NNews-Spring-2022

14 “Our society doesn’t value seniors as much as they should. They deserve dignity and respect for the life they have lived,” stated Lou Schwarcz, MA, Chief Executive Officer of Family and Children’s Service (FCS) of Monmouth County and a NJAMHAA Board member. In fact, since Schwarcz was young and took care of his grandfather for five years, he had a calling to serve the elderly population. Earlier in his career, he had this opportunity in his role as Associate Executive Director of Family Service of Morris County. After serving as CEO of Mental Health Association of Morris County, which has since merged with the sister agency serving Essex County, and then CEO of The Bridge, Schwarcz returned to his passion for helping seniors and individuals with disabilities by joining FCS in January 2022. Since its founding more than 110 years ago, FCS’ mission has been to “provide compassionate care, intervention and education to support people at the most challenging times in their lives,” as stated on its website. Services include Adult Protective Services, which entails investigation of reports of abuse and putting services, such as home health care, mental health care and legal services, in place for the vulnerable individuals; Jersey Assistance for Community Caregiving, a range of other in-home services to avoid nursing home placement; Representative Payee Services, and Medicare counseling. Equally valuable and impactful are volunteer opportunities for individuals aged 55 and older, coordinated through AmeriCorps’ Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). “Staying active helps seniors maintain their independence and quality of life. They make very good volunteers. They want to give back for their own blessings in their own lifetimes,” Schwarcz said. In addition to caring for their clients, FCS offers the Statewide Respite Care Program for the individuals’ family members and friends who serve as caregivers. “The purpose of respite service is to allow seniors to age in place with dignity and independence,” Schwarcz stated. The most utilized respite service is in nursing homes, which enables caregivers to go on vacation and take other breaks. “Caring for a loved one who requires daily assistance with basic needs can be very rewarding, but also challenging, both physically and emotionally. The Statewide Respite Care program is specifically designed to provide relief for unpaid caregivers so that they can better care for themselves. When they can avail themselves of the opportunity for self-care, caregivers are empowered to bring new energy back to the care that they give,” said LynnWhitney, LSW, MSN, Director of Community Support Services. Another popular respite service, especially during the pandemic, is caregiver-directed operations, which enables them to be reimbursed for medical supplies and hired help. To learn more about FCS, please visit https://www. fcsmonmouth.org/. 14 FCS Strengthens Independence for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Seniors deserve dignity and respect for the life they have lived. - Lou Schwarcz, MA Chief Executive Officer Family and Children’s Service of Monmouth County Spring 2022