Annual Report 2018

Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

James S. Ruttenberg, Chair of the BoardIna Gumberg, AgeWell at the JCC Board RepresentativeBrian Schreiber, President & CEO

MissionTo provide seamless delivery ofservices to Pittsburgh’s older adults,providing support to live asindependently as possible.

AgeWell at the JCCAlexis Winsten Mancuso,

Assistant Executive DirectorSybil Lieberman, Department DirectorSharon Feinman, Assistant DirectorMarsha Mullen, Program Coordinator

for Healthy AgingAmy Gold, Information & Referral

SpecialistDarlene Cridlin, Program CoordinatorMichelle Hunter, Program AssociateDebbie Marcus, Program CoordinatorShelli Glanz, Program Associate

Advisory CouncilMembersJoAnne BermanGeri CoffeyNathan CohenLucretia ElsonJoe FinkelpearlFaye FischmanAudrey Furcron, ChairFrancine GelernterSarah HonigLoretta Kinger, Recording SecretaryJacqueline RicheySally SchweitzerKathleen ShortCarla SnowArthur SolomonT. Andrew VauliciscoVera Weiss

AgeWell at the JCC, a nationally accredited Senior

Center program, is part of a unique partnership of

AgeWell Pittsburgh. AgeWell Pittsburgh is a 15-year-old

collaborative program of the Jewish Association on

Aging, Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

and Jewish Family & Community Services, serving more

than 10,000 older adult clients and their family

caregivers. The goal of the collaboration is to provide

seamless delivery of services to Pittsburgh’s older

adults, providing support to live as independently as

possible. AgeWell Pittsburgh offers a one-stop resource

that links older adults, their family members, friends

and caregivers to solutions for issues related to aging

to maximize health and independence for older adults.

AgeWell at the JCC Revenue

County/State 37%

Foundations/Grants 12%

Program Income 21%

Operations/In-Kind/Contributions 1%

United Way 29%

AgeWell at the JCC’sdemographic profile inFY 18

Gender70% Female30% Male

Nationality88% Caucasian6% African-American4% Asian2% Other

Age12% ages 60-6442% ages 65-7428% ages 75-818% ages 85+

44% of AgeWell at the JCCmembers live alone

AgeWell at the JCC servesas a Senior CenterCommunity Focal Point• Funded in part through Allegheny

County, Department of Human Services,and Area Agency on Aging

• Provided 26,800 kosher congregatemeals

• Boasts one of the largest SilverSneakers®(Tivity Health) destinations in the countrywith over 2,700 registered participants(Squirrel Hill)

• Program and services attendanceaveraged over 40,000 with an averagedaily participation of 161 older adults.

• Offered the Silver&Fit® program(American Specialty Health) which isgrowing in numbers since January 2015with over 900 registered participants(Squirrel Hill)

• Provided over 950 information andassistance referrals

• Offered volunteer opportunities to olderadults culminating in over 6,000 hours

• Offered an array of health, wellness andfitness programs that serviced over12,000 older adults

Health and Wellness The following health and wellnessevidence-based and/or evidence-informed programs are offered in theJCC Squirrel Hill location, as well asthe JCC South Hills and the WestHomestead Apartments.

HomeMeds MedicationAssurance Program (Partners inCare Foundation)

AgeWell at the JCC contracted withAllegheny County, Department ofHuman Services, Area Agency onAging to administer the HomeMedsMedication Assurance Program as wellas participate as a site. Ten communitysenior centers participated—EasternArea Adult Services, Plum SeniorCommunity Center, Seton Center,Lutheran Service Society, Hill HouseAssociation, City of PittsburghCitiParks, Catholic Youth Association,LifeSpan, Vintage and AgeWell at theJCC—over a six-month period. Aconsultant pharmacist managed andresolved all negative alerts that weregenerated through the assessments,including correspondence with familymembers and primary care physicians.347 adults received a HomeMedsAssessment.

Through a grant from the PittsburghFoundation, AgeWell at the JCC andAgeWell Pittsburgh collaborated withWesley Family Services and NorthHills Community Outreach to providean additional 150 HomeMedsassessments for older adultsthroughout Allegheny County.

Walk with Ease (Arthritis Foundation)

This program promotes successfulphysical activity for people witharthritis. One hundred % ofparticipants reported they wouldrecommend it to others.

Memory Training (UCLALongevity Center)

This course combines trainerpresentations with group discussions,memory checks and skill-buildingexercises and provides an innovativeeducational program for people withmild memory concerns. 26 participantsattended this four-week course.

Caregiver’s Aging MasteryProgram (National Council on Aging)

Caregiver’s Aging Mastery Program isa 12-week course that educatescaregivers and care recipients about theimpact of caregiving and provides themwith tools to stay healthier and happierin the caregiving journey. Caregiver’sAMP was developed by the NationalCouncil on Aging (NCOA).

Better Choices Better Health(Chronic Disease Self-Management StanfordUniversity)

Better Choices Better Health, ChronicDisease Self-Management program,offered through Vintage Senior Center,targets older adults with chronic healthconditions such as diabetes, arthritis,high blood pressure, heart disease oranxiety. Trained volunteer leadersprovide strategies that help people takecharge of their chronic conditions andimprove their quality of life. This six-week program was offered twice duringthe year and served 52 older adults.

Healthy Steps for Older Adults(PA Department of Aging)

This Pennsylvania Department ofAging falls prevention program foradults 50 years of age and older isdesigned to raise awareness of falls,introduce steps on how to reduce falls,improve overall health, and providereferrals and resources.

Staff Updates

Director SybilLieberman Retires

Sybil Lieberman, whoworked in almost everydepartment of the JCCover her 29-year tenure,retired at the end of August 2018. Sybil served as thedepartment director of AgeWell at theJCC for the past 10 years where shehelped grow the senior center into thenationally recognized and nationallyaccredited program it is today. Thankyou for all your hard work, Sybil, wewill miss you!

Sharon Feinman,MA, Promoted

Sharon Feinman waspromoted to DivisionDirector of AgeWell at the JCC at the end of August.Previously, Sharon was the AssistantDepartment Director and supervisedcommunity-wide expansion ofevidenced-based and evidence-informed programs.

Darlene Cridlin,LCSW, Promoted

Darlene Cridlin waspromoted toDepartment Director of AgeWell at the JCC at the end of August. Darlene is alicensed clinical social worker. Withinthe AgeWell at the JCC office, Darlenehas overseen the accreditation of theprogram serving older adults.

Life Skills and Education

MindMatters

This program, offered through thePennsylvania Department of Agingand Central PA’s PBS Station WITF,consisted of presentations by academicsand lecturers on subjects via webcastwith group discussion following thepresentation. This year-long, monthlyprogram drew an average of 28 olderadults.

Tablet Cafe

The Tablet Cafe served 119 adults.Participants use the Tablet Cafe tolearn new skills, get their technicalquestions answered, educate themselveson pertinent topics via the Internet,connect with family members andsocialize with fellow participants.

Ethical Wills

The Center for Loving Kindness andCivic Engagement, in partnership withAgeWell at the JCC, piloted theEthical Wills program in the NorthHills at Temple Ohav Shalom, at theSouth Hills JCC, and at the SquirrelHill JCC, with 39 enthusiasticparticipants. Ethical wills, or legacyletters, are used to pass on deeply heldvalues and beliefs to children and otherfamily members.

Virtual Senior Academy

The Virtual Senior Academy (VSA) isa free program that connects adults age50 or older in the Pittsburgh regionthrough interactive online courses thatare offered throughout the day.AgeWell at the JCC provides the spaceand technology at our Squirrel Hilllocation to offer VSA classes “in house”that are taking places at otherlocations. Some of the classes offeredinclude “The Schenley ExperimentBook Review” and “VSA CookingDemo.”

Volunteerism

CheckMates

CheckMates, a program of AgeWell atthe JCC, is a telephone reassuranceprogram consisting of older adultvolunteers making weekly phone callsto other older adults who may beisolated, homebound or lonely.Through our trained volunteers andsocial workers, we are able to connectthose CheckMate recipients withadditional support and communityresources in order to help them remainindependent and in their own homes.

Through AgeWell Pittsburgh’s activeparticipation in United Way ofSouthwestern Pennsylvania’s OpenYour Heart to a Senior Program,CheckMates entered into an expansionin collaboration with the South HillsInterfairth Movement (SHIM).AgeWell Pittsburgh is providingSHIM technical assistance to guideand support the replication of theCheckMates program to a widercatchment area of underserved olderadults.

Arts & Humanities

MusicianFest

The National Council on Aging, inpartnership with the MusicPerformance Trust Fund, invited aselect group of senior centers toparticipate in this new program, whichbrings live music to older adultsthrough a partnership with the localmusician’s union. Four performanceswere scheduled, attracting 94 olderadults.

Art for a Cause

The Pittsburgh 10 is a group ofregional artists brought together byLila Hirsch Brody in 2015 to celebratetheir friendship through exhibitionsfocusing on new work. The artwork wason display and for sale in the Robinsonbuilding from July through September.A portion of the proceeds went to theJCC’s Zola Hirsch Fund for SpecialNeeds.