Grantee: South Park Senior Citizens
Timeframe: July 2024 – June 2027 | Amount: $474,598.59
- Year 1: July 2024 – June 2025 | Amount: $131,457
- Year 2: July 2025 – June 2026 | Amount: $172,735.85
- Year 3: July 2026 – June 2027 | Amount: $170,405.74
South Park Senior Citizens’ Vital Medical Care Access for Seniors (VMCAS) program connects low-income, BIPOC, immigrant, refugee, and undocumented older adults with supportive healthcare services. The program addresses language, cultural, financial, technology, insurance, and transportation barriers that prevent seniors from accessing medical, dental, and mental healthcare.
Each year, VMCAS provides ongoing care coordination for 48 to 56 seniors with the highest medical needs while serving more than 50 additional seniors through preventative care services. Participants receive assistance accessing medical and dental care, medical devices and adaptive aids, foot care, transportation, and financial support for healthcare expenses.
The program identifies seniors with significant health needs, develops individualized Care Plans, coordinates access to healthcare systems, provides interpretation and translation, and helps participants understand and navigate their healthcare options. PHPDA funding supports intensive wraparound services for Care Plan participants and helps Preventative Care participants address medical expenses before they result in debt, collections, or housing instability. Social Service Navigators also help seniors enroll in Medicare, negotiate medical bills, access reduced-cost care, and secure financial assistance.
SPSC serves culturally diverse communities, with many participants identifying as Vietnamese, Cambodian, or Hispanic and residing in South Park, Georgetown, White Center, Delridge, Rainier Valley, and other Seattle neighborhoods with high rates of poverty among older adults. Many participants have limited health literacy, experience trauma, or feel intimidated navigating complex healthcare systems. Multilingual Social Service Navigators provide culturally responsive advocacy, interpretation, technical assistance, and personalized support to help seniors remain healthy and independent.
Over the past two years, SPSC refined the program by distinguishing between seniors needing ongoing Care Plan services and those requiring short-term Preventative Care support. The organization also secured City of Seattle funding for transportation, allowing PHPDA resources to be redirected to other critical services.
In Year 3, VMCAS will continue providing care coordination, financial assistance, healthcare navigation, interpretation and translation, transportation support, foot care, medical devices and adaptive aids, and dental assistance. Minor performance measure updates reflect current service utilization, while the program’s core services and goals remain unchanged.
ABOUT OUR GRANTEE
SPSC promotes healthy aging by creating a space of belonging that provides culturally responsive support services including sustainable access to nutritious meals, social services, physical activities, continued learning, and social engagement.
SPSC’s vision is that King County seniors have access to services, and the cultural community needed to lead vibrant, healthy, and independent lives.
