South County Senior Services Changes Name to Age Well Senior Services

LAGUNA WOODS, Calif., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- South County Senior Services, Inc, a non-profit organization that provides critical services, resources and programs to low income seniors in South Orange County, today announced that it has changed its name to Age Well Senior Services (AWSS).

The organization, which has provided Meals-on-Wheels and other vital services to seniors in South Orange County for more than 30 years, is changing its name to Age Well Senior Services to more accurately represent the services it provides to the 14 cities in its service area.

AWSS provides a wide variety of services to seniors including: home-delivered Meals-on-Wheels, case management, in-home support, transportation for medical appointments, and health and wellness programs. The organization, which provides programs and services at 13 community and senior center sites throughout the region, also offers adult day healthcare and Alzheimer's social day care at a nominal fee.

"Recent studies have shown that adults over the age of 65 face a variety of barriers to obtaining healthcare that make it difficult for them to receive and obtain essential healthcare services," explained Dr. Marilyn Ditty, chief executive officer of AWSS and advocate for senior services. "By providing many of the critical programs and resources that help to maintain the quality of life for seniors, AWSS is focused on helping seniors to overcome some of these barriers."

Ditty explained that the name change was also needed to clarify the fact that AWSS is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. She stated that while the organization does receive some funds from the Older Americans Act and other public sources, the majority of the funds are derived from gifts, grants and contributions from fundraising to provide its comprehensive slate of services.

According to a US Bureau of Census report released on August 18, 2009, the average life expectancy of Americans was 78 years, an all time high. The report stated that by 2015 one in every five Americans will be over the age of 65. "With the exponential growth in the elder population, finding ways to develop and finance additional service capacity which meets the needs of the growing demographic of older adults is critically important," explained Ditty. "AWSS is focused on improving our effectiveness and capacity, and growing our service offerings to support the increasing needs of our region."

About Age Well Senior Services

Age Well Senior Services (formerly South County Senior Services) is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) public benefit corporation based in Laguna Woods, Calif. Age Well Senior Services (AWSS) has provided critical programs, services and resources to seniors primarily in South Orange County since 1975.

AWSS has become a leader in providing home and community-based services to ensure that seniors can stay in their homes longer and maintain the quality of life they deserve.

AWSS is headquartered in Laguna Woods, Calif. For more information, visit the organization's Web site at www.agewellseniorservices.org.

Seniors who have been receiving Meals on Wheels and other services provided by South County Senior Services will see no interruption in service as a result of the name change to Age Well Senior Services. All services, offices, staff and phone numbers remain unchanged.

SOURCE Age Well Senior Services