By Susan Elise Campbell
From its main campus in Queensbury, Southern Adirondack Independent Living is making programs and services accessible to residents of 17 counties across New York. SAIL’s main goal is to help the elderly and those with disabilities remain safely in their homes and avoid skilled nursing care or institutional placement. While this non-profit has built on that objective for 35 years, executive director Tyler Whitney said the needs of the community are ever-changing, and especially so with a growing senior population in the post-COVID world.
“We have come a very long way in letting people know about what we can do for people with disabilities or those looking for services for their families,” Whitney said. “Before COVID people would say to me, ‘You’re the best kept secret.’ But that was like a sword in my heart because we want people to come to us. We are here to help.”
Over recent years the team at SAIL has done much to broaden awareness and build their brand, hiring Cam Cardinale as director of community relations. Whitney said Cardinale’s role is to engage with stakeholders, both community members and partner agencies, to show how SAIL ties into different facets of the community, such as recreation, tourism, independent living, health insurance and more.
“People coming to our center don’t know the extent of what we do until they meet us,” said Cardinale.
“Let’s say they need an aide in the house and want to look into our waiver program, by which the state authorizes SAIL to divert Medicaid dollars to home care,” Whitney said. “If they don’t have Medicaid, it could be up to six months to get them on the program.”
There are 600 people on waiver right now, according to Whitney, and the waiver program is one of 13 different programs SAIL operates.
The others revolve around such areas as health insurance, assessing options and applying for insurance; advocacy, accessing social services, disability programs, transportation and housing, and other programs as needed; and transitions, helping individuals review options for community living and long-term care.
There are 12 staff dedicated year round to helping clients enroll in Medicare, Medicaid and evaluate the features and benefits of different Medicare Advantage plans.
Especially in the last 15 years has SAIL added aging-in-place specialists to the staff and helped companies make their place of business more accessible to the aged, vision impaired and those with low mobility.
All programs and services are without cost. Much of the counseling provided could cost hundred of dollars through the private home care sector.
One of the agency’s most well known services is the equipment loan program, where people can come in and borrow medical equipment.
“Most people go to SAIL to get their walkers or wheelchairs, but we have so many other devices available for loan for recreational activities as well, such as a beautiful beach wheelchair,” said Whitney.
But there are other types of equipment on loan, too. Whitney said SAIL has devices available to help someone to school or get back to work or to continue working. These include technical equipment such as readers, translators, enlarged keyboards, ergonomic supplies, large monitors and monitor stands, to name a few examples.
Whitney said people in the community don’t know SAIL is essentially in the employment industry because programs and services are helping people with disabilities become employed or keep them in their jobs.
“Sometimes disabilities happen later in life,” he said. “We are one bad car accident away from being in a wheelchair. Trying to figure out life after that can be hard.”
For children with disabilities at a young age, SAIL has an early intervention room at the Queensbury center.
“A lot of that service has to do with sensory material,” said Whitney. “We had a representative from a school district here who said the items from SAIL were ‘a game changer’ for their students.”
This meant that students in the district who had otherwise had behavioral issues were getting the kind of stimulation they needed to be calm and learn, he said.
SAIL has a staff of 45 working from locations in Queensbury, Plattsburgh and the Wilton Mall. Equipment is on loan from the Queensbury and Wilton centers.
Whitney said that there are so many ways SAIL helps the community, it is not easy to know how to best utilize its services. That is why he said, “Just call us. Tell us what your problem is, what you are facing, and we will help you understand all the support services available to you.”
SAIL serves such a large geographic area, at times they need rooms or offices for staff to meet with community members or to hold an event. Any business willing to donate space is encouraged to reach out by calling Cam Cardinale at (518) 792-3537 or visiting www.sailhelps.org.