Program areas at Dorot
Socialization services connect older adults to peers and younger generations to enhance quality of life, reduce social isolation, and create larger community bonds. Dorot's friendly visiting and caring calls programs match compassionate volunteers with older adults for weekly/monthly meetings and conversations at home or virtually. Through caring calls social workers support older adult-volunteer matches throughout their relationship, providing guidance and referrals to other services. See schedule o for continuationdorot runs a wide range of online group offerings through onsite at home, including health, wellness, and exercise; legacy projects; current events classes; and arts and cultural programming. Through longstanding synagogue partnerships, Dorot social workers support older congregants, guide caregivers, inspire an ethic of volunteerism, and advise pastoral staff about resources for the aging. Dorot westchester offers volunteer visiting and educational services to older adult westchester residents.
Concrete services help older adults live independently in the community. Kosher meals at home (kmh) delivers weekly nutritious frozen kosher meals to home-based older adults who have difficulty shopping or cooking. The kmh coordinator and social work interns ensure participants' needs are met by providing critical, life-enhancing case assistance. We deliver emergency meals upon discharge from the hospital or the unexpected absence of a caregiver. See schedule o for continuationthrough four annual package delivery programs, volunteers bring packages of holiday food, treats, and essentials to home-based older adults and enjoy a friendly visit either over the phone or in the home. Dorot social workers follow-up on any unmet needs. The homelessness prevention program provides safe transitional housing, food, and ongoing counseling and services to homeless older adults, and relocates them into affordable permanent homes. Dorot's board of directors and senior staff made the difficult decision to phase out the residential portion of the hpp by march 2022. The decision was based on the fact that maintaining the program is extremely expensive while the number of older adults we are able to serve has significantly declined in recent years.
Community services alleviates social isolation and brings the generations together through enriching programs. Dorot's response team volunteer corps provides older adults with one-time services such as birthday visits and calls, helps with errands and household tasks such as returning library books, organizing paperwork, and taking neighborhood walks, thus decreasing social isolation and offering concrete assistance. Volunteers share older adults' concerns with social workers so that Dorot can connect them to resources and professional support and promote aging in place. Lasting impressions offers seniors the opportunity to create their legacy in the form of an ethical will, memoir, art project or video/audio interview, and helps those interested compose advance care plans. See schedule o bringing the generations together is a high priority for Dorot and a wide range of intergenerational programs are offered that bring older adults and volunteers together to form lasting relationships. Key programs include our teen and college internship programs, family volunteering, art, music and current events workshops, lasting impressions legacy programs, and many others. In fy22, over 6,000 compassionate volunteers provided older adults with a range of services and social interaction.
Educational services alleviates isolation by enabling older adults, caregivers, and professionals to participate in classes and support groups. University without walls offers educational and cultural courses, support groups, and holiday celebrations via teleconference and online to older adults throughout the country. Russian university without walls offers russian-speaking older adults continuing education and esl classes through teleconference, easing loneliness and isolation, and helping them integrate into american life. Through information and referral, Dorot staff and trained volunteers provide guidance to seniors, caregivers, and professionals about available services at Dorot, and in new york city and beyond.through tech coaching, trained volunteers offer one-on-one assistance to late tech adopters to help them master computer skills. Tech coaches teach older adults how to connect with family and friends virtually, participate in online classes, and access essential services over the internet. Families can download tech guides from the Dorot website to help teach parents and grandparents to use a laptop, smartphone and other devices.