CFSJ has awarded $150,000 in Aging Innovation Fund (AIF) grants to local organizations addressing aging in our region in new and different ways.
According to Population Reference Bureau, the percentage of New Jersey residents over 65 is growing steadily, which makes the shrinking ratio of working adults to elderly residents a big concern for policymakers. AIF was created to spur innovation among organizations that focus on our state’s aging men and women.
2018 AIF grants were awarded to:
- Ocean SMART Senior Mobility and Resource Training is designed to address the need for improved senior mobility and combat social isolation among non-drivers. To increase mobility, social connections and independence among older residents, NJ Travel Independence Program (NJTIP @ Rutgers) will work in collaboration with Ocean Ride, the local provider of public transit, to develop a targeted education curriculum that teaches Ocean County seniors about transportation options that are available to them.
- Project MEMORY L.A.N.E. (Living with Alzheimers’ in a Nurturing Environment) will expand services for residents with mild to moderate cognitive decline who live in Northgate II, an affordable housing facility in Camden. The program will be administered by Fair Share Support Services in partnership with NJ Institute for Successful Aging. These new services will allow residents to ‘age in place’ in a safe, familiar and nurturing environment.
- AtlantiCare Internal Medicine Physician Residents Outreach to Atlantic City Housing Authority Seniors will deliver care outside of the AtlantiCare Clinic. The program will deploy internal medicine residents to provide outreach and wellness activities to patients who live in the City’s high rise complexes.
AIF was created by the Cascade Corporation after the company sold its South Jersey nursing homes in 2014. The company’s leadership wanted to continue to serve local seniors and partnered with CFSJ to develop this resource to encourage new ways to address aging issues.
“Our Aging Innovation Fund at CFSJ allows us to continue the work Cascade was originally set up to do,” said Don Ambrose, CEO of Cascade’s parent company Del Mar Healthcare. “We are now in our third year, and very excited that South Jersey has eagerly embraced the opportunity to innovate and lead in this field.”
According to CFSJ Executive Director Andy Fraizer, senior residents of South Jersey are an asset to local places. “Older adults make important contributions, but at the same time, have unique needs. AIF grants support new ideas in individual enrichment and local approaches to age-friendly communities.” Fraizer continues, “Our partnership with Cascade allows CFSJ to create a better public understanding of aging-related opportunities and challenges for seniors and South Jersey communities.”
Previous AIF grantees include: NJ Future’s Creating Great Places to Age, Rowan University’s House Calls and Behavioral Health Integration Project, NJ Association for Mental Health’s “Too Much Stuff?” Hoarding Disorder Initiative, Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Southern NJ’s Patient Partners, Cape Assist/Cape May County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse’s Aging Wrap-Around Services and Stand Up for Salem’s Senior Health & Wellness Park.