The South Florida Institute on Aging (SoFIA), a non-profit which creates planning and development strategies to deliver socio-economic support programs for South Florida seniors, has named Debbie Savage to its board of directors. Savage is founder and president of Responsive Home Care, a private duty home care agency exclusively serving Broward County.

“Debbie’s long-time commitment to the local community and her extensive experience advocating for quality senior care will greatly enrich SoFIA’s mission,” said SoFIA President and CEO Peter Kaldes, Esq. “Caregiving is a focal point at SoFIA, with five thriving senior caregiving programs currently in place. Debbie’s knowledge and skill sets will help strengthen and expand the caregiving and senior services we provide.”

Savage began her career in assisted living and served as president and a founding member of the Florida Assisted Living Association, where she assisted the state of Florida in the development of funding sources for assisted living through the Medicaid Waiver Program. Realizing most people would prefer to remain at home as long as possible, she opened her home health agency in 1994. From 1998-2002, Savage served on the national board of the Assisted Living Federation of America while designing, developing and managing two large assisted living facilities in Broward County. Her focus since 2002 has been to support and facilitate the process of “aging in place” wherever home may be. Responsive Home Care has over 150 caregivers serving clients throughout Broward County.

Savage states “The energy, new leadership and clear direction behind SoFIA is infectious. Healthy and engaged seniors are a critical component to any vibrant community. Truly, its 400-person waiting list for teaching basic computer skills to seniors is a testament to what our seniors need and will benefit from.”

A registered nurse, Savage received her degree in nursing from Barry University. She is a resident of Fort Lauderdale.

For more than 50 years, SoFIA has provided innovative services tailored to meet seniors’ caregiving and respite, civic engagement and economic security needs. Visit www.theSoFIA.org for more information.

About SoFIA

A non-profit think and act tank, the South Florida Institute on Aging (SoFIA) creates planning and development strategies to deliver socio-economic support programs for South Florida seniors that can also serve as a model for other communities with aging populations. For more than 50 years, SoFIA has provided innovative services tailored to meet seniors’ caregiving and respite, civic engagement and economic security needs. In 2017, SoFIA’s 658 experienced senior volunteers provided 266,646 volunteer hours to serve nearly 4,800 residents including: veterans who received the mentoring of fellow veterans; seniors, disabled adults and caregivers who were enabled to live independently through caregiving and companionship programs; children in underserved communities that saw a 90 percent improvement in literacy skills through the Foster Grandparent program; and other non-profits that benefitted from experienced consultants. Visit www.theSoFIA.org for more information.