Senior Care Services, a nonprofit offering free medical transportation, food shopping and friendly visits to homebound older adults within a 10-mile radius of Princeton, will launch a web-based system to streamline ride scheduling, thanks to a Penn Medicine CAREs grant.
The grant funding was secured on the strength of an application by Maureen Stemwede, who works in Penn Medicine Princeton Health's Department of Medicine Academic Program and also serves as a board member and volunteer with Senior Care Services.
This is the first grant ever awarded to a Princeton Health employee under the Penn Medicine CAREs Grant Program, which provides institutional support to offset the cost of supplies and other resources needed for ongoing volunteer community service efforts by Penn Medicine employees. CAREs grants have supported a wide array of activities, such as free health clinics and screenings, disease prevention/treatment education, healthcare career development and support groups for patients and their families.
"I am very gratified to receive this grant to support a local organization that I believe in and have been involved with for the past few years," said Stemwede.
Clare Smith, executive director of Senior Care Services, said the assistance provided by the agency is invaluable to older adults in the community.
"We engage volunteers to assist homebound seniors to age gracefully in place and preserve their independence," Smith said. "This is a tangible extension of the care that Penn Medicine Princeton Health provides in our community."
Transportation to medical appointments is crucial, Stemwede said. In her previous position, overseeing the call center for Princeton Health's employed physician group Princeton Medicine Physicians, she often spoke to older adults who needed a free ride program like the one offered by Senior Care Services.
Penn Medicine CAREs grant will allow the agency to implement a web-based system called RideScheduler and train volunteers to use it.
The new system will streamline scheduling for both volunteers and seniors, simplify volunteer recruitment and reduce administrative costs for Senior Care Services.
To learn more about the Penn Medicine CAREs grant program, go to PennMedicine.org/Community.