News from WNYSeniorCare.org

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
September 7, 2007

WNYFHSA contact: Ruthie Hunt, President (716) 652-4269
WNYSeniorCare.org contact: Amanda Lohiser, consultant (716) 983-2272

WNYSeniorCare.org Reaches 1,000 Senior Care Assessment Milestone

Buffalo, N.Y. – Over 1,000 Western New Yorkers have used the online senior care assessment tool hosted at WNYSeniorCare.org, a website designed to give direction to caregivers of senior citizens in Western New York.

Developed by the Western New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (WNYAHSA) and its Foundation, WNYSeniorCare.org was launched in November 2006 and has been averaging 1,000 hits per month. People from over 125 zip codes ranging from New York, Pennsylvania and as far away as Texas, California and Florida have visited the site.

“It is wonderful to see that our website and its senior care assessment tool have been utilized by so many caregivers of senior loved ones in Western New York,” said Ruthie Hunt, president of the Western New York Foundation for Homes & Services for the Aging (WNYFHSA). “At the same time, it shows us how many people truly are in need of guidance through the myriad of services available to them. It is our hope that our site continues to offer direction and will continue to reach its goal of connecting families with senior care solutions.”

In addition to the senior care assessment tool, visitors to WNYSeniorCare.org will find articles on a variety of elder care issues, links to community resources in all eight counties of Western New York and answers to frequently asked questions about senior care. Information about the senior care providers in the region – including home care, assisted living and skilled nursing – are listed geographically by zip code on the site.

WNYSeniorCare.org’s newest project is to create a section for community resources in which visitors will find links to websites and contact information for such services as transportation, meals and medical equipment.

WNYSeniorCare.org is a collaborative effort. It was developed over the course of two years by senior care professionals and members of WNYAHSA and WNYFHSA. It was tested, reviewed and refined by families, senior care professionals and geriatricians throughout Western New York. The project launch was made possible through a generous grant from The John R. Oishei Foundation.

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