Neag grant provides funding for startup program at Berks Encore
Berks Encore announced that it has been awarded a grant through The Neag Foundation for $271,308 for the launch year of a new business development program designed to help families plan and manage for the care of an older loved one.
The new program, Berks Encore Care+, is a geriatric care management program that will provide families with a personalized plan of care for their loved one in consultation with an Aging Life Care Manager.
Berks Encore care managers will determine how to help by exploring the physical, emotional, financial and social issues an older adult may be experiencing, assess an individual’s daily functions at home and review medical conditions and current treatments.
In collaboration with the senior and his or her family, recommendations to improve daily functioning, along with information on resources, services and options available will be presented in a custom plan for a fee.
Families can then choose to retain the services of the Aging Life Care Manager or enact the plan themselves.
“Berks Encore is the perfect organization to offer this program in our local community,” Carole Neag said. “Their history of caring for older adults through Meals on Wheels, the senior centers and more demonstrates their expertise in senior services. I am thrilled to be able to help to launch this new offering.”
In the initial year, the grant will be used for staffing, technology and marketing. Two Aging Life Care Managers have joined the staff at Berks Encore.
A care manager can prove especially helpful for seniors that have no families, whose family members live far away or who have changing circumstances or complex problems that have proven difficult for the family to manage without professional advice.
The Aging Life Care Manager will complete an assessment and design a plan of care that can help keep a family member independent and provide peace of mind for families whether they are local or long distance.
In cases where the individual is no longer able to go it alone, family members can work with Berks Encore professionals to establish a plan to make sure the individual is cared for and safe.
“We are so grateful to the Neag Foundation for supporting this new venture,” said LuAnn Oatman, Berks Encore president and CEO. “This grant will allow us the opportunity to provide a service that complements the array of choices we now offer to seniors in an effort to help them to live well and maintain a level of independence for as long as they are able, in addition to providing families with peace of mind that their loved one is being taken care of. “
The program also fulfills a strategic goal for Berks Encore to introduce some fee-based services in an effort to reduce the organization’s reliance on government funding.
The mission of the Neag Foundation is to provide grants that improve and enhance communities and to make a positive impact to help people live happier, healthier and more productive lives.
Berks Encore’s mission is to develop aging confident individuals to enhance their ability to live well later in life. Berks Encore Care+ will provide support and care for aging adults and their caregivers through assessment and personalized care planning.
For more information, contact Julia Becker, Berks Encore business development director, jbecker@berksencore.org,
610-374-3195 ext. 233; Luann Oatman, loatman@berksencore.org, 610-374-3195 ext. 222; or Lori Gerhart, Berks Encore director of marketing and communications, lgerhart@berksencore.org, 610-3743195 ext. 228; or visit www.berkencore.org. The Berks Encore office is located at 40 N. 9th Ninth St. in Reading.