On Wednesday, the longtime Chautauqua County Office for the Aging director attended her final spring social in her official capacity.

“I did not expect to do this for almost 20 years,” Spanos said. “I’m grateful my life took this path. I hope I left things a little better than I found them.”

Spanos added that she has worked with Chautauqua County Office for the Aging throughout the terms of four county executives, and thanked everyone she has partnered with throughout the years.

Other speakers included Pastor Rick Keefer, who prayed before the lunch; Mayor Kim Ecklund, state Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, who presented Spanos with a proclamation from the state Senate, and Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, R-Jamestown, who also presented Spanos a citation from the state Assembly.

Multiple organizations took part in the Chautauqua Aging Services Spring Social Event, doing a resource fair and telling local members of the elderly population about the services they provide. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

State Volunteers of the Year Marsha Scott and Greg Peterson were honored before Dana Corwin, county Office for the Aging deputy director who will replace Spanos when she retires, addressed the room. Corwin said Older Americans Month began in 1963, and that many things have changed since then, including the introduction of cellphones. She said there are about 38,000 older adults in the county, and throughout their more than 60 years there has been a lot of knowledge and love shared and much to celebrate, including the power of connection.

Jessica Bens gave the keynote address at Wednesday’s social. She, too, discussed the power of connection, specifically throughout her experience in geriatrics. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from the State University at Fredonia, Bens worked in hospice for the last 10 years before transitioning to school-based therapy work.

“I’ve gotten to help loved ones get services to stay in their homes for as long as they can, including things like ramps, services for the hearing impaired, Meals on Wheels and Medical Alert Units,” Bens said. “The members of the elderly community do not necessarily have the freedom and funds to come to events like this one.”

By 2050, Bens said it is predicted that the aging population will have grown to 88 million and it is important for them to know about the services that are out there, including NY Connects and the 211 website.

Bens also discussed loneliness, discussing times such as COVID when family members were not allowed to go into nursing homes and visit with their loved ones except through technology. She said the experience in nursing homes has led her to see that quality is more important than quantity. Quality-based care includes advanced directives, and before Covid, Bens gave an example of families feeling like they have to make the decisions for their loved ones facing hospice. Focusing on quality changes this perspective, so that families realize it is not about them but what their loved ones want, which is something Bens said was sometimes hard for people to accept.

Keynote speaker, Jessica Bens, discusses the power of connection and her experience in the geriatrics field. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

Bens said that “hospice is not only about the end of life, but about living too,” giving two experiences she had with clients where she got to help them live their dreams of going to Disney World and talking with their incarcerated daughter one more time before they passed.

“With this quality connection I got to know what mattered to them,” Bens said. “The numbers will always be there. Quality is important, and sometimes you have to have these hard conversations with people and take the time to focus on what they want and need to say.”

Bens ended with saying that her passion for geriatrics is something that will never go away. Corwin thanked Bens for sharing her experiences with attendees.

“That’s what life is, isn’t it?” Corwin said. “Sharing experiences and connecting with each other.”

Wednesday’s event began with a resource fair, where multiple programs that provide services for the elderly were in attendance, sharing information on their services.

One such program was NY Connects, a program that provides services for those such as a child or adult with a disability, an older adult, family members and caregivers, friends and neighbors, and helping professionals. Rebecca Bycynski with NY Connects said they connect to Chautauqua Aging Services because they are often the first ones called to help with referrals, certain legal services, food deficiency programs such as SNAP, and more.

“Any information you have questions on we can refer you to another agency,” Bycynski said. “We can refer you to another agency and we work with nursing home care, doctor’s offices, hospice referrals if needed, and any services an elder may need.”

In-Home Services through Chautauqua Aging provides funding to help the elderly remain in their homes instead of going to a nursing home. They also help provide caregivers help where they can, including support groups and resources.

“We can help provide nursing, day care, meals, and more,” Home Care Coordinator, Michelle Swan said. “We offer a variety of services.”

Intern Shannon Keane added that they can also help with some things not covered under medicaid, which only covers 40% of services.

The Chautauqua Department of Mental Hygiene was also part of the resource fair to promote mental health and wellness. May is Mental Health Awareness month, and Deb Maggio, Communications and Development Manager said they were in attendance to share their resources, including emergency service numbers and help address mental health concerns.

“It’s great to be exposed to this population because seniors can be isolated and lonely,” Maggio said.