Mission

Working hand in hand with our community partners, LIFE ElderCare's mission is to empower seniors and disabled adults to live independently by nourishing mind, body and spirit. No matter what our age, all of us need to be well-fed, safe, and connected with others. But for our most vulnerable seniors and disabled adults this is not always easy. Therefore, LIFE ElderCare exists to help prevent and alleviate malnutrition, isolation, and falls, and in return, we receive the gift of community connection. Our agency was launched in 1975 when a local Fremont resident became increasingly concerned about the nutritional needs of homebound seniors. She engaged the support of a local school, where meals were prepared and packaged, and then, with help from friends, delivered them to those who needed it. During the first year of service, about 350 meals were delivered. Now we deliver this amount every day throughout Fremont, Newark and Union City. Our staff and board have strong core values that include the following beliefs: 1) No senior or disabled adult should go hungry; 2) No senior or disabled adult should suffer from loneliness; 3) No senior or disabled adult should lack transportation assistance; 4) Falls and their often tragic consequences are preventable; 5) Every senior should have the right to age in the place they call home. In addition, our services tackle many goals. The work benefits both seniors and disabled adults, as well their families and the larger community. WE WORK TO HELP SENIORS AND DISABLED ADULTS 1. Continue living independently with dignity; 2. Alleviate hunger and malnourishment through access to affordable, cooked, nutritious food; 3. Receive frequent well-checks; 4. Remove obstacles to completing medical appointments or shopping trips; 5. Avoid premature or unnecessary skilled nursing stays for those who prefer to live at home; 6. Lift loneliness and isolation and open ties to the community even though they may be homebound; 7. Maintain or improve a good quality of life; 8. Get short-term support while recuperating from an illness, a medical procedure or an accident; 9. Learn hands-on how to avoid falls, which can have serious, long-term consequences and take huge physical, emotional and financial tolls; 10. Link up with case management and other human services as needed. WE WORK TO HELP FAMILIES 1. Receive occasional respite and find other supports; 2. Reduce their lost work days caring for elderly parents or loved ones; 3. Get assurance that their elders are eating right, have human connection or help shopping or going to appointments and/or checked on every weekday. FOR THE LARGER COMMUNITY: WE WORK TO... 1. Reduce the burden on local emergency services; 2. Drastically reduce Medicaid spending; 3. Reduce hospital admissions, readmissions and readmission fines; 4. Reduce lengths-of-stay in institutions; 5. Provide our local colleges with opportunities for their nursing students to complete work in public health classes and gain exposure to new demographics; 6. Provide residents of all ages with multiple opportunities to volunteer; deliver meals, provide companionship, and/or 'transport with support'. Research on volunteering demonstrates that people derive direct positive health impacts through helping others; 7. Provide basic supports to vulnerable seniors and disabled adults when others cannot in our neighborhoods; 8. Nurture the vital, and sometimes overlooked, aspects of community that make it a safe and healthy place in which to age.