A Fairfield senior care provider will consolidate its two facilities on a planned Park Avenue campus as part of a $90 million capital project that was announced in conjunction with the group”™s 40th anniversary.
Jewish Senior Services of Fairfield County Inc., which previously did business as Jewish Home for the Elderly of Fairfield County, runs senior care facilities at 175 Jefferson St. and 1 Post Road, which are both in Fairfield.
After years of operating separately, the facilities will be united on a new campus whose exact address on Park Avenue has yet to be disclosed.
“I”™ve been here for 10 years, and my dream and vision is to build the next generation of services for seniors and a huge part of my energy and effort is to build this community,” said Andrew Banoff, president and CEO of the Jewish Senior Services, at a June 11 press conference to announce the project.
The nonprofit care provider plans to increase its services and upgrade its amenities as part of the consolidation project.
Currently, its services are split between two locations, with one campus serving as a nursing home while the other offers adult day programs and outpatient therapy.
The plan for the next year is to relocate both to a shared site with the vision of bringing together an intergenerational community and fostering mutual care and understanding without letting the age difference create barriers, Jewish Senior Services officials said.
Construction and financing plans will likely be announced in September, Banoff said. He said the two existing facilities will be converted into assisted living residences, which will then be sold once the new campus opens.
Jewish Senior Services has employed almost 800 people from 92 countries ”“ many of whom reside in the greater Bridgeport area.
The name change was implemented as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations. Banoff said the firm wants to be recognized for the full scope of senior care services it provides, and not just as a nursing home.
Jewish Senior Services is home to the second-largest skilled nursing facility in the state with 360 beds, firm representatives said, and it received a five-star rating for its Medicare and Medicaid services from U.S. News & World Report.
Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, who spoke at the June 11 event, said his administration supports the new development and the rebranding and pointed out that this project exemplifies a working model of a public-private partnership. State Rep. Tony Hwang, whose district includes Fairfield, added that the new project will foster opportunities for economic growth and bring more jobs to the area.
“The Jewish Senior Services is one of the largest employers,” Hwang said. “You are an essential employer, and you empower us to succeed.”
Volunteerism is also expected to grow once the new site is established.
Among the parade of senior care facilities that serve over 41 million elderly people nationwide, Jewish Senior Services is among the only providers of elder abuse prevention services in Connecticut and the nation.
“Elder abuse is a huge problem,” said Laura Snow, program director of the Center for Elder Adult Prevention, a division of Jewish Senior Services. “MetLife Market Institute has a national survey out that says $2.9 billion are taken from older adults each year. Connecticut has the highest rate of reported cases, which is a good thing because that means people here are talking about it.”
Research suggests that elder abuse is significantly under-identified and underreported. An average of one in 14 cases are reported, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse at the American Public Human Services Association.
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