Jewish Family Services of Western North Carolina announces project to assess aging-in-place needs

Press release from Jewish Family Services of Western North Carolina 

Jewish Family Services of Western North Carolina is excited to announce a project to assess the aging in place needs of individuals ages 50 and older in the Jewish community in Buncombe, Henderson and other WNC counties.

Aging in place is the ability for individuals to live in their own home and community safely, independently and comfortably, for as long as they are able to. Aging in place includes having services, care and support provided in the residence and in the surrounding community.

The assessment will be conducted through interviews, focus groups, in-depth surveys and other analysis strategies. The aim of the first survey is to identify tools and services the community and individuals could provide to enable older adults to age in place successfully. This survey is available now on the JFS website (call 828-253-2900 to request a paper survey). JFS is spearheading the project and working in conjunction with other organizations whose work relates to the project.

The study group is the Jewish community in Buncombe, Henderson and other WNC counties, and includes individuals who are affiliated with Jewish organizations and individuals who identify as Jewish and are not affiliated with any local Jewish organizations.

JFS will be reaching out to local Jewish organizations such as Jewish Secular Community of Asheville, UNCA’s Center for Jewish Studies, Chabad-Lubavitch of WNC, Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation Beth HaTephila, Asheville Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Leadership Collaborative, and others, to conduct their research.

During this project, information about existing programs that enable aging in place will be collected and evaluated. Organizations such as Age-friendly Buncombe County, Housing Options for Aging in Place, Council on Aging for Buncombe County, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, AARP, Universal Design Institute and Griswold Home Care WNC are participating as project partners and advisors.

The goals of the project are to provide recommendations for an aging in place program to be implemented within the Jewish community, and provide a body of work for other area nonprofits, organizations, communities and service providers to use or scale up to support aging in place in their communities.

This project is funded through the generous support of Dogwood Health Trust, a private foundation based in Asheville with the sole purpose of dramatically improving the health and wellbeing of all people and communities of 18 counties and the Qualla Boundary in Western North Carolina. Dogwood Health Trust focuses on innovative and equitable ways to address the many factors that contribute to overall health and wellbeing. With a focus on housing, education, economic opportunity and health and wellness, Dogwood Health Trust works to create a Western North Carolina where every generation can live, learn, learn and thrive, with dignity and opportunity for all, no exception.

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