
Transportation
The Council on Aging Senior Transportation is a door to door transportation service that covers the entire county. Their fleet of wheel chair accessible buses and one car transport seniors to doctor appointments, shopping, to visit friends and family or to their local senior centers.
Personal Care/Homemaker Service
Personal Care service is provided to seniors in their homes who require assistance with their activities of daily living. Assistance with transferring out of bed in the morning and then back in at night, assistance with toileting, bathing/grooming, dressing and ambulation can be provided. Meal assistance, both preparing and feeding, is also provided. The Homemaker service is for seniors who have a strong desire to remain independent, but are unable to perform routine household chores. The service provides light housekeeping, laundry, grocery shopping as well as light meal preparation.
Information and Referral and Resource Advocacy
This service is provided in the privacy of an office or the home of the senior. Referrals are made to Resource Advocacy when Information and Referral has been called by a senior, family member, neighbor, hospital, church, other agency, etc. In most cases, a home visit ensues and the worker assesses the full range of needs, makes the senior aware of available services, and discusses the various alternatives to his or her problems. This enables the senior to choose a solution that meets their needs most appropriately.
Chore Services
The Chore Service lends assistance to area seniors through the provision of heavy household maintenance. This service might include, scrubbing floors; washing walls and windows: shampooing and tacking down rugs; cleaning attics and basements to remove fire and health hazards; installing screens or storm windows; cutting grass and yard clean up; clearing walkways of snow and cleaning gutters and downspouts.
Home Repair / Home Injury Control
This service provides a safe and reliable means of having repairs done in a senior’s home. Seniors know they can trust the Council on Aging to make the needed repairs and don't have to worry about finding another contractor. Examples of work are: wheelchair ramps, grab bars/handrails, weatherization, electrical and plumping repairs, and repairs of doors/windows and screens.
Senior Programs
The Council on Aging’s four multipurpose senior centers (Port Huron, Yale, Marine City, Capac) conduct programming that develops strengths and encourages independence. The programs and centers provide seniors information, recreation, socialization, education, health monitoring, physical fitness, nutritious meals, travel and a host of other activities.
Adult Day Service (Starpath)
Starpath is an approved Dementia Care Center that provides activities aimed at preserving maximum independence and reducing the severity of the symptoms of the affected individuals. Activities include socialization, cognitive stimulation, physical rehabilitation, daily living skills, as well as music, occupational and recreational therapies. Each of these interventions cultivates preserved abilities and reduces the effects of lost abilities. Daily meals are provided as well as dedicated transportation to the program.
Foster Grandparent Program
The Foster Grandparent Program is designed to engage limited income seniors in service across the nation through assisting and mentoring at-risk children within their own communities. In exchange, the seniors are provided benefits and other support to help them remain physically and mentally active.

Housing Matters, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to assist, support and connect persons in need with housing matters; support and promote families, neighborhoods and economic self-sufficiency; and to partner with local agencies to expand the service to persons of low to moderate income, including seniors and persons with disabilities. Currently, Housing Matters, Inc. owns a single-family home (two bedroom) within the City of Port Huron that places homeless seniors transitioning to permanent housing – the Foundations program.

The Foundations program is designed for St. Clair County resident senior citizens aged 60 years or older who are experiencing homelessness and/or those who are on the verge of becoming homeless. The Foundations program goal is to house 6 to 8 resident seniors a year and partner with local agencies to secure permanent housing and support services within 90 to 120 days. The Foundations program rent is at no cost to the senior and is funded by the St. Clair County Senior Citizens’ Millage.

Currently Housing Matters partners with HARA and Public Guardian’s Office who provide referrals to the Foundations program. The Port Huron Housing Commission’s Elderly/Disabled Service Coordinator acts as a liaison between the two agencies and Foundations to oversee that the senior’s needs are being meet and to help coordinate wrap around services.

Free Lodging, Transportation and Amenities
The Hunter Hospitality House Inc. (HHH) is a non-profit organization that provides free lodging, transportation and amenities to individuals with a loved one in a local medical facility or for someone needing medical treatments several times a week. (HHH) has two bed and breakfast style homes near both hospitals in Port Huron, Michigan (McLaren – Port Huron and Lake Huron Medical Center). The St. Clair County Senior Citizens Millage funds are available to residents 60 years and older who qualify to stay at the Hunter Hospitality Houses in Port Huron.

Legal Assistance to Residents Aged 60 Years Plus
Lakeshore Legal Aid provides free legal assistance to residents over 60 years of age. The Port Huron office focuses on senior abuse and exploitation issues, domestic violence cases, consumer protection cases, housing and public benefits, and other noncriminal legal matters that may impact a senior's ability to remain safe and independent. An attorney hotline, the Counsel & Advocacy Law Line (CALL), provides legal advice, reviews and prepares documents, and negotiates with opposing parties (landlord, collection agencies, etc.) when the legal matter can be resolved without more involved interactions or litigation.

Memory Care Services Program
The Memory Care Service program provides individualized care by Certified Nursing Assistants, health monitoring and therapies to stimulate the mind and increase physical activity. The client receives an assessment and support, as needed, through the following services: a registered nurse on-site for medical evaluation and health monitoring, physical therapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, dietary monitoring, licensed nutritionist counseling and chaplain services for spiritual counseling and support. To qualify for the Memory Care program, clients must be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or other related forms of decreased mental abilities (dementia).

Dietary Supplement
Provides nutritional supplement/snacks for the Memory Care Service program.

Bed Bug Assistance
Port Huron Housing Commission identifies indigent seniors that are unable to perform the preparation of their apartments, determine if a new bed is warranted and recommend mattress covers. Overnight accommodations can be made if the senior needs to be removed from the apartment for a period of time due to the chemicals being used. These services are available to senior residents 60 and over that reside in Port Huron, Marysville, St. Clair and Algonac Public Housing facilities.

Beds for Low Income Seniors
The St. Clair County Senior Citizens Millage funds are being utilized to provide direct service cost for obtaining beds for low income residents 60 years and older within the Public Housing Program.

Senior Housing Case Manager
The St. Clair County Office of Public Guardian handles guardianship and/or conservatorships for developmentally disabled and legally incapacitated individuals. The Public Guardian is awarded funds to support a full-time Senior Housing Case Manager. This position is responsible for identifying and responding to the needs addressed a petition, including all housing concerns for individuals 60 years and older. The Case Manger is also responsible for applying for benefits or resources that address medical, mental health, food, shelter, living supports, and income eligibility to organizations such as: the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Community Mental Health (CMH), Area Agency on Aging 1-B (AAA1-B), MORC Home Care Inc., Social Security Administration (SSA), Veteran's Administration (VA), Section 8, Port Huron Housing and various banking establishments.

Room and Board and Services for Homeless Seniors or Seniors at Risk of Being Homeless
The services are delivered on site at Sanborn Gratiot Memorial Home by trained staff and include an all-inclusive array of services such as: medication administration, personal care, meals, activities and coordination with the HARA and Public Guardian for movement to a less restrictive facility. This service is available to homeless (or who are at risk for being homeless) seniors 60 years and over.

Personal and Respite Care
Personal and Respite care provides support and assistance with non-medical activities of daily living that enable seniors to stay independent in their own home. Illness or age may require seniors to need assistance with bathing, hair care, skin care and/or light housekeeping which may include vacuuming, dusting, mopping floors, laundry, meal preparation, shopping and errands.
Bereavement Program
Bereavement support is offered through group settings that allow grieving seniors the opportunity to come together in an environment with others who are experiencing similar loss. Bereavement support assists seniors with finding the strength and hope to live their lives to the fullest extent possible in light of the loss they are grieving.
Hospice Home Room and Board
Hospice care is a type of care and philosophy of care intended for a person with a terminal disease who has a life expectancy of six months or less. These patients receive their normal daily medications, but generally do not receive lab draws, or procedures. Blue Water Hospice offers Nursing Care, Aide Service, Social Work, Chaplain/Bereavement services, Music Therapy, Massage Therapy, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and Dietary to each patient, as well as companionship from volunteers.

Contact Information

Commission Members
Linda Schmitt, District 1
Kristy Jones, District 2
Diane Cooper, District 3
Karynn Carrell, District 4
(Vacant), District 5
CarolAnn Wasilco, District 6
Judy Wallis, District 7
Sharron DeFever, Member at Large
(Vacant), Member at Large

Lisa Beedon, BOC Representative
Jennifer J. Posey, Senior Millage Administrator

200 Grand River Avenue
Suite 203
Port Huron, MI 48060

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am-4:30 pm
Telephone: (810) 989-6900
Fax: (810) 985-3463

Email: Senior Millage Administrator