PRESS RELEASE, OCTOBER 26, 2019
Advocates for the Aging of Frederick County (AAFC) has received a major charitable gift from the estate of the late Donald L. Lewis, former county commissioner and mayor of Thurmont. The gift establishes an endowment for Advocates at the Community Foundation of Frederick County.
Mr. Lewis, a WWII veteran who was in the first wave of soldiers ashore in the D-Day invasion of Normandy and a Purple Heart recipient, passed away in 2018 at the age of 99. A well-known businessman in Thurmont who served as Thurmont’s mayor from 1964 to 1970, he was then elected to two terms as a Frederick County commissioner. He and his wife Freda were strong supporters of local charities, service clubs and conservancy organizations during their lifetimes. After Mrs. Lewis’s death, Don Lewis honored her memory with a gift naming the physical and occupational therapy wing of Frederick County’s new Citizens Care & Rehabilitation Center. He also created an endowment fund at the Community Foundation to support continuing education for Citizens’ staff members.
The announcement of the Advocates for the Aging Endowment Fund held at the Community Foundation was made at a recent event held at the Thurmont Branch of the Frederick County Public Library System. Speakers included State Delegate Carol Krimm, Dr. Barbara Brookmyer, Frederick County Health Officer, Betsy Day, Community Foundation President, Melanie Cox, president of the AAFC Board of Directors, Sue Ferguson, niece of Mr. Lewis, and the presentation of a proclamation from Jan Gardner, Frederick County Executive, made by Margaret Nusbaum, Special Administrative Director in the County Executive’s office and Lori Depies, Frederick County Director of Finance.
PRESS RELEASE, October 21, 2018
Bonnie L. Glick, Maryland State Deputy Secretary of Aging joined Advocates for the Aging of Frederick County and Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner in introducing Kathryn Schey, the director of the new Frederick County Division of Senior Services to the community at a public reception on October 18, 2018.
Schey is the first director of the newly-formed division that raises services to seniors to a higher profile within county government, a key recommendation of the Seniors First Committee appointed by Executive Gardner in 2015 with a focus on the county’s changing demographics. By the year 2020, Frederick County will be home to more people over age 60 than school-aged children.
In her role as deputy secretary of the Maryland State Department of Aging, Glick oversees three divisions: Client and Community Services; Continuing Care; and Long-Term Care Services and Supports. The deputy secretary is responsible for Legislation and Federal Programs, the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Medicaid Supports Planning, and Records Management. She was introduced by Maryland State Delegate Carol Krimm (3A).
Advocates for the Aging of Frederick County is a non-profit organization specifically devoted to advocacy on behalf of the county’s poorest and frailest older adults: those unable or unlikely to speak for themselves before policymakers and the public. Through collaborative projects with the Frederick County Health Department’s Adult Evaluation & Review Service (AERS), the Frederick County Division of Senior Services, Frederick Memorial Hospital and other government and community organizations, AAFC works to raise awareness of and resolve policy, program and service problems and needs – large or small – faced by seniors and their families.
PHOTO (left to right): M.C. Keegan-Ayer, Frederick County Council; Melanie Cox, President of Advocates for the Aging; Bonnie Glick, Deputy Secretary of the Maryland State Department of Aging; Kathy Schey, Director of the Frederick County Division of Senior Services; Jan Gardner, Frederick County Executive and Carol Krimm, Maryland State Delegate, District 3A.
PRESS RELEASE, January 18, 2018
Local Realtor and Senior Advocate Named to Non-Profit Board
Frederick, MD — Dianne Lewis, owner of Phase 2 Solutions, LLC, and an agent with Real Estate Teams, LLC, Frederick, has joined the Advocates for the Aging of Frederick County Board of Directors.
A long-time advocate for seniors, Lewis has recently completed her tenure as chair of the Frederick County Commission on Aging, and has served with VITA/TCE (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly), the Frederick County Department of Aging and with the AARP Driver Safety Course. Her business, Phase 2 Solutions, LLC, is a professional managed care company that assists and advocates for seniors dealing with major life changes, whether it is downsizing to age in place, making a move to assisted living, or working with senior clients and their families to ensure smooth transitions. She is a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) professional, a qualification that demands that in the course of practice, CSAs apply multidisciplinary knowledge of the aging process and aging issues to identify the most appropriate options and solutions for seniors’ individual needs and best interests to improve their lives.
In addition, as a licensed real estate agent with certifications as a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) and through the American Association of Daily Money Managers (DMM), Lewis brings to AAFC her experience in the day-to-day needs and problems of seniors living at all economic levels in our community.
Lewis holds a BS in accounting with a minor in business administration from the University of Maryland, University College.
“We are very fortunate to add Dianne’s skills and expertise to our active board,” noted Melanie Cox, AAFC Board president, “and look forward to working with her in the year ahead.”
PRESS RELEASE, September 27, 2017
New Charitable Fund Supports Low-Income Senior Needs
Frederick, MD — A charitable fund supporting specific needs of low-income seniors being served through the Adult Evaluation and Review Services (AERS) program at the Frederick County Health Department has been created by Advocates for the Aging of Frederick County, a non-profit organization devoted to advocating on behalf of the county’s poorest and frailest seniors through public policy and partnership development.
The state-wide AERS program conducts in-home evaluations and assessments for aged and/or disabled adults who meet eligibility guidelines, with the goals of helping individuals live independently in their homes whenever possible and reducing unnecessary admissions to long- term care facilities. AERS nurses and social workers follow-up assessments by linking clients to home and community-based services, and by providing a continuum of care and oversight once a client’s care plan is in place.
“We know that some of the problems seniors face in living independently can be solved with a specific service or product, but often there will be no available funding for that item,” explained Melanie Cox, Advocates for the Aging president, in announcing the new fund. “It could be as simple as a microwave oven for reheating meals when using a range has become difficult to use, or something larger, such as a wheelchair ramp or an alert system. Our goal is to provide the resources to meet those specific needs on a case-by-case basis using the expertise of our AERS professionals.”
The AERS Support Fund at Advocates for the Aging (AAFC) allows individuals and businesses to make tax-deductible contributions knowing that the funds will be used for these specific community needs that have been determined to be part of an individual’s care plan and are overseen by the AERS staff, and that AAFC maintains transparent records available to the public through the organization’s annual financial report. Gifts to the fund may be made online at www.advocatesforaging.org or by mail to PO Box 3625, Frederick, MD 21705.
“Advocates for the Aging of Frederick County is not a direct service provider,” Cox noted, “so we are not accepting requests for funding from individuals or caregivers. This fund specifically serves individuals receiving care through the AERS program, and we encourage anyone knowing of a senior in need to contact the AERS program at 301-600-1736 to schedule an in-home evaluation or for more information on AERS services.”
Members of the AAFC Board of Directors and employees of the Frederick County Department of Aging’s Adult Evaluation and Review Services (AERS) gathered to celebrate creation of the AAFC AERS Support Fund.
Left to right: Joseph Berman, MD, AAFC Board member; Melanie Cox, AAFC Board president; Diane Grove, AERS Program Supervisor, Bev Stone, AERS staff, Beth Elliott, AERS staff, Geoffrey Littrell, AERS staff, Karl Bickel, AAFC Board member.