Ethel McCreary: ESP Client Profile

Ethel McCreary looks like a strong wind could blow her over. Don’t be fooled. She’s one tough 100-year-old lady. Life hasn’t always been kind, either. But she finds it hasn’t offered up anything that a good sense of humor couldn’t knock down to size.

“I really don’t know why everyone is so excited about me being 100,” she said. “If I had done anything productive or special, I could see it. But I just didn’t die!”

Actually, Ethel did a very special thing. After her husband abandoned her and their daughter during the Depression, she raised the child alone while working first at what is now Keebler Bakery and later for the Pullman Company. Despite a promotion, she was denied a raise because she was a woman. For a while, she and her daughter lived in the West End in two rooms that rented for $10 a month. Ethel walked to her job in Camp Washington.

Ethel is proud of the fact that she gets around today without a cane or walker, hearing aid or glasses. She swears by her book of 1,801 home remedies and a daily dose of the antioxidant Co-Q10, which she believes helps her heart. She practices Tai Chi, crochets, takes care of her two parakeets, Sugar and Honey, and keeps up with the news.

“I’m not into soap operas,” she said. “And don’t give me those Harlequin romances. I love a good mystery.”

Ethel has an emergency response device and homemaking help two hours a week from Hamilton County ESP. “My daughter is on the program too. She’s 78,” Ethel said. “My oldest grandson is in his 50s. I guess we’re all getting older.”

Hamilton County ESP client Ethel McCreary was recently featured in The Cincinnati Enquirer as part of a news article about local residents over the age of 100.  Click here to read the article and watch a video of Ethel sharing her story.

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Who does ESP help?

The Elderly Services Program provides in-home care for eligible seniors who might otherwise be forced to leave their homes and enter a nursing facility.  In 2007, some 15,000 older adults received care in their own homes through the Elderly Services Program. 

The typical ESP client is a woman in her 80s.  She lives alone on a modest income of between $1,300-$1,600 per month, from which she pays between $200-$280 in out-of-pocket medical costs.  Her income is too high to qualify for Medicaid, the government insurance program for the poor, but too low to allow her to hire in-home help. 

From ESP, she receives an emergency response device, a daily home-delivered meal, and several hours a week of housekeeping help.  ESP also added grab bars to her bathroom.  With the help of her family and these basic services, she avoids premature placement in a nursing home.

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What services are available?

ESP provides services such as Meals on Wheels, personal care (bathing and grooming), home-making and emergency response devices, to name a few.  ESP clients also have a care manager who advocates for their clients' needs, answers questions from clients and family members, and makes sure clients receive the right services.  Care managers have their clients' best interests at heart. (More information)

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Who qualifies for ESP?

You may qualify for ESP if you are:

• Age 65 or older (60 in Warren Cty)
• Impaired in everyday activities such as bathing, driving and preparing meals
• A resident of Butler, Clinton, Hamilton or Warren County (Clermont County residents click here)

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What does ESP cost?

Care through the Elderly Services Program is free of charge or set at an affordable level, depending on income and assets. (More information)

ESP is supported by tax levies in Butler, Clinton, Hamilton and Warren counties and is is administered by Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio. (More information)

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How is ESP different from the PASSPORT program?

To qualify for PASSPORT, clients must be low income (Medicaid eligible) and severely disabled. Council on Aging works with area Department of Job and Family Services to determine Medicaid eligibility. 

Most people do not qualify for Medicaid, but still cannot afford to pay privately for in-home care.  Friends and family may provide some help, but it’s often not enough.  This is where the Elderly Services Program steps in.  ESP is a taxpayer supported program, that for many, may be their last option before nursing home placement. ESP clients can have a higher income level (some ESP clients have a co-payment) and a less-severe level of disability than PASSPORT clients. Because ESP is supported by county tax dollars, it is reserved for those who have no other options; it is the payer of last resort. In other words, ESP clients may not be eligible for services through another source such as Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance.

Other than differences in income and disability qualifications, PASSPORT and ESP offer many of the same in-home care services, including housekeeping, personal care, medical transportation and home-delivered meals. 

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For more information, call:

Butler County

(513) 868-9281

Butler County (Middletown area)

(800) 215-5305

Clinton County

(937) 382-7170

Hamilton County

(513) 721-1025

Warren County

(513) 695-2271

TTY/TDD:
513-651-0691

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Download and print fact sheets:

Elderly Service Program

Elderly Services Program Cost Sharing

Program enrollment and waiting lists

Elderly Services Program Annual Reports - By County

Elderly Services Program Tax Levy Information - By County

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