On Friday, August 3 at noon, the Milanof-Schock Library in Mount Joy will hold a Lunch and Learn opportunity called “Seniors at Risk” to be presented by Jill Greenstein Weisberg with the Jewish Family Service of Lancaster County (JFS). This program will focus on the urgency of taking care of low-income seniors who need help to keep them at home. This session is to reach out to adult children, friends, and family members of seniors who are aging and need help to remain at home. Participants are welcome to bring a bagged lunch to the program.
JFS is a non-sectarian agency that strives to improve the lives of the most vulnerable residents in the Lancaster County community. The agency’s newest initiative is Senior Care Services. This state-licensed registry intends to improve the quality of life for older adults and their families. It offers a full range of home care services, addresses the unmet needs of older adults, and helps seniors remain independent in their own homes. What makes JFS Senior Care Services unique is that services are available to people who need them, regardless of religious affiliation or ability to pay. A generous grant received from the Lancaster County Community Foundation in July 2017 subsidizes the cost of care for low-income clients. Fees for services will be assessed on a sliding scale. By charging full price to those who can afford it, JFS will make it possible to serve more people at reduced rates.
There are so many families and individuals the agency can help with financial issues and services, but so many people don’t know about them. Recognized as an organization that helps community residents with acute needs such as rent and utilities, the JFS provides community educational programs based on issues and challenges facing our young people such as discrimination, drug use and mental illness awareness. JFS is also known for its Durable Medical Equipment Loan Closet, lending wheelchairs, walkers, bedside commodes, etc. free of charge (we’ve had a number of articles about our DME Loan Closet). Their Jewish values of justice, compassion, and respect are the driving force behind their efforts to achieve their goals and honor their obligation to the entire Lancaster County community.
