Funds will help to provide in-home care for this at-risk population
Silver Spring, MD (PRWEB) August 01, 2016
The Family & Nursing Care Foundation, a fund of the Community Foundation for Montgomery County, issued a $10,000 grant to Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) today, on Monday, August 1, to provide in-home care private duty services to at-risk, aging Holocaust survivors in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland and in Washington, DC.
The grant will be used to provide approximately 460 hours of in-home, hands-on care so that these survivors may age in place and with dignity. Services will be provided by Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and Certified Medication Technicians (CMT), and will include help with bathing, dressing, toileting, grooming, mobility, medication monitoring, and general companionship.
“For years, I have admired JSSA as an organization; this admiration only grew as I discovered more about their Holocaust Survivors Program,” said Sandy Kursban, founder of Family & Nursing Care, Inc. and the Family & Nursing Care Foundation. “Earlier this month, Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate, passed; I think this brought much-needed attention to the fact that these survivors are now in their 80s and beyond—and are struggling with how to spend the final chapter of their lives. Everyone deserves the opportunity to age in place according to their wishes, but especially this specific population, who has already been through so much. I feel compelled to ensure that they have the option to age where they want to, on their terms.”
JSSA has been serving area Holocaust survivors for over 25 years. There are currently 413 survivors who are a part of the program in Montgomery County. The average age of these survivors is 86 years old and 84% are living near or below the Federal Poverty level.
“There is a very acute need within this population,” said Todd Schenk, CEO of Jewish Social Service Agency. “Most of our Holocaust survivors, about 80%, have some limitation in performing daily activities. This grant will dramatically improve the quality of life for these survivors who have already endured so much.”
Selection and provision of in-home services for Holocaust survivors is based on eligibility through The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) and secondly through the Claims Conferences’ Functional Assessment tool. Those who are verified as Holocaust survivors are eligible to be assessed for home care services. The Assessment examines areas of functionality and, from there, the appropriate services are determined.
The Family & Nursing Care Foundation provides substantial grants to organizations throughout the region to improve educational access for prospective caregivers and to ensure that low-income seniors have aging-in-place, in-home care options. Annually, the Foundation gifts almost $100,000 to non-profits throughout the community that support the Foundation’s missions. For more information about the Holocaust Survivor’s Program or JSSA, please contact Kitty Wojcik, Grant Manager, at 301-610-8410 or by email at kwojcik@jssa.org. For more information about the Family & Nursing Care Foundation, contact Sandy Kursban, Founder, 301-588-8200 or by email at skursban@familynursingcare.com.
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About Family & Nursing Care
Since 1968, Family & Nursing Care has been the premier provider of in-home services for older adults, dedicated to and recognized for their passion and commitment to serve, help, and enhance the quality of life and well-being of others. As a pioneer in the aging care industry, Family & Nursing Care offers customized services including personal care, companionship, therapeutic massage and more. The Family & Nursing Care Foundation was launched by Family & Nursing Care, Inc. in 2008 to offer training opportunities for prospective caregivers and to improve access to care for low-income seniors. Annually, they provide grants to a myriad of community organizations that support their dual missions. For more information, please visit https://www.familynursingcare.com.
About Jewish Social Service Agency
For more than 120 years, the Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) has been helping individuals and families across the Washington metro area meet emotional, social, and physical challenges. JSSA provides services and support to more than 30,000 individuals and families annually through a wide range of counseling, educational, special needs services, in-home support, hospice and nursing care, and social services. While their care approach stems from Jewish values, JSSA is a nonsectarian provider, helping people of all faiths. JSSA has been serving area Holocaust survivors for over 25 years. For more information, please visit http://www.jssa.org.