This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
10/12/2022 08:30 AMIt’s always great when a plan comes together. New Municipal Agent for the Elderly Stephen Fabian was looking for a part-time job that would allow him to continue giving back to a community, and Madison really needed an agent to help navigate senior issues and questions
Stephan, a resident of Southington, spent his career working in finance, accounting, and auditing for Connecticut State agencies. That experience and background meshed perfectly with the skills the town required, according to Stephen.
“I worked for the State of Connecticut for 33 years as an audit supervisor, and my career took me through a number of State agencies,” says Stephen. “I was actually fortunate enough to retire young, but I knew I wanted to keep working, at least part time, and this position, frankly, fit perfectly with what I was looking for. This worked out so well because it’s part-time and that’s what I was looking for. This job is similar to the work I did for the State but it is from another side, so it is very rewarding because I get to help out people and provide them with the financial assistance they need.”
Stephen explains that a Municipal Agent is really just a middle man, or a coach that residents can use to find and apply for available assistance programs. Having assistance in finding and applying for these programs allows residents a certain measure of stress relief and provides the knowledge of available benefits they may be due.
“Basically, we are here to help residents get energy assistance rebates, tax assistance, rental assistance, and health care. Our pitch is basically to offer unbiased opinions as to what’s best for them financially,” says Stephen. “There is so much information out there and, at the same time, not enough. There are so many commercials out there with people like Joe Namath pushing information, and that is a marketing ploy. So, often seniors don’t know where to look, they don’t know where to go. That’s why we are such a great resource.”
As a financial agent, Stephen says he sits down with seniors and listens to their needs, calculates various factors, and then directs them to available programs that can often save them hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars a year.
Though the Senior Center is open to all Connecticut seniors, the services provided by Stephen and the town are exclusively for Madison residents. Stephen is the first actual municipal agent hired by Madison, previously either Beach, Recreation, and Senior Services Director Austin Hall or Assistant Beach, Recreation, and Senior Services Director Heather Noblin would handle those duties on top of their regular work.
“A municipal agent is actually mandated for every town throughout the State, but this is the first time Madison has broken it out from the other positions. Every town is supposed to have one. Though I’m housed here at the Senior Center, I actually work for the town,” says Stephen.
Stephen has recently trained in several programs including Medicare, making him an invaluable resource for any resident who needs advice or guidance on the often complicated process of finding and applying for these programs.
According to Stephen, there are several key areas where his expertise comes into play.
“Many seniors don’t know how to go about finding what is available to them and our job is to educate them on that and provide the assistance to get it. So, the biggest thing facing seniors is healthcare right now. Reviewing their programs and letting them know what they need and don’t need is critical. Most people don’t know that they don’t have to pay for Medicare Part B. That’s $170 that comes out of their social security every month. In fact, I just did an application for somebody today and let them know, ‘You don’t have to pay for that, so let’s take care of that,” says Stephen. “Most seniors are on a fixed income so any savings we can provide are magnified as a result. So those are just some of the challenges we face in this. I think that’s why I like this job so much. I wanted to do something that was rewarding and fulfilling, and this job does that. Being able to help seniors save some money and relive some anxiety is a great feeling.”
Stephen says sometimes seniors, like many of us, can be too proud to accept offers of help or assistance, but he encourages all Madison seniors to look into the programs that are available to them. In most cases these programs and their funding are ones that taxpayers have paid into for decades and are specifically designed to assist seniors.
“Sometimes they don’t want help. Many of us don’t want to ask for help or are too proud, but these are programs and benefits they’ve earned. So, helping people get past that and help them is important,” Stephen says. “And I am not criticizing here, I understand that. But I would recommend that people come in and talk to us and let us tell you what the programs are about. It doesn’t hurt; it’s free. That’s what we’re here for, it’s a resource. It’s completely unbiased information. It's here to let you make a educated decision and an informed decision. You’ve got nothing to lose by coming in and seeing us.”
Stephen says there are a number of issues that affect seniors, but the ones that are most concerning to seniors are energy assistance, rental assistance, and also tax help. With his experience and previous career, Stephen is uniquely positioned to help seniors with all of these topics.
“Again, energy rebates, tax assistance, healthcare and rental assistance are the top issues we deal with. The Town has an excellent tax assistance and tax rebate program, and my experience is really helpful in that respect,” says Stephen. “
Stephen says that though he hasn’t been on the job long, he has been very impressed with the Senior Center and the staff. And despite the commute from Southington, he already thinks of Madison as a second home.
“It’s a bit of a ride but I couldn’t ask for a better place to come to work. The leadership here is phenomenal, from the Director to the Assistant director, and everybody else really is on the same page here and it’s a great town to work for,” says Stephen. “I kind of call this my second act. My first career was working as an auditor and finance guy and now I get to use what I learned, my experience to help people and apply it in a positive way. I’m a numbers guy so I’m able to tap into that resource and I still have connections at the State level who can answer questions and help me help seniors. It really is kind of a perfect fit.”
Counseling sessions do not cost anything to participate in, and senior residents can simply make an appointment and come down and get informed about what might be available to them via these programs. Call the Senior Center and ask for Stephen Fabian or Heather Noblin to schedule an appointment-203-245-5629 or 5687.