Page 42 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2023 - Online Magazine

Exceptional

SENIORS

Unsung

Hero

Sally Coates

by Stephanie Bolton

ally Coates, the Program Director of Senior
House Calls, has served the Lubbock and
S surrounding communities for thirty years
in the field of social work. Sally Coates sets the Sally and Stephanie
bar high when it comes to her passion to serve the
most vulnerable adults. She is regarded among her
colleagues as an exceptional example of dignity, medical delivery system are only a few of the
character, compassion, collaboration, and dedication challenges the aging can experience. Sally says they
in the field of social work. For this reason, it was have learned over the years that younger disabled
my honor to nominate her for the Unsung Heroes adults face some of the same health disparities as
Award for 2023 at the 40th Anniversary Texas Adult their older counterparts. Therefore, Senior House
Protective Services Annual Conference, set for Calls has opened their services to the disabled
October 10-13, 2023, in Austin Texas. population, in addition to serving the elderly
population.
Senior House Calls turned twenty years old in 2023,
and so did Adult Protective Service’s partnership Senior House Calls provides primary care, which
with Sally. This partnership with Senior House Calls includes in-home medical visits by a nurse
began when APS provided Senior House Calls their practitioner and a social worker. Senior House Calls
first seven clients. The Senior House Call program can provide lab work and x-rays, write prescriptions,
was developed to overcome the health disparities that and offer referrals to specialists. They provide
aging individuals may experience. Transportation, transportation to specialty offices at Texas Tech
lack of mobility, poverty, dementia, dependence University Health Sciences Center. In addition, with
on family, and inability to navigate a complicated her expertise in the mental health field, Sally also

42 Lubbock Senior Link