Home » News & Events » Aging Well: Spotlight on Senior HelpLine
Providing Answers for a New Stage of Life
When Elaine Abramson could not figure out how to help her aging brother, who lived out of state, she turned to JCA’s Senior Helpline. After all, another one of her brothers had been a JCA board member and always spoke highly of the staff and volunteers and about how helpful they are.
“I am so very incredibly grateful that I did call,” she said.
Senior HelpLine Program Manager, Paula Riddle, led Elaine to a website where she typed in her brother’s zip code. “They had a lot of professional gerontologists who were licensed in that zip code,” she said.
She connected with Geriatric Care Management, and a geriatric care manager “who has just been outstanding, extremely helpful,” she said, adding, “It was a wonderful referral. The problem seems to be resolving,” Elaine said.
She praised Paula both for “recognizing the urgency in my voice” and for then following up later to see if things were working out. “She just really went out of her way.”
When Larry Joseph, Elaine’s brother who had served on the JCA board of directors, passed away, Elaine, together with other family members, established a memorial fund endowment and included a generous unrestricted gift.
“My brother spoke very highly of the agency,” Elaine said, adding, “My experience with your agency has been nothing other than very positive.”
The caring staff and volunteers at the Senior HelpLine address questions and concerns on a variety of topics for an aging population and for their care partners.
“The Senior Helpline is an information and referral program that helps connect older adults to needed resources. As individuals and families begin to experience changes and realize the need for help, they may be overwhelmed and unaware of how to start navigating the search for resources. The Senior Helpline can help identify needs and make referrals to appropriate providers and programs,” Paula explained.
“People call with all types of questions, and we will try to research it if it’s something we don’t know,” Paula said.
JCA’s Senior HelpLIne responded to 383 calls during the last fiscal year. Callers asked about housing, in-home personal care, legal resources, recreation, technical assistance, and how best to obtain food, furnishings, and transportation in the Washington, D.C. area.
