To commemorate the Week of the Older Persons in South Africa (1st October to 7th October 2013), Jewish Community Services is embarking on an awareness campaign within our community. Not only to create awareness of the vulnerable older individuals and to be more vigilant, but also to provide practical solutions to the question “WHAT CAN I DO”?
A representative of Jewish Community Services will greatly appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns with members of body corporates in order to provide information as to who the body corporate can approach when any such issues arise.
Jewish Community Services is a welfare organization that has been in existence in various forms for over 150 years, however, our aim has remained the same, that is, to ensure the well-being and protection of vulnerable individuals and families in crisis within the Jewish Community of Cape Town. Providing a full range of preventative, educative and supportive counseling, statutory services, material relief and several community development projects does this. Of note is the fact that JCS is unique in the Jewish welfare system in that we are a generic welfare organization, meaning that we work in all areas of specialization in all age groups.
Having said that we work in all age groups, an analysis of our current caseload reveals that between 18% and 20% of our cases involve services to elderly persons. Our intake statistics are showing a marked increase in cases involving issues related to aging, which requires intervention, for example, older person living alone with no support systems in place. This is of grave concern and it is in light of this situation that the professional team at JCS has made a policy decision to embark on an awareness campaign within our community.
If you are interested in learning more about the services JCS can offer to older persons in need, please contact Rhita Russon on 021 462-5520.
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