News & Impact

Melissa, a New Yorker, became concerned when she learned that her only living relative, Aunt Millie, in Palo Alto, was a victim of a financial scam and was experiencing significant memory loss. “I can’t handle my aunt’s affairs long-distance, so I was grateful when a friend found JFCS’ Conservatorship program,” says Melissa. “It has given me peace of mind.” Thanks to the program, all of Millie’s needs—whether they relate to housing, health, finances, or day-to-day affairs—are tended to by JFCS care managers. “To be conserved, clients like Millie have to be shown to be lacking the capacity to make decisions… Read More

Loneliness is a major issue for the elderly and has been linked closely with poor health. Debby Katz and John Perkins are volunteers with JFCS’ Senior Companions program. They regularly visit elderly clients and have seen the positive impact of their companionship first hand. They are also getting as much out of the program as the seniors whose lives they touch. Debby and John have found that volunteering is one of the best ways to give back to your community and get connected with others. Both retired professionals, they are among the hundreds of volunteers who have helped our elderly… Read More

Coming home after surgery, Eleanor didn’t have to worry about arranging for the home care she now needed for the first time in her life. Seniors At Home had already done it. “It was a relief that I didn’t have to scramble for services in my condition,” says Eleanor, 84. “Since everyone at Seniors At Home knew what I wanted, I could focus on regaining my strength.” Eleanor is part of the newly available Futures Program, which is for healthy seniors anticipating that their needs will change as they age. Seniors of any age—from their late sixties to their nineties—sign… Read More

When 71-year-old Jay lost his wife in 2011, he received comfort from JFCS’ spiritual cares services and its Bereavement Support Group. “JFCS and Seniors At Home helped me get through a tough time,” he said. That’s why Jay didn’t hesitate to return to Seniors At Home this spring, when he began dating. “I felt like I was cheating on my wife,” he said, “and I needed to talk through issues I haven’t addressed in almost 50 years—sex and intimacy.” “It’s not unusual for many people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and even 90s to experience conflicting feelings about love, romance,… Read More

Happily married for 60 years, Max and Helen began experiencing difficulties caused by Max’s declining health. She wanted home care for him, he refused, and she no longer had the stamina to provide the assistance her husband needed. “They faced a difficult situation common to many senior couples,” says Judy Lynch, RN, BS, MA, Director of Seniors At Home. Helen and her family turned to Seniors At Home for help. “My mom was at her wit’s end,” says Cheryl, Helen’s daughter, who attended a Seniors At Home consultation with her mother. “The care manager and social worker were a… Read More

A retired teacher with a busy social calendar, Ann P., 84, suddenly became reclusive, declining invitations to lunch, theater, and the symphony. This concerned her children, who always thought of their mother as outgoing, spry, and interested in life. “We tried talking to her about what we saw,” says Ann’s daughter, Marla, “but she always rebuffed us.” Frustrated and increasingly worried, Marla and her brother, Jeffrey, met with a Seniors At Home care manager for a consultation about Ann. “We had a very thoughtful discussion about the possible reasons behind our mother’s recent changes,” says Marla. “The care manager gave… Read More