Mahwah senior citizens who feel there’s no place like their homes within the township learned some practical ways to stay there at a Senior Center event earlier this month.

“There’s No Place Like Home” hosted representatives from the Jewish Home Family to share with seniors effective ways to remain in their homes. The Jewish Home is a non-denominational, not-for-profit organization that runs ‘Jewish Home at Home,’ aimed at helping seniors stay in their homes, as opposed to moving into assisted living facilities.

“We find that most people want to stay home,” Susan Lilly, the Homes’s Director of Geriatric Care Management Services, said. “So, our goal is to help them embrace and adapt to the changes that occur as they age, which will help them stay home longer.”

Embracing change, Lilly said, is one of the most important aspects of aging. She said often times, clients will tell her that they did not tell anyone about difficulties they might be experiencing because they do not want to be a burden to their loved ones. “I hear that all the time, but in the long run talking about what your experiencing is so much better. You’ll get what you need, and it’ll improve your quality of life and your loved one’s peace of mind,” she told a crowd of about a dozen Mahwah seniors at the seminar.

“It’s good to know what the options are, now and in the future,” Mahwah resident Pat Lee said of the presentation. “Even if this is not an immediate concern now, it’s important for us to be aware about what we might be going through.”

According to Lilly, the Home runs a “geriatric care” program that services seniors in Mahwah. It is a combination of paid services, like assessing individual situations to outline short and long-term in-home plans of care, and free services provided by volunteers, like social interaction and help with organizing finances.

“Our volunteers are all carefully screened and matched with our seniors,” Charlene Vannucci, the organization’s Director of Volunteer Services, said. “Some of our volunteers help with billing, financing or banking, and others will go out for a meal or just pick up the phone to check in. A lot of our volunteers form real bonds with our seniors.”

Pricing for the professional services offered by the Jewish Home, Lilly said, vary depending on how many services a person is interested in receiving. “Our philosophy is to empower you, not to take over,” she told Mahwah seniors. Most seniors, or their families, call on the Jewish Home on an as-needed basis, she said.

“I think the presentation was very helpful,” resident Bernice Frank said. “I am lucky here, I have a wonderful neighborhood where my husband and I are like the mom and dad for the whole block. But, like [Lilly] said, it’s important not to be vain, and to ask for help when you need it.”

More information on the programs offered by the ‘Jewish Home at Home’ is available on the organization’s website.