Northern Services, Rockland”™s largest senior health care agency, serves 1,300 people a day and, behind the scenes, works overtime to keep its clients satisfied amid a tide of bad economic news.
Marian Rokeach says every cut made in Albany, whether directed toward for-profits or nonprofits, makes it more difficult for people to stay in business and maintain their standards. “At the same time,” she said, “to continue in business we all have to take a look at our expenses and modify so we can continue our mission and continue providing the best we have to offer.”
To provide top-notch patient care and keep costs within reach, Northern entered into a partnership with Brooklyn-based Revival Home Health Care in late 2009.
“Revival is a certified health care agency and we are a licensed home care agency,” said Rokeach, vice president of corporate services for Northern Services. “Because of our partnership, are now able to expand services to clients we could not do before. By working together, our nursing and home health aide staff is covered under Revival”™s certification.
“If one of our clients goes into the hospital and needs follow-up home care services, we can provide those services now, thanks to this partnership. It allows us to provide the nursing supervision and home health care assistance and provide a wider range of therapy.
“There are physical, occupational and speech therapists that can deal with pain reduction, balance and gait training, range of motion, activities of daily living, needs that are covered under Medicare, Medicaid and other insurances thanks to this partnership,” said Rokeach.
Isaac Soskin, administrator of Revival Home Health Care, said the relationship with Northern is a pilot program with 30-40 nurses and therapists on board, “one we are certain will continue to blossom. Under our auspices, we ensure Northern”™s staff is in compliance with the rules and regulations demanded by Medicaid and Medicare. For Northern clients who received care at home and have had to go into hospital, it is reassuring to them to have a familiar face and surroundings once they are discharged and need follow-up rehabilitation.”
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To help the partnership run seamlessly, Revival has opened a satellite office in Monsey, where Northern Services”™ administration offices are located.
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Northern began its partnership with Revival four months ago, said Rokeach. “It”™s a very positive partnership for both our agencies and staff, a relationship we know will continue to grow. Revival works with our Hasidic clients, who have special religious needs. That”™s a great benefit to the Orthodox Jewish community here in Rockland.”
Northern”™s volunteers have also helped to fill a need Rokeach said is priceless. “We deliver glatt kosher meals to homes, and all our drivers are volunteers. We began a ”˜telephone reassurance program”™ manned solely by volunteers. We posted the program on the web, and we”™ve gotten responses from as far away as California. For single seniors who have no family close by, we match them up with a volunteer. It”™s a reassuring voice calling every day, asking how they are doing. If our volunteer doesn”™t get an answer, we have a backup support to make sure the person”™s OK. We have a core group of volunteers, some who have been with us more than a decade. Like most nonprofits, they are an invaluable asset to us. We would not be able to offer these special services without them.”
Northern has also partnered with the Rockland County Department of Social Services since mid-2009. “We”™re now able to pick up the cases they send to us for home health aid,” said Rokeach.
What worries her most is the upcoming New York state budget. “We don”™t know how we will be affected,” said Rokeach. “The organization we belong to ”“ the New York State Association of Home and Services for the Aging ”“ will be up in Albany in March meeting with our local representatives and trying to get our voice heard for our 1,200 clients and for the thousands of others who rely on programs like ours to stay in their homes or receive needed medical services.”
Rokeach, who sits on the board of the Rockland Business Association, was asked to join the Rockland Economic Development Corp. “It doesn”™t look like I”™ll be retiring anytime soon,” laughed Rokeach, who has been with Northern Services for nearly three decades. “But seriously, we”™d like to see more business come into Rockland and to see the state to the right thing when it come to the MTA tax. Sure, we have to pay it. Everyone does. Is it fair? We don”™t think so and that”™s one of the items we”™ll be looking to address with the state.”
