Kosher Café West – “From Purim to Passover”
Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 12:30 p.m.
Congregation Beth Chaim (329 Village Rd. East, Princeton Junction)
Cantor Stuart Binder’s program will focus on the holidays of Purim and Passover.
A kosher lunch will be served and registration is required by 3/20. RSVP to Beth Englezos at bethe@jfcsonline.org or 609-987-8100, ext. 126. The program is open to all and there is a suggested donation of $5.00 per person.
This year’s theme for Older Americans Month is “Get into the Act.” Simply put, this means that seniors are active in taking charge of their own health, and getting involved in their surrounding community. In a partnership with Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County has developed Secure@Home Hamilton, a transitional care program that supports older adults in taking charge of their own health post-hospitalization.
Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County is a social service agency that serves many individuals and families in the area. The agency provides case management services, counseling, a kosher food pantry and a large senior services department. Most programs are staffed by dedicated social workers. Through a grant funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Secure@Home Hamilton’s goal is to prevent hospital readmissions of seniors in Mercer County. Countless senior citizens are discharged from hospitals, and are unfortunately readmitted within 30 days of discharge.
Within the first year of implementation, Secure@Home Hamilton has connected with over 60 clients in the Mercer County area. The program advocates an innovative, interdisciplinary team approach through its use of two nurses and a social worker who collaborate on a client’s care plan. The client’s medical and social concerns can be better addressed through this holistic and comprehensive system of care. Many clients in the program need assistance securing transportation services, finding reliable home health care and medication management.
One client in particular, Evelyn, greatly benefitted from the Secure@Home Hamilton program. Evelyn is a woman in her eighties who lives alone in a low-income senior building. Once leaving the hospital she needed assistance with transportation and meal delivery. Katrina Brophy, LSW, the Secure@Home Hamilton social worker, visited Evelyn in her apartment to conduct an assessment and collaborate with her regarding services she needed in the post-hospital transition. The social worker enrolled Evelyn in a free county transportation program, TRADE, and arranged meals with the Red Cross Meals on Wheels. These two services aided the client in this difficult time. Evelyn reported to the social worker and nurse how grateful she was for the rides to her doctors that the program provides. The client now has reliable, free transportation and prepared meals delivered to her. She has not been readmitted to the hospital. There are a number of clients in this program who were in need of just a small change. These small changes have contributed to the low readmissions rate of less than 10%. Now that the program is in its second year Secure@Home Hamilton looks to replicate these positive results. In celebration of Older Americans Month, Secure@Home Hamilton serves as a model for seniors to take charge of their health and live as independently as possible.
The Empty Chair: Dealing with Grief During Passover
Wednesday, March 18, 2015 from 10:30am to 12:00pm at Congregation Beth Chaim in Princeton Junction. No fee, donations are welcome.
Pre-registration preferred. For more information or to register, contact Beverly Mishkin at 609-987-8100 or beverlym@jfcsonline.org.
This discussion group is for women in their 60s & 70s setting new goals, experiencing changes in family relationships and friendships, and creating a network of support. Share your cares and concerns with others in a comfortable and confidential environment.
Monday afternoons, 1:30 to 3:00. Eight-week program, March 30th – May 18th, 2015.
See the program flyer for more information!
Secure@Home team members with the 2014 Kovod Award.
L to R: Beverly Rubman (Lawrenceville, NJ), Chaplain; Beth Hammer (Kendall Park, NJ), LCSW Geriatric Care Manager; Andrea Gaynor (Princeton, NJ), LCSW Geriatric Care Manager; Beth Englezos (Plainsboro, NJ), Program Manager; Melissa Sodowick (Washington Crossing, PA), MSW Geriatric Care Manager
Princeton, NJ (July 2, 2014) – Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County is pleased to announce that its Secure@Home program, which helps older adults age safely, comfortably and independently in their own homes, has won the 2014 Kovod Award, sponsored by the Association of Jewish Family Agencies. The award was won in the category of Sustained Success: Programs with Staying Power.
Founded in 2007, Secure@Home home is a non-profit, non-sectarian membership program that promotes “aging in place” by offering an umbrella of services including geriatric care management by licensed social workers, assessment, care planning, 24/7 emergency availability, monthly hellos, wellness programs, volunteer help, medication management, chaplaincy services and information and referral. Specifically, Secure@Home’s care managers assess for health issues, home safety and various needs for assistance, including transportation, home modification, home care, coordinating continuing care from a hospital or rehabilitation facility to home, and/or advocacy.
Over the past seven years, Secure@Home has provided direct services to a total of 419 seniors (ages 54 – 101) in 283 households in greater Mercer County, NJ. “Client satisfaction surveys consistently report that our program offers peace of mind for both older adults and their families and rates our 24/7 availability as our most important service,” says Executive Director Linda Meisel.
The Association of Jewish Family & Children’s Agencies is a membership organization for Jewish human service agencies in the United States and Canada. The award recognizes Secure@Home as a program which has withstood the test of time and one that has a proven track record. AJFCA guidelines state that the agency “should demonstrate consistent effectiveness of the program, sustained community engagement with the program and/or the continued relevance of the program to the target population.“
For more information, contact Beth Englezos at bethe@jfcsonline.org or 609-987-8121.
