North Hills Senior Services and What It Can Do For You

By Jack Etzel

For our Perspective on this relatively new service, we talked with Kathy Belcastro, its Program Coordinator for the past seven years. She is a graduate of Carlow College and a Registered Nurse. Her career includes working in medical surgery units, home care and a school nurse.

North Hills Monthly Magazine: What exactly is North Hills Senior Services Inc. and how many people are involved?

Kathy Belcastro: North Hills Senior Services, Inc. (NHSSI) is an interfaith nonprofit organization whose purpose addresses the body, mind and spirit of older adults by providing quality opportunities, which will enable them to lead meaningful and purposeful lives. I am the Program Coordinator, and our organization is overseen by a board of directors. We have volunteers that help with some of our programs.

NHMM: When and how did NHSSI come to be?

Belcastro: In 1999, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church conducted a churchwide leadership planning session which resulted in the vision and direction we felt God was leading St. Paul’s. During these sessions, a cluster of needs centered on senior adults. NHSSI was founded in 2000 based on those needs. In 2006, NHSSI conducted a two- day planning session. We developed our statement of purpose and goals. Through our brainstorming it became apparent that our view of seniors had two very different perspectives. One was that of an energetic, active, recently retired individual ready to be a part of enjoying and giving back to society, and the other end of the spectrum was that of a person in need of help with many aspects of daily living. Through this discussion came four goals: spiritual, educational, social, and support. The spiritual goal recognizes the significance of faith and hope in one’s life. To reach this goal, we provide opportunities for spiritual formation, growth and expression. The second goal is to provide opportunities for continuing education in areas such as current events, consumer issues, self-advocacy, and by being mentors and tutors. Our third goal is to engage people in socialization opportunities and capitalize on our location and our facility by providing programs for body, mind and spirit. The fourth goal is to provide personal services such as a parish nurse, pharmacist and referrals to other agencies.

NHMM: In all of Allegheny County finding senior citizens is not hard to do. Approximately how many do you serve here in the North Hills?

Belcastro: The amount of seniors we have living in our area is over 20% of our total population. We are hoping our program will help keep those we serve healthy and active in society as long as possible. Currently, we serve about 100 people a year in various capacities.

NHMM: What exactly are the services that you presently provide?

Belcastro: We have 40 people who attend weekly Tai Chi and Yoga classes. We also offer programs according to the interests of the congregation and community. We sponsor programs such as Bible Study; AARP safe driving classes; 10 keys to healthy aging; introductory computer classes; estate planning; living wills; health care power of attorney; and bus rides to church services Sunday mornings from retirement centers.

There are also people who come to us with a need for a change in their living arrangements. Often it is an adult child, concerned about their parent’s safety and the parent’s ability to complete activities of daily living. We have formulated a booklet to advise people on the types of living arrangements available in the North Hills. We call this brochure our Senior Living Options. Included in this booklet are retirement villages, continuing care facilities, assisted living and complete care facilities. The booklet also lists resources for in-home care as well as an expense valuation form to help people see what their actual annual expenses are living in an owned home. I make referrals to organizations that offer help in specific area such as Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging, Faith in Action, Lutheran Services and North Hills Community Outreach.

NHMM: If you had a “wish list” for your organization - and, perhaps you do- what would be on it?

Belcastro: Actually we are just in the planning stages for a Community Parish Nurse Program. The vision for this program is to provide the gift of time and presence to people who have just been discharged from the hospital, shut-ins or people in crises. We are looking to include church parishes from many different denominations. Being a nurse and having experienced the feeling of being rushed and not being able to take the time to answer people’s questions completely, the idea of no time restraints and making sure people are comfortable with their situation and being able to pray with people while offering care is an idea that really excites me.

It is nice to sit back and dream about what NHSSI could be. My wish would be to have staff and volunteers ready to meet the needs of seniors in the North Hills.

Our present wish list includes an administrative assistant to help with the ongoing programs while the Community Parish Nurse program is being developed. Our long-range goal is to sponsor an older adult community center and eventually retirement housing.