Jennifer Brown, marketing assistant for Elderbridge Agency, said the program grew from a need to provide services that the federal dollars that fund the Elderbridge Agency may not cover.

“Elderbridge has been around more than 40 years,” Brown said. “It’s a nonprofit, but its main funding source is state and federal money. We’ve had significant cuts, so we had to come up with new ways to generate our own revenue.”

Elderbridge Alliance does charge for its services. Brown said the money is put back into funding the program and keeping it going.

Fees for the Elderbridge Alliance services range from $50 an hour to $200 for a HomeMeds Assessment.

Before it started, Elderbridge visited other nonprofit agencies to see how they worked.

“We’re seeing other nonprofits doing funding things,” she said. “For example, the Domestic/Sexual Assault Outreach Center operates the Key thrift store.”

The Elderbridge Alliance will be offering six new services. They are:

• Home Again: Support for individuals returning home from a hospital or nursing home stay.

∫ Care Coordination: An interactive care assessment to provide the client support and information in their decision-making for long term needs.

• HomeMeds: An at-home medication assessment that uses software to screen for possible harmful problems.

• Home Safety Assessment: An inspection that helps identity potential fall and other safety hazards.

• Healthcare Visit Companion: Accompanies client to medical appointments, assists with communication and helps ensure the client understands their treatment.

• Errand Buddy: Accompanies the client on errands such as shopping, hair salon, banking and other non-medical trips.

Amber Hobson, Elderbridge Alliance program coordinator, said one of the benefits of the new programs is outreach.

“We’re going to be able to reach people we were not able to serve before,” Hobson said.

That’s already happening as word of the programs spread.

“On July 1 we launched,” she said. “We had our first client last week.”

Brown is seeing momentum in the new programs too.

“We’ve had a lot of interest,” she said.

Getting involved with one of the programs is simple and easy for the clients.

“They don’t need to apply,” Brown said. “They just need to call, then we coordinate what they need.”

The services are provided by Elderbridge staff, a group of workers of whom both Brown and Hobson are proud.

“Our staff is going to go above and beyond,” Brown said. “I often get calls telling me so and so did this, that they helped me out in other areas. It’s the little things that mean the world to someone.”

Hobson added, “We do have all professional staff that will be providing the services.”

Elderbridge Alliance programs can be accessed by calling (855) 664-4692. Its Fort Dodge office is located at 308 Central Ave. There are also offices in Mason City, Spencer and Carroll. On Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/elderbridgealliance.