February 2020: Baltimore County Provider Association

Baltimore County Provider Council’s tagline, Working Together to Improve the Lives of Local Older Adults, is something that Care Patrol of Baltimore is happy to get behind. This member-based organization is actively developing a professional community of individuals and organizations working to support the elderly in our region. The Council works to connect service providers such as lawyers, moving companies, financial planners, home health care providers, placement companiesand other care providers serving the local community of seniors, and to building members’ skill sets through educational sessions. The Council also brings providers together to network and help each other help their clientsand learn from each other in a supportive and collaborative group. The BCPC is a place for everyone dedicated to serving the senior market. ¹

Care Patrol of Baltimore staff members and Founder, Paula Sotir, regularly attend the monthly education meetings and the Baltimore County Provider Council’s annual luncheon. The ability to meet and network with other service providers better helps Care Patrol of Baltimore help our clients across a cross section of services relevant to aging seniors and families. Seniors living in the greater Baltimore community benefit from better coordinated care and better support for seniors across many challenges as they age.

With nearly 17% of the County’s population 65 and older, there’s a sizable number of individuals (nearly 140,000) who benefit from a robust network of professionals serving the senior market. This number is set to climb as the rate of persons 65+ in America is slated to double by the year 2050.² As people live longer and more people move into the senior age bracket, the impact on our community is profound. The services provided by the Baltimore County Provider Council help professionals serving this market stay abreast of important trainings, connect with one another to foster a referenceable community of providers, and overall, better serve Baltimore County and the region.

Meetings are free to members, and guests can typically join meetings for $10. Often, CEU is available at educational events. While other regions have similar organizations (Fredrick County offers the Elder Service Provider Council³) we’re pretty fond of our Baltimore County Provider Council.

Patty Haw, Board Chairperson, along with other board members, works to develop meaningful programs and events. This independent, charitable non-profit was created to foster education, communication and cooperation among care providers, geriatric professionals and others interested in the needs of older adults.

1. Baltimore County Provider Council https://www.bcpcouncil.org/index.php
2. US Census Bureau, US Department of Commerce, Economic and Statistics Administration, An Aging Nation: The Older Population in the United States  By Jennifer M. Ortman, Victoria A. Velkoff,  and Howard Hogan, Issued May 2014 https://www.census.gov/prod/2014pubs/p25-1140.pdf 
3. Elder Service Provider Council http://www.espcfrederick.com/about-us