By Michael Motes

A “top priority” program of Catholic Social Services, Inc. of the Archdiocese of Atlanta is a recently launched in-depth study of the needs of the elderly in the area.

According to Father Jacob Bollmer, executive director of Catholic Social Services, Inc., a study began in July to determine the health care needs of the elderly in the archdiocese and to initiate plans to provide for these needs with the possibility of building a nursing care facility.

Sister Teresa Termini, who had served as administrator of the Village of St. Joseph for seven years, was assigned to Father Bollmer’s agency as project coordinator.

Prior to her current position, Sister Teresa underwent an intensive, ten-month geriatric study program of training and internship.

During her training, Sister Teresa visited nursing homes in St. Louis and Kansas City; conducted personal interviews with administrators to learn about their programs; spent periods of internship at several health-care facilities for the elderly operated by various religious denominations, and participated in numerous workshops at Florissant Community College, Cardinal Ritter Institute, the University of Michigan and the Jewish Geriatric Center in Kansas City.

The change from working with children to working with the elderly is a project that Sister Teresa greatly enjoys.

“She was willing to take the risk and is doing a fantastic job,” Father Bollmer commented.

When the program began, a survey was conducted with each of the pastors in the archdiocese to discuss the specific needs in their respective parishes. Lists were provided of the elderly in nursing homes and of shut-ins living at home.

Sisters Roberta Joseph Sutton and Marcella Meyer were assigned to the program as ‘Sister-Visitors” and began visitations to the elderly and on an informal basis elicited the information required for the survey.

The work of Sisters Roberta and Marcella will be discussed in a future article in The Georgia Bulletin.

Sister Teresa has contacted the various governmental agencies in order to obtain the necessary information for the “Certification of Need,” the document necessary for the approval of the building of a nursing care facility.

She has interviewed nursing home administrators in Atlanta and made a study of their programs to evaluate the financial feasibility of building a facility for the elderly; and has contacted Catholic nursing homes outside of Georgia (where none exist) requesting information on building costs, annual budgets, fee schedules and programs for meeting deficit costs.

Fund-raising companies have been contacted for brochures and information in the event that the nursing home project becomes a reality.

“Even if we are unable to build a health-care facility for the elderly, we definitely plan to do as much as possible to help them,” Sister Teresa commented.

Joining the project as a coordinator, Sister Mary Kristen Lancaster, RSM, brought with her years of experience in health-care both as a registered nurse and as assistant administrator of St. Joseph’s Infirmary from 1973 to her resignation in September of this year. She will officially join Catholic Social Services, Inc., in January 1978 and will work with the nursing home project and care of the elderly on a full-time basis.

“We have an excellent team with diverse backgrounds in all areas that the project encompasses,” Father Bollmer stated.

To date, the “team” has visited 21 parishes in the metropolitan area of the archdiocese. Interviews have been held with pastors and in some instances also with the coordinators of parish programs for the elderly.

“In our visits, we discussed the needs of the elderly in the respective parishes and how they were being met,” Sister Teresa commented. “We found that many of the parishes were sponsoring various activities for the elderly, such as clubs, meal programs, transportation, field trips, arts and crafts and other enrichment programs.”

Currently all the parishes are providing an opportunity for shut-ins to receive Communion and in some parishes, the liturgy is being celebrated in nursing homes. Several parishes are also able to provide transportation for the ambulatory elderly to and from church.

“The need for a Catholic nursing home is so apparent,” said Sister Teresa. “When we discussed the idea with pastors, they were most supportive. Their only question was the financial feasibility of building and maintaining it.

“We have studied the nursing care facilities in each area and found that due to waiting lists and fee schedules, services would not be available to most of the growing elderly population. This further supports the need of a Catholic-maintained facility.”

The team is now reviewing a study made of 48 Catholic nursing homes throughout the United States in order to determine deficit costs and how they may be supplemented.

“In addition to the Certificate of Need, we are including in our project areas of sponsorships, evidence of need, site information, program of services and financial programs,” Sister Teresa said.

Although a tentative date for the opening of a Catholic nursing home cannot be set, Father Bollmer is very enthusiastic.

“To date, the project has received nothing but support, not only from the pastors, but from nursing home administrators who are anxious to see the Catholic archdiocese involved in this area of care for the aging.

“Even if the nursing home never materializes, we are showing the elderly that we care for hem and will continue to do so. This project is receiving top priority,” he said.