Greetings:
My name is Diane Cummings and I am the executive director of St. Luke’s Eldercare Solutions of Central Connecticut. We are a small non-profit agency with a big heart.

St. Luke’s originally started in the 1860’s as a home for civil war widows and over the years it has evolved into an agency that assists the elderly, both men and women with many services. We still have the apartment house that is home to 25 wonderful women.

Unfortunately, finding funding for programs assisting seniors is very difficult to find. Senior issues are not “glamorous and many seniors we see are living in isolation on low, fixed incomes. Seniors become invisible – pushed into the background - while issues concerning children, youth, women, the arts, and the environment are given priority. However, when I visit an elderly widow who has not eaten in 3 days, or someone who tells me that they would love to have a volunteer shop for them, but not until next week when their check arrives, I am amazed that these situations exist in our country.

Many seniors insist on staying in the homes they have lived in most of their adult lives. Many of these homes are in the suburbs, cut off from any available public transportation. With the eventual loss of seniors’ driving licenses comes the loss of independence, and for many, a loss of control over their lives. With this loss of independence comes the need to rely on others for simple tasks such as grocery shopping or getting to doctor’s appointments.

Many seniors do not have a support system they can turn to when needed. Families are busy with their jobs and many live too far away to help. Family members relocate to further their careers or stay in the same city where they went to college.

Many we help are veterans who need to get to veterans hospitals but do not have the means to get there. We have just received a small grant from the Middlesex County Community Foundation that will enable us to provide every veteran in our area, over the age of 60, free transportation to VA hospitals in Connecticut. We also provide transportation to their out of area medical appointments. If we cannot find a volunteer to take them we will pay for a taxi, including the tip! It’s St. Luke’s small way of saying “thank you” to the veterans for the sacrifices they have made for this country.

During the last 12 months St. Luke’s volunteers drove 172 clients for a total of 21,254 miles, which is amazing when you consider that this personal service is completely free.

Please contact us if you are the caregiver of a senior parent or have an aging relative, neighbor or friend in our area that would benefit from our services. We would also appreciate your interest in becoming a St. Luke’s volunteer.

If you have a vehicle you wish to dispose of please check out “How You Can Help.” We have a wonderful donation program that will help our mission and offer you a tax break.

Thank you for visiting our web site and God bless you all

Sincerely, Diane Cummings