“For the unlearned, old age is winter; for the learned, it is the season of the harvest.” — Chasidic saying
Getting older may be no picnic, but a new initiative of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore and its constituent agencies provides one-stop shopping for local senior citizens seeking resources and assistance.
Based on a successful model launched by Pittsburgh’s Jewish community, AgeWell offers older adults, their family members and caregivers comprehensive and easy access to more than 40 community resources and programs through one main network.
“Think of AgeWell as the community quarterback,” said Jeff Rosen, chair of The Associated’s Caring and Community Relations lead team. “Through a central point of contact, an individual can connect with the people and resources they need while charting a course of action.”
As part of AgeWell’s network, three Associated agencies — Jewish Community Services, Comprehensive Housing Assistance Inc. (CHAI) and CHANA Baltimore – coordinate to provide direct services for seniors, including mental health support, assistance for aging safely-in-place and protection from elder abuse.
“The idea is to have close coordination among agencies serving older adults in the community so we know each other’s programs very well and can refer people back and forth seamlessly in one holistic services model,” said CHAI Chief Executive Officer Lisa K. Budlow.
The AgeWell initiative stems from the work of The Associated’s Community Planning and Allocations committees that evaluate the community’s current and projected needs, how they overlap with services provided at The Associated’s agencies and how much funding is required.
Through its streamlining process, AgeWell intends to help seniors stay healthy and independent for as long as possible while anticipating the evolving needs of the aging population, Rosen said.
The Associated’s recent community demographic survey found that those ages 60-69 make up the largest cohort of Baltimore’s Jewish community, nearly 20% of the population. Approximately 18,000 members of the community are 65 and over.
Some data also indicates that Baby Boomers have fewer children, suggesting that members of this generation may require more community support services in the future.
But now is also an ideal time to launch this program, AgeWell organizers say, as COVID-19 restrictions ease and seniors resume some of their former activities.
“We started our planning long before COVID,” said Budlow. “But as we begin to emerge from COVID, it’s really fortunate that we will be so aligned to meet the needs of older adults who are ready to get back out there. To whatever extent people have experienced difficulties that originated during COVID or deepened during COVID, it’s good to be poised as a community to meet those needs.”
Even during normal times, access to the right services can be critical for those striving to age independently or with the assistance of a caregiver
“Looking at ways to serve the aging population is about providing that safety net of support,” said Becky Brenner, whose parents, Irene and Robert Russel, funded the AgeWell initiative. “Aging is not always graceful, everybody has issues as we grow older, and my parents want to make sure there are services readily and easily available, especially as the world seems to get younger with technology.”
While her family has funded other community projects, Brenner said AgeWell goes back to the foundational work of The Associated — addressing the most basic needs of the community. Her family hopes that AgeWell will help the federation and its agencies avoid duplicating services, while giving a better sense of what the community needs and where resources should be funneled.
“We’ve been fortunate to grow as a community,” Brenner said. “Providing the safety net is very important to my family, and we’re hoping this will give the community a clearer picture of if we’re doing the job right.”
For information about the AgeWell network, call 410-500-5328 or visit agewellbaltimore.org.
Hanni R. Werner is a local freelance writer.
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