Rochester, N.Y. – Jewish Senior Life has secured funding for an initiative that will enrich the palliative and end-of-life care services provided to its residents. This expansion was made possible by a $480,895 grant from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation, as well as a generous donation by Clare and Jerry Rotenberg.
The initiative at The Clare and Jerry Rotenberg Center for Palliative and End of Life Care that is being supported by the Greater Rochester Health Foundation was designed by Jewish Senior Life staff. Its goal is to provide residents and their families with peace of mind in knowing that end of life care planning is in place. In addition, the program will help to provide a supportive and personalized experience for individuals and families.
The specific objectives of the initiative include:
- increasing the percentage of Jewish Senior Life residents who have complete and up-to-date end of life care (“advance care”) planning;
- reducing the number of residents who are hospitalized or visit the emergency department in the last 30 days of life;
- increasing the satisfaction of residents’ family members related to the end of life care that their loved ones received at Jewish Senior Life.
Jewish Senior Life developed the initiative by incorporating best practices from the hospice community and findings from the September 2014 Institute of Medicine report on end of life options in America.
“This comprehensive initiative builds a shared commitment to deliver upon the best practices of palliative and end of life care,” said Jewish Senior Life CEO Mike King, “We are putting these best practices into action throughout the entire process; from training our staff to ensure a person-centered approach for patients from the moment they arrive, to providing support for families and caregivers by constantly evaluating and improving our quality of care.”
“The Greater Rochester Health Foundation is pleased to provide funding to Jewish Senior Life, an organization which works tirelessly to provide high-quality care to older adults in our community,” said John Urban, President and CEO, Greater Rochester Health Foundation. “This important investment will greatly benefit the community by enabling Jewish Senior Life to enhance the delivery of palliative care, as well as help their residents plan for end of life care.”
“Jerry and I share an unwavering belief that every person should be treated with dignity and compassion—especially during the later stages of life,” said donor Clare Rotenberg. “This influenced our decision to make our gift to Jewish Senior Life in support of their work
related to Palliative and End of Life Care.”
The program is one of Jewish Senior Life’s strategic initiatives to redefine “home” and revolutionize care by continuously improving the person-centered care experience for each resident. The Clare and Jerry Rotenberg Center for Palliative and End of Life Care will be staffed by an expansive interdisciplinary team of palliative care specialists.
About Jewish Senior Life:
Serving people of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds, Jewish Senior Life is guided by the values of honoring family and emphasizing aging in place—allowing people to remain in the place of their choice longer. Jewish Senior Life is a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), offering all levels of care from independent living to skilled nursing care on a single campus:
- The Summit at Brighton for independent living;
- Wolk Manor for assisted living;
- The Lodge at Wolk Manor for assisted living memory care;
- The Jewish Home of Rochester for long-term, transitional, and memory care;
- Transitional Care at the Jewish Home for short-term rehabilitation;
- Atkin Center for Outpatient Rehabilitation;
- Marian’s House daytime retreat for those with memory loss; and
- a variety of community programs and services such as Living Well Companion Care and Physician House Calls that enable people to age and live safely, either on campus or another place that they call home.
Jewish Senior Life is the only senior care provider in the Rochester area to offer Life Care, a program which eliminates worries about unforeseen care needs and medical expenses throughout the full continuum of care.
Jewish Senior Life is CARF accredited for its high quality and customer satisfaction, and has been named a 2017 Top Workplace by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Jewish Senior Life is a member of the Alliance for Senior Care of Greater Rochester, Leading Age, Leading Age New York, and the Association of Jewish Agency Services.
For more information, please visit www.jewishseniorlife.org.
