Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) has been awarded a $40,000 grant from the Field Hall Foundation for Geriatric Care Management. This support is especially needed because addressing the issues faced by the elderly is becoming increasingly important as the population in Westchester County ages. It is the fastest-growing age groups in Westchester, with people over age 65 representing 18.4% of the county’s population in 2022. Seniors living on limited incomes in Westchester often face financial insecurity. More than 39% — 45,000 people — in Westchester live in poverty, which is higher than Rockland, Nassau or Putnam counties.
“Seniors face great challenges as they try to age gracefully and safely. They need someone to help them navigate care options and connect them with available social, financial and health resources,” said WJCS CEO Seth Diamond. “WJCS fills a vital need, to support lower-income older adults who are often left isolated with limited mobility and transportation at an age when their emotional, physical and financial concerns are increasing.”
“Field Hall Foundation’s mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable older adults, which aligns with WJCS’ Geriatric Care Management Program, and we are very happy to support the program,” said John R. Heart, Field Hall Foundation’s CEO.
The WJCS Geriatric Care Management program provides low-income seniors with in-home assessments for safety, personalized care planning, on-going case management, guidance on senior housing options; individual and family counseling based on identified needs of the senior and/or their caregiver(s); access to other WJCS services as identified through individual counseling and telephone inquiries; and connections to a network of service providers, including home health care, social services, and legal and financial experts. The Field Hall Foundation grant will benefit more than 200 seniors in Westchester.
WJCS Geriatric Care Managers serve as an ongoing resource to clients as well as their children and other family members, many of whom live out of town.
“Our highly professional staff delivers services with compassion and dignity to some of our county’s most vulnerable people,” said Diamond. “We are so grateful to the Field Hall Foundation for helping to make this possible.”
