Norwalk, Conn. – Family & Children’s Agency (FCA) has been named the new Municipal Agent for the Elderly for the City of Norwalk. In this role, FCA will partner with the City to engage elderly Norwalk residents and link them to the services and activities that will promote their health, well-being and independence. FCA will assume this role on July 1, 2021.
As the Municipal Agent for the Elderly, FCA will take on the former Senior Services Coordinating Council (SSCC), now called Senior Services Umbrella. Tania Parrent, who is well-known in the community for her long-standing work with SSCC, has joined FCA and will continue coordinating the program.
Senior Services Umbrella will focus on breaking down barriers and forming connections for local seniors, focusing specifically on under-served areas. Staff will connect with vulnerable seniors on-site at Norwalk Housing Authority locations, area churches, and senior housing facilities to overcome issues related to geography and transportation. In addition, bilingual staff will help seniors overcome issues like language, literacy, and technology barriers by assisting as they navigate systems like Medicare, health care, and rental assistance.
“FCA is great community partner and trusted resource. They are well-equipped to become the City’s new Municipal Agent for the Elderly,” said Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling. “They have dedicated, compassionate staff who are well-trained in helping connect seniors with local programs and resources available. FCA will be working closely with our Community Services Department to ensure no senior slips through the cracks. They are here to help and I am excited for them to get started.”
FCA is perfectly suited to this work, as the nearly 80-year-old organization has been helping seniors remain healthy and safe at home by supporting and empowering them throughout its history. By offering a continuum of care for older adults, including personal alert services, home health aides, live-in care, homemakers, caregiver support, chore assistance, and transportation, FCA caters to the specific needs of each client. Services are paired with social work services to best serve more than 1,000 seniors each year.
“By partnering with the City of Norwalk to become the Municipal Agent for the Elderly, FCA is able to expand our services and offer critically needed assistance to seniors at locations throughout the community. We are very excited about this new partnership with the City,” said Robert F. Cashel, President and CEO of Family & Children’s Agency.
