Mature Services offers programs to help older adults stay independent, such as providing help with housekeeping.

Photo courtesy of Mature Services

“We are a nonprofit social service agency, and we have been developed over the last 30-some years to look at problems and be problem solvers,” said Ed Kaufman, chief executive officer and president of Mature Services, which is based in West Akron.

The organization was incorporated in 1975 and began with two main focuses: helping seniors find employment and providing in-home services and care.

Today, Mature Services still offers those as well as several other programs to help older adults stay independent, according to Kaufman.

“The idea is keeping people as independent as they can possibly be,” he said. “Part of that is also doing things to help people that they cannot do themselves.”

As an example, he said the organization can provide help for someone with housekeeping.

“The things they can still do themselves, we encourage them to do, and the things they cannot do, we can do for them,” Kaufman said.

Mature Services today has seven components that offer services and opportunities for seniors with a variety of needs:

• The Senior Employment Center works to train and assist mature job seekers. The statewide program is based in the Akron office.

• Mature Staffing Systems places mature workers in temporary, temp-to-hire, long-term and direct job placements. 

• The D. Bruce Mansfield Center specializes in outpatient treatment of adults age 50-plus that have alcohol or other drug problems.

• Homecare Services provides support to older adults and adults with disabilities to assist them in remaining independent in their homes by providing staff to perform tasks the individual is unable to do.

• Supportive Services assists older adults in identifying benefits and programs for which they may qualify, such as utility programs and food stamps.

• The Nutrition Program prepares and serves nutritious meals at The Marian T. Hall Community Center in Akron’s Edgewood community to older adults and adults with disabilities. Meals also are delivered to Hillwood Homes, Lauer, Mayflower Manor, Residence of Green, Saferstein Towers, Sutliff and White Pond Villa. An emergency food pantry program also provides home delivery of groceries for those in need.

• The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) provides volunteer opportunities especially geared toward older adults.

Kaufman said the roots of the organization began in the 1960s with the nation’s War on Poverty. Programs were first under the banner of the Senior Workers Action Plan (SWAP) until Mature Services was founded.

Adults are eligible for programs through Mature Services depending on their age and the program they need. For instance, Kaufman said the chemical dependency program is for people 50 and older, while employment programs and RSVP are for those 55 and older and the home care and nutrition programs are for those 60 and older. Some programs also have income requirements, Kaufman said.

Kaufman said the organization is currently seeing the greatest need in its employment programs.

“A lot of people who thought they were well retired are looking for work again, at least part-time work,” Kaufman said.

Most of the people taking part in employment programs now are female, he added.

“There are a lot of females who have been mothers and wives and now they are 55 or 60 and they are either divorced or widowed and need to get back into the labor markets,” he said. “These are women who are bright and hardworking, but they lack up-to-date workforce skills. Our program can get those people in, and we work with them on getting new skills.”

In response to needs the organization sees in the community, staff often will begin a new program. One of those is Cleaners to the Rescue, a home cleanout service for older adults who are moving out of their longtime home and can’t do the work themselves.

“Before they can sell it or rent it, someone needs to go in and do a deep cleaning,” Kaufman said. “We’re able to do that. We have workers who are experts at that.”

That segment also has found that another group of seniors that can use its services are those who are leaving temporarily for rehabilitation or a short-term nursing home stay but need someone to clean up their home before they can move back in.

Kaufman said Mature Services is a good first place for older adults or their family members to contact when looking for help with services. Even if the organization doesn’t have a program for a particular need, he added that Mature Services staff can often direct a caller to an agency or office that can help.

Mature Services is located at 415 S. Portage Path. For more information, call (330) 253-4597 or go to www.matureservices.org.