News from WNYSeniorCare.org

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
June 18, 2007

Contact: Mike Helbringer, President, Western New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (WNYAHSA) – (716) 319-9500
Agency Contact: Cheryl Carr, Carr Marketing Communications – (716) 831-1500 x304

WNYSeniorCare.org Wins NYAHSA’s Innovation of the Year Award

WNYSeniorCare.org, a regional online senior care assessment tool launched in late 2006, was awarded the New York Association of Homes & Services for the Aging (NYAHSA) Innovation of the Year Award.

WNYSeniorCare.org was designed for families experiencing challenges caring for an elderly loved one. The site offers advice, links to other senior care organizations in Western New York, and an interactive tool to help determine the appropriate level of care for the senior.

WNYSeniorCare.org was developed by members of the Western New York Foundation for Homes & Services for the Aging (WNYFHSA) and its affiliate, the Western New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (WNYAHSA), with the support of a grant from The John R. Oishei Foundation.

WNYSeniorCare.org is a free and anonymous online environment. Since November it has received an average of 1,500 visits per month, and more than 900 people have completed senior care assessments to help transition a loved one to an appropriate level of care. “For families who have not yet planned for their senior loved one’s care, this time can be filled with confusion, worry and guilt,” said Ruthie Hunt, president of WNYFHSA. “The goal of WNYSeniorCare.org is to provide the missing link between caregivers who don’t know where to turn and the myriad of services in Western New York available to them and their senior family members.”

NYAHSA, based in Albany, is a statewide organization of not-for-profit senior care organizations dedicated to providing high quality health care, housing and community services to the elderly and people with special needs. NYAHSA’s more than 650 members serve an estimated 500,000 New Yorkers annually. The Innovation of the Year award recognizes programs that creatively promote care and services to the elderly.

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