CoveCare Center is honored to announce that it has been awarded a $40,000 grant from Field Hall Foundation as part of its Fall 2024 Grant Awards. The funds will support the launch of a new program designed to combat social isolation and loneliness among seniors in Putnam County, in collaboration with the Putnam County Office of Senior Resources.
This initiative will foster community engagement and provide vital connections for older adults through phone calls, video chats, and in-person visits. Volunteers from the community will engage seniors in a variety of activities, with CoveCare Center providing training and offering essential behavioral health services. These services will include screenings, crisis consultation and telehealth support in order to address the needs of seniors who are experiencing behavioral health challenges, including mental health and substance use concerns.
Social isolation and loneliness are significant issues among seniors, exacerbated by factors such as retirement, health limitations, the loss of loved ones, and the challenges of asking for help. This new program is expected to serve 100-150 seniors in its first year, with an estimated 30% requiring additional behavioral health support.
Through this grant, CoveCare Center aims to improve the well-being of seniors in Putnam County by reducing loneliness and fostering meaningful connections within the community.
A nonprofit organization, CoveCare Center has provided mental health, substance use treatment and prevention, and supportive services for individuals throughout the Lower Hudson Valley since 1997. “CoveCare Center has worked hard to find creative ways to support seniors living in the community who are struggling with behavioral health challenges,” commented CoveCare CEO Eric Toth. “We are excited to partner with the Putnam County Office of Senior Resources to provide innovative solutions and to expand the levels of support for a group of community members that can be among the most vulnerable.”
“In 2023, the United States Surgeon General reported that loneliness and isolation increase the risk for individuals to develop mental health challenges and can increase the risk for premature death to levels comparable to smoking daily,” states John R. Ahearn, Field Hall Foundation’s CEO. “We are pleased to support [this program] in addressing this public health concern for seniors.”
Field Hall Foundation’s mission is to improve the lives of older adults and their caregivers in Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties. It does this by providing grants for programs and projects that directly impact this population, with priority given to those programs that address basic needs. For more information, visit www.fieldhallfoundation.org.