Our Volunteers Go Above and Beyond!

Renee Singer, Rae Negreann, and Sandy Weiner
(Not pictured: Diana Sher and Diane Rubinstein)

Earlier this week, JFS Senior Solutions and JFS at Home honored some of their exemplary volunteers at a breakfast hosted at our office. While the senior department has many wonderful volunteers, these five go above and beyond. The staff members who work closely with these volunteers presented each of them with a certificate of appreciation and a gift card for their hard work and commitment to the agency.

Three of the volunteers, Diana Sher, Diane Rubinstein, and Rae Negreann, are Friendly Visitors who provide companionship to elderly adults on a regular basis. These volunteers have been dedicated to the senior clients they visit for several years and have helped them through many of life's transitions including moving and losing friends and family. All three women have forged strong bonds with the seniors and get as much out of the relationships as they put in!

The other two volunteers that were honored, Renee Singer and Sandy Weiner, help Doreen Osborne, JFS at Home staffing coordinator. These ladies volunteer a total of nine hours per week doing a variety of administrative tasks such as billing, timesheets, reference checks, and putting introduction packets together.

Thank you to all these volunteers for all that they do! They all felt very appreicated as well, and Sandy and Renee both commented that they've "never witnessed an organization that is so appreciative of their volunteers."

If you would like to become a volunteer, please contact Nancy Benyamin, director of volunteer services, at (303) 597.5000 x369.

89 and Thriving! Happy Birthday, Adele!

Happy Birthday to Adele Sollender, JFS Senior Solutions and JFS at Home client, who celebrated her 89th birthday earlier this month! Adele receives a variety of in-home services through JFS that allow her to remain independent in her own home. Since Adele's only relatives live in Europe, JFS has become her extended family. You can learn more about Adele's story and how much she values the help she receives from JFS in this touching video.

As you can see, Adele was very excited to celebrate with her birthday!

Happy Birthday, Adele! Thanks to Mirella for providing photos and telling us about this milestone in Adele's life.

Alive and Well!

Representing JFS at Home as sponsors of the Young@Heart Chorus, we had the opportunity to attend the "Alive and Well" performance at the Wells Fargo Theater at the Convention Center last weekend. The Young@Heart is a rowdy bunch of 70 and 80-year-olds singing music "your mother wouldn't like." In fact, they are positively attracted to the bad boys and naughty girls of the last 50 years, covering Jimi Hendrix to OutKast with a good measure of The Flaming Lips and Radiohead. As its name suggests, age is integral to this company. The Young@Heart has crafted surprising and hilarious work that is not about old people performing, but rather a performance that happens to feature older people.

We didn't know what to expect from this concert, but were pleasantly surprised and entertained! From the opening Rolling Stones song, "You Don't Always Get What You Want," we were jazzed and eager to hear more! Not only were they excellent singers, but also very energetic performers. Being part of a performance like that was inspirational to us, being in our 30s, to see an example of healthy aging and that you can have fun at any age!

It was important for JFS at Home to sponsor this event as it not only targeted a senior audience, but it provided an educational outlet for people to see that seniors make a positive contribution to our community. The concert program says it best, "It is possible to age gracefully. It is possible to grow old without growing boring." We agree!

-Kim Finnestead and Alaina Green, JFS at Home

November is Family Caregiver Appreciation Month

Governor Ritter has proclaimed November to be Colorado Family Caregiver Appreciation Month to honor the contributions that family caregivers make to help their loved ones who are not able to care for themselves.

It is a reality today, more than ever, that many of us are caring for a spouse, an older parent, or other family member while also taking care of our own children, working full time, and holding down other responsibilities. According to the American Geriatrics Society’s Foundation for Health in Aging, as many as 44 million Americans care for older parents, in-laws, grandparents, and other older loved ones.

Some older adults need only a little assistance from family caregivers such as help with shoveling snow, or rides to and from the grocery store. Others need a lot of help with daily activities like eating, bathing, dressing, taking medications, and managing money. Over time, an older adult often needs increasing help from caregivers.

While caring for an older family member can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a lifetime, it can also be stressful and frustrating. This is especially likely if the older adult has dementia or needs around-the-clock care. Sometimes, providing care for an older relative can be extremely distressing and lead to “caregiver burnout.”

JFS at Home, the 24/7 homecare division of Jewish Family Service, can provide a needed respite for family caregivers and help avoid fatigue and burnout. Whether a caregiver needs a break for just a few hours per week or ongoing care is required, JFS at Home can step in and take on a variety of tasks from personal care assistance to companionship. All JFS at Home caregivers are carefully screened, well credentialed, bonded and insured employees, providing peace of mind for everyone involved.

JFS at Home has had many success stories involving family caregivers. For example, the homecare service is currently providing care for a woman with dementia and makes it possible for her husband of more than 55 years to get out of the house a bit. He says, “I didn’t know where to turn for help, and because of JFS at Home, I can leave my wife with the caregiver and have some time for myself.” He has been doing the cooking, cleaning, and personal care by himself for years and as he has aged, it has become more difficult for him to keep up with all that is needed to do. JFS at Home has helped lighten his caregiver responsibilities and improve the couple’s quality of life.

For more information about JFS at Home, please call Cathy Grimm at (303) 750-4000.

We Hate to Toot Our Own Horns, But Today We're Going To!

Last year, JFS and the Denver web design firm, Xylem-CCI, created a new, user-friendly Web site that has helped clients, donors, media, and the general public access information about our agency. The Web site spotlights the agency’s new brand, provides ease of navigation, and integrates with the agency’s blog and social media presence. The content-rich Web site features a video library, press room, event calendars, and photo galleries. The project also included JFS at Home and SHALOM Denver Web sites.

We attended the Colorado Healthcare Communicators' Gold Leaf Awards dinner last night where we were proud to accept a Bronze Leaf Award for our Web sites. Colorado Healthcare Communicators provides healthcare professionals in the public relations, marketing, and communication fields with opportunities to effectively network with peers, the media, and the healthcare community.

We are especially proud to receive this award because the marketing team worked extremely hard for six months to launch the Web site and blog. Over the past several months, we've received many phone calls from other Jewish Family Service agencies around the country, giving compliments and seeking advice on how to replicate our site. While these compliments have been wonderful, it's nice to be formally recognized with this award!

Thank you to our entire staff for all their contributions to the project and patience for putting up with us while we worked on this challenging, but worthwhile endeavor!

We Will Miss Her!

Farewell to Kenya Davis, JFS at Home schedule coordinator, whose last day will be July 31st. This week we had a party to wish her best of luck in her future endeavors. She will be missed!

Living Today for a Better Tomorrow

May is Older Americans Month and Older Coloradans Month. This year’s national theme is “Living Today For a Better Tomorrow,” and we all must work together to give older adults the tools they need to make healthy decisions.

Jewish Family Service (JFS) provides a variety of services through JFS Senior Solutions and JFS at Home to help older adults stay strong, well, and independent. Our experienced care managers provide consistent care, ease transitions, and create a vibrant support team for seniors and their families.

As we grow older, our lives may become more stressful and difficult. You may feel that you need someone to turn to, a trusted friend who can offer advice, resources, or just listen. While it may be difficult to admit if you have trouble with day-to-day tasks, turning to an expert can help you maintain the lifestyle you’re used to.

JFS geriatric care managers are skilled professionals who specialize in assisting older adults and those responsible for their care in addressing the challenges of late life. They offer advice and support needed to make compassionate and wise decisions, while at the same time, affirming your dignity and worth. JFS geriatric care managers can help:

• Provide comprehensive in-home assessments to identify needs and present a plan of care


• Coordinate and monitor services to ensure peace of mind for everyone involved


• Offer counseling and support to older adults and their families and serve as a liaison to families who live far away


• Evaluate and make recommendations for alternate living arrangements as needed


• Provide crisis intervention


• Provide advocacy throughout the health care system


• Give information and referrals that connect the older adult with community services


• Educate and counsel caregivers about their own self-care and priorities


• Review financial and legal issues that may impact the older adult’s situation

JFS geriatric care managers charge for care management services based on a sliding-fee scale. Many long-term care insurance policies are accepted for such services.

If you need in-home services such as companionship, light housekeeping and meal preparation, help with errands, and more, JFS at Home can provide practical, reliable, and compassionate caregiver services that allow you to remain at home, enjoying life and independence. Homecare services for seniors and those living with medical conditions are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Homecare services are private-pay; most long-term care plans are accepted.

If you would like more information about JFS Senior Solutions or JFS at Home, please contact Cathy Grimm at (303) 597-5000 x 320.

--Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Considerations when Choosing a Home Care Service

In this economy, many people worry about the cost of care and it can become a large factor in the decisions that are made. While price should be a consideration, we know the health and well-being of a family member is your top priority.

JFS at Home, Jewish Family Service’s home care division, is passionate about hiring great people who are committed to serving their clients’ needs. All of the caregivers are carefully screened and well credentialed. They pass rigorous background checks and are thoroughly trained so you’ll receive the kind of care you’d give to one of your own family members.

The caregivers are also bonded and insured JFS at Home employees—that means you don’t have to worry because JFS at Home is responsible and liable for all of its employees. Plus, the rates are competitive, so you receive quality care at an affordable price, thus giving you peace of mind.

Visit the Web site for more information or call (303) 750.4000 for a free in-home consultation to assess your family member’s needs. It does not obligate you to further service.

--Carla Weeks, RN, MSN, FNP, JFS at Home director

New Look, Same Promise at JFS

If you’ve seen the latest newsletter, visited the Web site, or received JFS e-mail lately, you may have noticed that JFS has an all-new look! The new look of JFS features a brand new logo, and a more modern appeal that we hope will energize our staff, volunteers and supporters. We are proud of the strong reputation that JFS has built in the last 136 years, and maintaining a strong brand is important to our success in the Denver metro area.

While the JFS look has changed, there are some things that will always stay the same. Our mission to deliver meaningful human services throughout the community to help change lives will always remain. Of course, our core commitment to Jewish values drives our mission to help people, regardless of race, faith or income. Whether we’re feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, or helping refugees to rebuild their lives, this work reminds us of our most important mission – to honor the human spirit.

I welcome you to check this blog frequently for the most recent updates and perspectives from JFS, and please join in the conversation by leaving your comments!

--Yana Vishnitsky, President & CEO