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At 83, Mitzi was having the time of her life. Divorced many years before, the retired stockbroker juggled a full schedule that included several theater subscriptions, weekly card games, travel, book clubs, and frequent visits with her only child, Yvette, a psychiatric social worker. But when Yvette fell ill last…

When Myra retired, she “decompressed” for a year, as she put it. “Then I called JFCS and said, ‘I want to volunteer.’” Soon after, Myra became a Seniors At Home RIDES driver—shuttling older people to and from appointments—and a friendly visitor to those hungering for companionship and conversation. “Those experiences…

Last summer, Michael detected slippage in his mother’s memory. “We’d be having a normal conversation,” he says, “and suddenly she’d ask, ‘What do you do? Where do you work?’ This freaked me out, but I chalked it up to ‘old age.’ But when my mother forgot to pay household expenses…

Because of arthritis, you’re having trouble walking down the stairs by yourself or lacing up your shoes. Perhaps you can’t make out the fine print on prescription labels—even with your reading glasses. After years of doing things on your own, it might be hard for you to acknowledge that you…

Every week when Jonah called his 86-year-old mother, she talked about her physical discomfort and sadness. He realized that she was alone and needed more than his cross-country phone calls and quarterly visits. “My mother used to be a vital professional with many interests,” Jonah said. “I was alarmed that…

Coming home after surgery, Eleanor didn’t have to worry about arranging for the home care she now needed for the first time in her life. Seniors At Home had already done it. “It was a relief that I didn’t have to scramble for services in my condition,” says Eleanor, 84.…

When 71-year-old Jay lost his wife in 2011, he received comfort from JFCS’ spiritual care services and its Bereavement Support Group. “JFCS and Seniors At Home helped me get through a tough time,” he said. That’s why Jay didn’t hesitate to return to Seniors At Home this spring, when he…

The Palliative and End of Life Care Program is one of many services of JFCS’ Seniors At Home, which is the largest senior care provider in Northern California. For Lynne Levi, a volunteer in the program, helping people who are living with a chronic condition or serious illness is a…

Happily married for 60 years, Max and Helen began experiencing difficulties caused by Max’s declining health. She wanted home care for him, he refused, and she no longer had the stamina to provide the assistance her husband needed. “They faced a difficult situation common to many senior couples,” says Judy…

After 14 years, Barry and Lisa were as in love with each other as in the early days of their courtship. “When I saw and heard Lisa for the first time—at a museum exhibit—I knew she was the one for me,” says Barry. “She was warm, beautiful, and open-hearted. I’d…