“Housing and Health: Innovation through Integration and Inspiration” Webinar, April 13

Parker Health Group, Inc. and NJAAW present second ‘Programs and Innovations Series’ virtual event

Trenton, NJ (April, 2021) —The nexus of affordable housing with innovative health and academic partnerships that support residents in senior housing will be the focus of the second free “Programs and Innovations Series” webinar sponsored by Parker Health Group, Inc.

Hosted by NJ Advocates for Aging Well (NJAAW), “Housing and Health: Innovation through Integration and Inspiration,” takes place on April 13 from 10 a.m. to noon. Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xp_qTB_4Tbu-x5MJM6AcnQ

Featured speakers are Maria DiMaggio, MSW, Social Services Administrator for New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA), and Marilyn Mock, MSW, Policy Director for Senior and Wellness Services, Fair Share Support Services, Inc. (FSSS) located at Northgate II in Camden. The program will be moderated by Elyse Perweiler, MA, MPP, RN, a professor in the Department of Geriatrics & Gerontology at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (RowanSOM).

The inspiration that led to the innovative collaboration between the NJHMFA’s Services for Independent Living (SIL) program, FSSS, and the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging (NJISA) at RowanSOM, leading to integrating housing and health to facilitate aging in place, will be spotlighted.

Speakers will explain the roles of their respective agencies and share the journey from concept to pilot-testing to  implementation of the of Resident Health Risk Assessments in several affordable housing sites in New Jersey, including Northgate II. Sites vary in size, building age, staffing, resources and demographics.

The roles of NJISA and other academic partners in incorporating the John A. Hartford Foundation and Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s “4Ms” (What Matters, Mentation, Medications and Mobility) as a framework for creating age-friendly health systems, will also be explored. Additionally, emerging opportunities to foster interprofessional training for health professions students, faculty, and building staff — while also engaging building residents and families/caregivers as important members of the health care team­ — will be covered.

Maria DiMaggio has been with the NJHMFA for more than 30 years. NJHMFA is a state agency that provides funding for affordable home ownership and housing opportunities for New Jersey residents, and has funded hundreds of senior housing developments throughout the state. As its Social Services Administrator, she is responsible for the oversight of the SIL program, including training onsite service coordinators in Agency-financed senior buildings. SIL is currently in over 110  buildings and serves approximately 11,000 NJ residents annually. DiMaggio reviews, approves and monitors the provision of social services for special needs housing and family and senior housing developments funded through the NJHMFA’s tax credits program. DiMaggio serves on the Advisory Council on Gerontology for Rutgers School of Social Work’s Continuing Education Program.

Marilyn Mock has held management and administrative positions working with geriatric populations for nearly 30 years. She’s worked with the Fair Share Housing Development (FSHD) for the past nine years, first as Director of Social Services with FSSS. FSSS, the nonprofit social services arm of FSHD, was initiated in response to the growing and evolving social service and health-related needs of Northgate II residents with multiple chronic illnesses and functional disabilities. These individuals were aging in place and had minimal family support to assist them. FSHD committed social service staff resources, developed health-related programming and formed partnerships with other community-based agencies to develop an array of health-related supports. These supports address the social determinants of health that allow residents to remain in their community of choice for as long as possible while avoiding, minimizing or forestalling the likelihood of costly long-term institutionalized placement.

Moderator Elyse Perweiler serves as Co-Director of the statewide NJISA and Co-Director of the federally funded U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Health Resources and Services Administration New Jersey Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program. A member of numerous federal and state committees and boards, she has extensive experience in aging, Alzheimer’s disease, elder abuse, social determinants of health, clinical geriatrics programs, geriatrics and gerontology education, and curriculum development. Perweiler was a Board member of the National Alzheimer’s Association and served five years as President of the South Jersey Chapter. A former President of the National Association of Geriatric Education Centers, she led national advocacy efforts to fund geriatrics education and training to improve the care of older adults. Perweiler is committed to fostering academic and community-based partnerships to provide age-friendly health care and interprofessional education and training opportunities for medical, nursing, health professions students, families and caregivers.

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About Parker Health Group, Inc.

Parker Health Group, Inc. is a nonprofit, New Jersey-based aging services organization with over 114 years’ experience that is committed to empowering older Americans. Since 1907, Parker has been challenging, changing and expanding the idea of what it means to grow older in America and how all of us can make aging part of life.

About NJAAW

NJ Advocates for Aging Well (NJAAW, njaaw.org), formerly NJ Foundation for Aging (NJFA), has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the aging experience since 1998. It is the only statewide nonprofit focused solely on providing leadership in public policy and education to enable older adults to live with independence and dignity in their communities. NJAAW’s social action issues include senior housing and hunger, elder economic security, older workers and transportation. The award-winning Aging Insights, a monthly topical TV program produced by NJAAW, connects caregivers, seniors and their families to community-based services and resources. The show is available on NJAAW’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/c/njadvocatesforagingwell, at njaaw.org and more than 70 public-access stations across NJ (check local listings for channels and times). NJAAW also presents educational forums and an Annual Conference (June 3–4, 2021) offering development opportunities and best practices for professionals entrusted with caring for seniors.