Deerfield Urged To Step Up Dementia-Friendly Efforts As Population Ages

DEERFIELD, IL — As more older Deerfield residents remain in their homes while dealing with dementia and other cognitive impairments, a local aging-services organization is asking village leaders to help make the broader community more prepared to support them.

Robbie Boudreau, executive director of Lake County Partners in Aging, told the Deerfield Village Board Monday that her organization increasingly encounters older adults whose cognitive impairment begins to emerge while they are still living independently.

She asked the village to take the lead in bringing together organizations including the Deerfield Park District, Patty Turner Center and West Deerfield Township to strengthen the community's dementia-friendly efforts.

"I think we have a real issue within the village about what is our commitment to our dementia friends and older adults," Boudreau told trustees.

The village agreed to work with her on the effort.

More Older Adults Living Alone

Lake County Partners in Aging, formerly known as Southeast Lake County Faith in Action Volunteers, now serves West Deerfield, Vernon, Moraine and Shields townships, Boudreau told the board.

Deerfield alone accounts for about 20 percent of the organization's service units.

During the past year, the organization served 52 older adults in Deerfield, including 20 new clients and 32 continuing clients. Their ages ranged from 64 to 101, with an average age of 82.

About 62 percent lived alone, Boudreau said.

Volunteers provided approximately 500 rides and 1,650 volunteer hours, while the organization logged another 1,800 staff hours on in-home counseling, care coordination and crisis management involving the police department.

Boudreau said that work has increasingly put her organization alongside village police, fire personnel and social workers as they encounter older residents who want to stay in their homes but may no longer have relatives or others nearby who can recognize when more assistance is needed.

Businesses Could Play A Role

Boudreau said the challenge extends beyond social-service agencies and first responders.

People experiencing cognitive impairment continue shopping, eating out and participating in community activities, she said, and employees at local businesses may not recognize why someone is struggling with an everyday task.

"I'm not sure that businesses are recognizing these individuals and providing them with the respect and honor that they deserve," Boudreau said.

She gave the example of someone having difficulty completing a transaction while employees or other customers become frustrated rather than recognizing the person may be experiencing cognitive impairment.

The organization has previously participated in dementia-friendly programming in Deerfield, but Boudreau told trustees the community needs to "kick it up a notch."

Lake County Partners in Aging has also expanded social programming intended to combat isolation. Its newer "Simply Social" program includes lunches and peer gatherings at locations including the Patty Turner Center and West Deerfield Township. Boudreau said 56 people participated in those programs during the past year.

Mayor Daniel Shapiro thanked Boudreau for her work with vulnerable residents and said the village would work with her on the proposed stakeholder meeting.

Village Approves Storm Cleanup Expense

Trustees also formally approved $55,350 in emergency tree-removal work stemming from the severe July 27 storm.

Village documents show Advanced Tree Care was brought in after damaged public and private trees blocked rights-of-way throughout Deerfield. Because of the urgency, the village proceeded with the work and later asked trustees to waive competitive bidding and ratify the agreement.

The company's invoice shows crews worked for five days, from July 27 through July 31, clearing hazardous trees and debris.

That storm brought 2.69 inches of rain and wind gusts exceeding 80 mph to Deerfield, knocking out power to more than 6,000 ComEd customers in the village.

During Monday's discussion, trustees raised whether increasingly frequent severe storms could eventually warrant a dedicated budget line for emergency cleanup.

Shapiro pointed to climate change as one factor likely to place additional pressure on the village in the future, while officials also noted Deerfield has increased preventive tree trimming and maintenance.

New Pump Approved

The board also approved waiving competitive bidding for a $32,085 replacement pump at the Deerfield Pumping Station.

The failed equipment is one of the pumps that operates around the clock moving wastewater through the system. Public Works officials said the replacement is a chopper-style pump designed to break apart debris before it can clog the system.

The Aug. 17 Village Board agenda listed both the pump purchase and emergency tree-removal resolution under new business.