JFS programs help seniors remain independent

After one year of operation, two new Jewish Family Services programs are helping dozens of Kansas City seniors maintain their independence.

JET Express, which provides door-to-door transportation, and Help@Home, which provides home-repair and other services, allow seniors to avoid having to move out of their private homes and into assisted-living type facillities. Both are available to anyone in the metro area who meets certain criteria.

JET Express (JET is an acronym for Jewish Elder Transit) has provided more than 1,000 rides since September 2008, and the demand is increasing. For a flat fee of $2.50 each way, people 65 and older who have no other means of transportation and who are not wheelchair bound can call and get rides around town — to doctors appointments,  hairdressers, shopping, volunteer commitments, lunch with friends, cultural activities. “Any activity that keeps older adults active and independent (is eligible),” said Dawn Herbet, director of Older Adult Initiatives.

JET Express riders must call five working days ahead of the time they need a ride. The hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Trips are limited to 30 miles round trip beginning at the driver’s home, unless it’s for medical purposes, in which case the 30-mile limit is waived.

“We can only give one ride a week at this time, until we get a larger cadre of volunteers,” Herbet said. “We’re hoping to go to two rides soon.”
Ruth Forman and her mother, Phyllis Forman, use JET Express on Friday nights to attend Congregation Beth Torah’s Shabbat service.

“My mother is 94 and cannot see, and I’m disabled, so I can’t drive,” Ruth Forman said. “So it’s a real gift because we get to be together, and we get to go to temple. … We’ve had drivers who are courteous, personable and safe.

“It’s all about sharing, and I’m just really appreciative.”

Volunteer Bill Kessler averages about six hours a week driving, and says he could use some more help behind the wheel. Kessler is old enough himself to be a JET Express rider, but said he’s lucky he is in good health and still able to drive. It’s gratifying to help, he said.

“People are so appreciative; mostly ladies. It really gives you a good feeling. It’s a fantastic thing,” Kessler said. “I think more people need it, and we need more and more drivers. If we could get people to volunteer just one time a week, it would help.”

Volunteer drivers must be at least 21 and have a valid driver’s license, auto-insurance coverage and their own vehicle. They must have a training session, too.

To volunteer as a JET Express driver, contact Adrienne Kizer, (913) 327-8257, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Need a hand?
Currently, there 37 families encompassing 54 individuals have enrolled in Help@Home. This program is available to those 65 years and older, or who have a physical or mental disability. Monthly membership fees are figured on a sliding scale based on income.

Fee subsidies for Jewish seniors are available through the Jewish Federation, and subsidy funds from other sources have been earmarked for members of the general community.

“We never want financial need to be a reason why people are not part of the Help@Home program,” JFS’s Herbet said. “We’re extremely fortunate to have funding through the Federation to offer grant funds, so monthly fees can go down as low as $7.50.”

Help@Home provides minor home repairs and chore services; computer troubleshooting; annual home-safety assessments; information and referral to community resources; and a medical-alert device that can be worn around the neck or as a bracelet. Many of these services are offered in cooperation with John Knox Village.

Herbet said the home-safety assessment is important to help older adults guard against falls.

“One of the major reasons why older adults have to leave their homes is because they wind up getting hurt,” she said.

Home repairs are done by Seroj Terian, 38, JFS’s community handyman, who has been providing between 18 and 39 client visits monthly. Terian left Sprint about three years ago to start his own handyman business. After a couple of years, he joined JFS.

He said he has always been handy, having rehabbed a few houses he owned.

“I’ve always liked working with my hands and fixing things if I can,” he said. “I didn’t like sitting around in a cubicle all day long.”

Terian occasionally is called for bigger jobs than he can handle, but JFS has a backup plan. It has screened local contractors involved in many different trades. So if, for example, a client needs his/her water heater replaced, he/she at least can get the name of a reputable plumber.

There have been times when Terian was called upon to do a job no one could handle.

“We had a member who had an obnoxious woodpecker … who made his home in a tree in her front yard and was driving her crazy,” he said. “She wanted me to climb up in the tree and scare the bird away. She was at the point where she wanted it shot, but it’s a protected species. That was pretty funny.”

Members can call any time, day or night, if there’s an emergency like a broken water heater. An answering service contacts whoever is on call.

Some of the jobs Terian has done are plumbing, electrical and drywall repairs, patching driveways and walkways and installing adaptive devices like ramps and electronic seats for people to go up and down stairs.

For Ann and Dan Stern, Terian has been “just wonderful.”

“There are lots of things around the house (to do),” Ann Stern said. “My husband is ill, and I don’t want him on ladders. Seroj is taking care of the little things that he used to be able to do. This way, we can be independent, and Seroj will do it all. We save up little (jobs). I can’t tell you what all he’s done.”

Ann Stern said Terian once spotted some shelving that looked like it might tip over, so he fixed it. A friend of hers was having her new granddaughter visit and needed a crib. Terian borrowed a crib and put it together for the woman; then when the granddaughter left, he disassembled the crib and returned it.

“I wish more people would take advantage of (Help@Home),” she said. “We hope people will give this as a Chanukah gift.”

A push for volunteers
With just one handyman on staff and two people on call during his off hours, Dawn Herbet said, JFS will make a major push in 2010 to seek community volunteers to support Terian.

“So, if you were an electrician and you want to volunteer, you can help him. If you were a plumber at one time or a fixer-upper in your own house and want to help older adults stay in their homes, we’re here,” she said.

“This gives people another outlet to volunteer in our community. We’re really wanting volunteers.”

Call Adrienne Kizer, (913) 327-8357, to volunteer as a handyman.

Help@Home is also beginning to branch out into socialization and educational programs, Herbet said. On Sunday, Dec. 6, JFS co-sponsored a genealogical workshop with Heritage Center at one of the Johnson County public libraries.

Herbet said JET Express and Help@Home help older adults to remain independent and active.

“They may not need Seroj one month, but they can possibly need him three times in another month,” Herbet said. “They have someone they’re comfortable with; somebody who they know; somebody they know who helps their other friends.

“And it also ties people into JFS and other services — case management and information and referral services. So it’s kind of an all-encompassing program. It’s not just having one person to unclog your toilet; it’s really about keeping an eye on our older adults and making sure they know there’s one agency that’s there for them for a lot of different things.”

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