Rep. Doyle Introduces Legislation to
Ensure Future Funding for Pittsburgh's NORC Projects

"Growing old gracefully is about quality of life and that is what NORCs provide."
- Rep. Doyle

Monday, July 15, 2002 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - U.S. Representative Mike Doyle (PA-18), Howard Rieger, President of the United Jewish Federation, Barbara Gottlieb, President and CEO of the Jewish Association on Aging (JAA) , and Roweena Lynch on behalf of Ransom Towsley, Executive Director of the Community Living Independently For Elders (LIFE) Center joined together today at a press conference to discuss Pittsburgh's selection as a demonstration project for a new national trend toward healthcare and independence for our region's senior citizens through Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs).

"I am glad to report that a total of $500,000 in federal funding will be coming to Pittsburgh this year for NORC projects. The Jewish Association on Aging will receive $200,000 to serve NORCs in the Pittsburgh area, and the Homestead LIFE Center will receive $300,000 for the services it provides to Homestead and the 27 surrounding communities," stated Rep. Doyle. "These funds will make it easier to provide seniors the access to services they need to maintain their independence and dignity. The JAA NORC project and the Homestead LIFE Center are two very important initiatives because they are dedicated to providing seniors independence in their living and greater accessibility in their care."

NORCs are concentrated pockets of older Americans who have aged in place and have chosen to remain in an area familiar to them - a community they feel at ease in and call home. They are located in all types of settings including apartments, condominiums, public housing or neighborhoods of individual homes.

According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), 27% of all Americans over the age of 60 live in NORCs, with the average NORC dweller being a 75-year-old woman living alone.

Pittsburgh was one of five cities to be selected for the national NORC demonstration program. The United Jewish Federation played an important role in working with Congressman Doyle to make this happen. The goals of the project are to provide cost-effective delivery of social and healthcare services to the elderly. Providing funding for programs such as this allows elderly people to remain in comfortable and familiar surroundings, thus preserving independence and dignity.

"The Jewish community in Pittsburgh has one of the highest percentages of elderly in the United States, and Allegheny County's elderly demographic is also one of the oldest in the nation. This makes the NORC approach in caring for our elderly vital to our region, and it can serve as a model for the rest of the country," said Howard M. Rieger, President of the United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh.

The goals of the NORC projects are to make accessible the most comprehensive of services - services that will meet both health care needs and social needs. Services that include physical therapy, adult day care, preventative health screenings, nutrition and wellness programs, health education programs, transportation, meal delivery, as well as many others.

"There are a myriad of wonderful programs on the local, state and federal level that are specific to senior care. However, the problem lies in getting the services to the people who need them," stated Doyle. "NORCs overcome this barrier by providing a one-stop-shop system in which families of older Americans can help their loved ones gain access to and take advantage of these many healthcare and social services."

According to Barbara Gottlieb, the federal funding for the JAA's NORC project will be utilized to expand upon the success they have seen from seniors aging in place and remaining at home. "Our NORC project will use these funds to establish multi-disciplinary care teams that will visit seniors in their homes, assess their needs, and get them the services they need to stay at home. This will improve quality of life and reduce the cost of care. In addition, we will work to educate families and the community-at-large as to how to understand what resources and services are available to our senior population. And finally, we will measure our impact on the community and the individuals receiving these services."

Rep. Doyle was successful in securing the $300,000 for the Homestead LIFE Center and Roweena Lynch, Outreach Coordinator for Community LIFE, was on hand to make a statement on behalf of Ransom Towsley. "Thanks in part to this funding, Community LIFE has been able to bring senior services onto the campus of safe, accessible, and affordable housing. Community LIFE will provide healthcare, in-home care, prescription drugs, transportation and other services to the Allegheny County Homestead campus, which is a NORC, as well as to seniors living in homes in the surrounding community. These services are free to those who qualify. We are please to be the first LIFE program in the country to partner with a Housing Authority to bring services directly onto a large NORC campus."

In an effort to enhance the impact of NORCs in Allegheny County and across the country, Rep. Doyle will be introducing legislation this week that will provide for a constant stream of funding for NORC programs, such as the NORC projects in Pittsburgh, through the Older Americans Act. This legislation, which will be titled, the NORC Support Act, will help reduce the cost of long-term care by providing full access to a safety net of community-based health care professionals and social services.

"By providing the funding for programs that offer supportive services to NORCs, we are allowing our elderly population to remain in comfortable and familiar surroundings. This in turn will help to preserve their independence and dignity. Bringing caregiver and medical support to NORCs prevents the unnecessary hospitalizations and expensive nursing home or assisted living stays," stated Rep. Doyle.

Other cities chosen for NORC demonstration sites were Detroit, Michigan; Baltimore, Maryland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and St. Louis, Missouri.

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