• Why it matters: Catholic Charities, located in the Arlington Heights Senior Center, serves the diverse needs of seniors in the Northwest Suburbs by providing in-home supportive services to empower them to age at home with dignity.
• The milestone: Cynthia Gunderson, who has dedicated 34 years to this mission, leads the team addressing the needs of 7,200 seniors annually who speak 35 different languages.
• The impact: Home visiting care coordinators collaborate with over 200 agencies to provide essential services like homemaker assistance, adult day care, and emergency home response. Despite challenges, the team finds fulfillment in making a tangible difference in seniors’ lives, as echoed by the gratitude expressed by those they serve.

Tucked inside the Arlington Heights Senior Center, the Catholic Charities Senior Care Coordination team connects with seniors in Wheeling, Barrington, Palatine, and Hanover Townships, providing in-home supportive services to empower seniors to age at home with dignity.

Cynthia Gunderson, Director of Care Coordination and Senior Care in Northwest Cook, has spent 34 years serving older adults in the community. Over that time, she has seen both the number of seniors seeking support and the complexity of their needs continue to grow. Each year, her team serves 7,200 seniors who collectively speak 35 languages, with Russian, Gujarati, and Korean among the most common. While their cultures and backgrounds vary, the seniors share a common need: Trusted, compassionate support that helps them age with dignity. They equip seniors with the tools and services they need to stay in the comfort of their home as long as possible.

Services Provided

At the Arlington Heights Senior Center, Catholic Charities care coordination teams are often the first line of support for older adults trying to remain safe, healthy, and connected at home. Nine care coordinators conduct twice-annual home visits to assess each senior’s needs, resources, and eligibility for essential services, including homemaker assistance, adult day care, emergency home response systems, and automated medication dispensers. For many seniors — especially those in the Russian and Asian communities — weekly adult day services also provide something just as vital: social connection and relief from isolation.

That support extends into the health care system as well. Three additional Catholic Charities care coordinators are based at nearby Endeavor Health Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights where they screen patients transitioning to long-term care or conduct interim assessments to connect them with services through the Community Care Program. Together, these teams help ensure that seniors receive the right support at the right time. They collaborate with more than 200 agencies providing in-home care services. Catholic Charities is in the trusted position to oversee that in-home care to ensure seniors are being well taken care of.

“I am grateful for my services through Catholic Charities and the work that my care coordinator did to get me a stairlift,” said one senior served by the team. “I’m so impressed with how I can use it myself. We are beyond grateful.”

Other seniors appreciate Catholic Charities answering their call for services after multiple failed attempts elsewhere.

“Thank you for taking the time to listen to me,” said another senior served by the team. “I feel better just knowing that someone heard me and is trying to help me.”

If you are a senior and want to see if you’re eligible for services, please contact the Charities Resource Hub at (312) 655-7700.