Our Activities

For calendar year 2005, ElderNet's 243 volunteers provided 238 frail, elderly, disabled or needy clients with 10,153 hours of service, including:

Escorted rides directly to and from medical appointments, banks, grocery stores and other necessary appointments. ElderNet volunteers also shop for people too frail to leave their homes, carry in the groceries, and put away the food. 94 volunteers and two paid services provided 2,459 escorted round trips to 188 Lower Merion and Narberth residents.

• Daily telephone reassurance phone calls to those in frail health and living alone. Several times, when volunteers have been unable to contact their clients, we have called 911 and have saved the clients' lives. 13 volunteers called 18 clients daily, including weekends and holidays, for a total of 4,390 calls.
• Friendly visits to older or disabled neighbors. The volunteers spend their weekly visits in conversation, on outings, and/or assist clients with balancing their checkbooks or paying bills, or read to blind clients. 22 volunteers made 370 friendly visits to 16 clients.
• Odd jobs, difficult for frail persons, but necessary; such as small appliance repair, minor carpentry, yardwork, painting, cleaning, and laundry. 20 volunteers provided 125 odd jobs to 18 clients.

  

• Holiday Baskets, for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas 2005. 29 individual volunteers and 12 groups served 180 households per season, for a total of 1,455 hours of service.

Holiday food baskets
ready for distribution!

Professional Staff

Our professional staff also provides many needed services:

ElderNet provides Information and referrals to neighbors with problems who do not know where to turn to solve them. In 2005, ElderNet staff responded to 4,646 calls from 2,902 different people seeking information about where to find help.

• ElderNet administers emergency funds (ESSLM and other locally raised small funds) to help people in crisis. Clients are referred by social service or other community agencies so that they will have help once the emergency situation is under control. ElderNet takes no money for administering the fund. ElderNet also works closely with the Lower Merion Police Department to administer funds used in assisting the homeless in our Township, providing 24-hour emergency service, short-term shelter and agency referrals to those without housing. In 2005, 2061 people were given $15,135.38 in emergency aid (respite care, short-term homecare and adult daycare, dental expenses, medicines, food, fuel, utilities, rent, short-term mortgage payments, wheelchair transportation by ambulance, plumbing and heating emergencies) from locally raised funds.
• As part of the Gatekeepers/Carrier Alert Program in the nine local post offices, ElderNet staff has trained local postal carriers to be alert to signs that an older or disabled younger person is in need of services, and to refer him or her to ElderNet for assistance. In 2005, ElderNet responded to 85 calls from police/postal carriers and neighbors about problems facing older adults.
• ElderNet also distributed free informational guides to Senior Services and to Housing. In 2005, over 200 copies of informational materials were distributed.
• ElderNet distributed 225 Files of Life to make emergency medical information accessible.
• ElderNet provides information and advocacy on issues pertinent to elderly, needy or disabled adults. Local and state officials have come to us for information on issues that affect our clients. In 2005, we worked with State legislators, and the State Office on Aging to try to direct money for more home-care services for the frail elderly. We also advocated for needs and services for older people and for affordable housing.
• In 2005, ElderNet produced two newsletters that were sent out to over 3,000 area individuals, service organizations, faith communities and officials keep our community informed on the work of ElderNet. Please refer to the NEWS area of this site for a printable version of the latest newsletter.