Grantee Spotlights | June 28, 2022
St. Ann’s Community
Fostering the physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of older adults
Over 400,000 older adults are living with Alzheimer’s in New York—and 9.6% of New Yorkers aged 45 and older are struggling with some form of cognitive decline. As the older adult population continues to grow, so will the number of New Yorkers struggling with Alzheimer’s. To achieve a healthier New York, we must ensure that aging New Yorkers receive proper care.
The Foundation is proud to support organizations working in communities across New York on behalf of aging New Yorkers struggling with symptoms of cognitive decline. This June, Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, is an opportunity to spotlight one of those organizations: St. Ann’s Community (St. Ann’s).
Established in 1873, St. Ann’s mission is to foster the physical health, independence, and emotional and spiritual wellbeing of older adults. St. Ann’s supports more than 2,600 older adults each year in the Rochester, NY community with a full continuum of care ranging from Independent Living to Skilled Nursing. The organization also offers Adult Day Services, hospice and palliative care, a wound clinic, and a geriatric primary care medical practice.
To support St. Ann’s efforts, the Foundation provided a grant of $650,000 to improve the physical environments where elders with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias reside.
The grant is supporting the transformation of kitchens on two floors, bringing new refrigerators, freezers, cabinetry, countertops, kitchen worktables, full cooking range, and various kitchen equipment to the space. New kitchen designs will help allow elders to hear kitchen activity and smell food cooking which will encourage them to eat and drink more, while also promoting a sense of belonging and comfort in a familiar setting.
Additionally, the renovations will include updated design practices such as colors, textures, artwork, and lighting that would allow elders with dementia a safer and more comfortable environment. These renovations will have an impact on over 80 elders living on these two floors.
This Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, it’s important to bring attention to the increasing numbers of New Yorkers struggling with subjective cognitive decline, and the importance of supporting organizations– such as St. Ann’s– that are providing proper care for older adults.
To learn more about St. Ann’s efforts, visit their website here.