Brandy Hickey still remembers going on walks with her “mall friends” as a 12-year-old. That was 38 years ago, when her mom, Janet Artzer, started the Mall Walkers program, which is part of Kadlec’s Healthy Ages program.

The initiative encourages seniors to get out of their homes, interact with others, and be active in a safe and friendly environment.

Though Artzer no longer leads the program, her daughter now has the chance to keep the Mall Walkers and other Healthy Ages programs alive.

Hickey is the director of Senior Life Resources Northwest, which has agreed to take on the programs effective Sept. 5 as Kadlec dissolves its Neurological Resource Center amid financial challenges.

Senior Life Resources is well positioned to take on a new program. It currently operates two main programs, Meals on Wheels and home care services. The Healthy Ages programs complements the organization’s mission.

Once Hickey heard in May that the programs would no longer be in the community, she began working to bring the Healthy Ages program and the annual Caregiver Conference under Senior Life Resources’ leadership. Both were “too good to let go,” she said.

Cathy Manderbach, who had been part of the Kadlec Neurological Resource Center for 12 years and at the helm of the Healthy Ages program for six years, shared Hickey’s idea. She’s joining Senior Life Resources as community outreach manager to continue leading the program, ensuring a smooth transition for its members. 

“She lives and breathes that program, and the members know her specifically. She’s incredible at what she does. She is the program,” Hickey said. 

The transition

Kadlec’s Neurological Resource Center got its start in 1981 as the Battelle/Kadlec Epilepsy Center before expanding its focus and resources.

Kadlec cited financial pressures in the health care industry as the reason for the program’s discontinuation. Five positions will be impacted, and Kadlec is supporting those caregivers, who have been encouraged to explore other open Kadlec positions, said Emily Volland, director of communications for the Providence Southeast Washington Service Area, in an email.

Kadlec declined to comment on the budget for the programs.

The Healthy Ages program that Senior Life Resources is taking on includes programs like Medicare education, Mall Walkers, End of Life, Vial of Life and monthly wellness programs. Kadlec will continue mental health and suicide awareness and prevention programs and support groups. 

Senior Life Resources aims to keep the programs largely the same for members – wellness programs will continue as scheduled, and Medicare programs will continue to be held at Kadlec’s Healthplex. 

While the Healthy Ages programs will continue with little interruption, members will need to opt in by filling out a form with their name and contact information. 

Hickey said that the program’s 7,500 members couldn’t directly transfer over for confidentiality reasons, so they’ll need to head to Senior Life Resources’ website to sign back up. 

In the 1980s, the Battelle/Kadlec Epilepsy Center’s expansion included a name change and the creation of the Kadlec NeurologicalResource Center Library. It moved to moved to the Kadlec Healthplex in 2014 and became part of the newly formed Kadlec CommunityHealth department in 2017.

| Courtesy Kadlec

Program funding

The new programs have a little bit of grant funding left from Kadlec. Aging & Long Term Care, which provides Meals on Wheels with funding, has some additional funding for it as well. 

Senior Life Resources already has applied for several different grants to help fund the program, Hickey said. It will be one more program to fundraise for, but it’s worth it, and the community is generous, she said. 

“Like many organizations, Senior Life Resources has felt the impact of funding cuts. Even so, we remain deeply committed to ensuring that our community continues to receive consistent, reliable services now more than ever,” Hickey said in an email. 

In terms of staffing, the Healthy Ages program was essentially a one-woman show at Kadlec, run by Manderbach, and it will remain that way under Senior Life Resources. 

Some volunteers are following the program from Kadlec, and Hickey said some of Meals on Wheels’ 600 volunteers already want to be involved in it, too.  

“I know there’s a lot of people who find this program incredibly valuable who will also want to be a part of it, to keep it going,” Hickey said. 

Caregiver Conference

Senior Life Resources is also taking on the annual Caregiver Conference, which takes place Oct. 10 this year. The conference helps create networking opportunities for caregivers, and they can get resources from local vendors to make their lives easier. 

Senior Life Resources has 1,000 home care providers, some of whom have gone to the conference in the past and found it beneficial. Hickey said it’s an important resource for caregivers, whose work can often be difficult, isolating and lonely.

This year’s conference will be co-hosted with Heartlinks and is now open for registration. It takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes lunch, a keynote speaker and breakout sessions. It costs $20 per person, but because it is held at the Richland Community Center, attendance is limited to about 150 people. 

Eventually, Senior Life Resources would like to expand the conference, bringing it to venues in Yakima, Sunnyside or Walla Walla. 

There’s an opportunity to expand the Healthy Ages program, too, providing resources to those in the Yakima Valley, Walla Walla or even Clarkston. 

Senior Life Resources currently operates in nine counties, while Healthy Ages is only in Benton and Franklin counties. 

But first, Hickey wants to focus on getting through the year as the programs transition over, keeping things steady and ensuring little stress for members. 

“We are beyond excited,” she said.

To opt into the Healthy Ages program, go to: seniorliferesources.org/healthy-ages-registration-form or call 509-736-0035.

To register for the Caregiver Conference, go to: bit.ly/caregiver-conference-registration.