Brandywine Village Network to launch in Eastern Sussex County Sept. 20

Tuesday, Sept. 20, Jewish Family Services of Delaware will officially launch the much-anticipated Brandywine Village Network: Sussex County, a community-based program designed to help older adults remain living at home. A meet-and-mingle-style kickoff event will be held from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at at 20684 John J. Williams Highway in Lewes.

"At a time when aging-in-place is almost everyone's goal, services to help older adults remain healthy and independent at home are a necessity," says Maggie Ratnayake, JFS's director of older adult services. "The village concept is an ideal answer that makes the dream of living independently at home for as long as possible a reality."

To do this, Brandywine Village Network: Sussex County will combine professional care management with a network of volunteers that ensures older adults have the support they need to live safely and securely in their own homes and stay engaged in their community. Like all JFS programs, Brandywine Village Network: Sussex County will serve community members without regard to religion, race, or socioeconomic status.

JFS has a long history of caring for older adults in the community. In 2012, the agency opened Delaware's first Village Network in northeastern New Castle County. The program has grown every year since. In 2015, Brandywine Village Network's two staff and 183 volunteers helped 112 members age in place.

To replicate the successful village model in Sussex County, JFS has hired two part-time staff members: Volunteer Coordinator Joanne Saltzberg and Member Coordinator Susan Nyden, LCSW. Saltzberg brings a strong leadership background, particularly in launching new projects, and Nyden has extensive experience connecting older adults to resources in their communities. Together, they will manage the daily operations of the Sussex-based village, connecting older adult members to a full range of support services and activities for safe, independent and socially connected living in their own homes.

Delaware's population is aging. Today, 17.8 percent of Delawareans are age 60 or older, and more than 13,000 are over 85. By 2030, Delaware's older adult population will increase by 133 percent, compared with the national average of 104 percent. According to the AARP Public Policy Institute, 90 percent of people over the age of 65 want to remain in their homes for as long as possible, and 80 percent believe that their current home is where they will live for the remainder of their lives.

"But maintaining independence and living safely at home can become very challenging as we age," says Ratnayake. "The village is designed to help meet those challenges."

Anyone age 50 or older who lives in the service area can become a member. Adult children with parents living in the service area are welcome to inquire about membership on behalf of their parents. To learn more or to RSVP for the kickoff event, call 302-827-6040 or email jsaltzberg@jfsdelaware.org.