Neag Foundation supports Berks Encore program
During the midst of the pandemic in 2020, the Neag Foundation awarded a grant to Berks Encore to launch a new caregiver support program designed to help families plan and manage for the care of an older loved one.
Last month, Berks Encore Care+ received an additional gift from the Neag Foundation for $81,165 for the continued support of the emerging program.
Berks Encore Care+ is a geriatric care management program that can provide families with a personalized plan of care for their loved one in consultation with an Aging Life Care Manager.
Care managers use their expertise to determine how to help by exploring the physical, emotional, financial and social issues an older adult may be experiencing, assessing an individual’s daily functions at home, and reviewing medical conditions and current treatments.
In collaboration with the senior and their family, a personalized care plan is developed to provide a roadmap to help navigate the aging network and connect them with resources available within the community. Families can choose to enact the plan on their own or enlist help from Berks Encore Care+.
“We are grateful to have the generous support of the Neag Foundation that will allow us to continue to grow in new directions,” said LuAnn Oatman, CEO/ president of Berks Encore. “Berks Encore Care+ 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.”
Family caretakers, especially in the sandwich generation helping aging parents while raising children of their own, often shoulder enormous emotional and financial burdens, as well as increased demands on their time and energy. In fact, 9 out of 10 caregivers say their family caregiving duties affect their stress level and personal life.
A care manager can provide help 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.
By working with Berks Encore Care+ professionals, the senior and their family will create a personalized plan that will ensure the individual is cared for and safe while reducing stress and worry for the caregiver. To contact an Aging Life Care Manager with Berks Encore Care+ call 484-5774243 or email becareplus@berksencore.org.
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.