Working Together for an Age-Friendly Elizabeth
Shaping Elizabeth’s coalition partner Lifelong Elizabeth, an age-friendly community initiative sponsored by Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey and funded through the Grotta Fund for Senior Care, kicked off Older Adult Month with its annual “Senior Safety Days.”
The Shaping Elizabeth coalition, Lifelong Elizabeth, and the City of Elizabeth came together to host presentations and information tables for older adults to learn about healthy aging and resources in their community.
This year, we reached a record 200 older adults with information about brain health and how to avoid scams targeting seniors. With the help of Alice Greenberg-Sheedy, LCSW, CDP, Jewish Family Services of Central New Jersey’s Alzheimers/Dementia Caregiver Program Manager, older adults learned about the risk factors for dementia and how healthy eating and an active lifestyle can keep the brain sharp well into their later years. The second topic, “Senior Scams and Fraud,” was presented by the City of Elizabeth’s Police Department. Drawing upon stories from their careers in law enforcement, Sergeant Brian Clancy and Sergeant Manny Belon captivated audience members and shared tips on how they could avoid falling victim to scams that typically target older adults, such as the recent fraud operation that portrayed itself to be the Internal Revenue Service. Audience members had a chance to share their concerns with the Elizabeth Police Department, and were reassured that their community law enforcement officers were vigilant and responsive to the community’s needs.
While the Senior Safety Days were underway, Lifelong Elizabeth also took to social media to post tips on healthy aging and other initiatives by age-friendly community partners, national age-friendly groups and older-adult-focused organizations, such as the National Council on Aging and AARP. The social media posts and infographics shared on the social media site centered on tips for aging well in their communities–wherever they live.
If you’d like to learn more about Lifelong Elizabeth, the age-friendly community initiative in Elizabeth, visit our website at www.jfscentralnj.org or call 908-352-8375.
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