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WASHINGTON — Lutheran Services in America, a national network of 300 Lutheran health and human services organizations that reaches one in 50 people in America each year, was awarded a grant from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation to expand the work of its Connect-Home Collaborative to support older adults transition home after hospitalization and address gaps in care to allow them to live independently at home.

The new grant builds on existing support from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation — alongside the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone — for the Connect-Home Collaborative, which has successfully reached 875 older adults in post-acute care sites in seven states. The grant expands the Connect-Home model of service to older adults in affordable housing in Brooklyn, New York.

“Connect-Home will identify and support at-risk older adults in need of services to remain in their homes,” said Charlotte Haberaecker, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America. “With several years of experience in enabling older adults to successfully access services and supports as they transition home after hospitalization, the Collaborative is applying the model’s evidence-based practices to older adults in low-income, affordable housing settings.”

The new funding will enable the Connect-Home Collaborative to strengthen the capacity of staff in affordable housing to identify older adults most at risk of hospitalization, develop strategies to meet their needs and empower low-income older adults to successfully age independently at home.

“Connect-Home is a promising model for improving the lives of older adults in low-income housing. We look forward to implementing the successful strategies and approaches in our community in Brooklyn to further support residents’ needs as they age,” said Larry McReynolds, executive director of the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone.

The Connect-Home model was created by Dr. Mark Toles at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to improve the delivery of transitional care during the critical time following acute illness. Connect-Home empowers older adults and their caregivers to manage illnesses at home and prevent avoidable re-hospitalizations.

“Results from earlier phases of Connect-Home show that increasing the level of services and supports during the transition home prevents acute illness and injury,” said Toles. “The opportunity to continue to partner with Lutheran Services in America and expand to affordable housing settings promises to extend the success of Connect-Home to pave the way for more older adults to remain in the housing of their choosing.”

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About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is a national network of 300 Lutheran health and human services organizations that reaches one in 50 people in America each year. Recognized by The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes as one of the nation’s top nonprofit organizations, the Lutheran Services in America network operates with more than $23 billion in combined annual revenue. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Lutheran Services in America leads innovative collaborations with partners in philanthropy, academia, healthcare and others to address the most critical challenges in our communities and empower people to lead their best lives.

To learn more, visit lutheranservices.org and find us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.