Representatives from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University are photographed with Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens staff for the inaugural “Age in Place Workshop” at Pope Francis Apartments at Loreto in Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.
On Wednesday, October 4, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens kicked off their inaugural “Aging in Place Workshop” in collaboration with SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University at the Pope Francis Apartments at Loreto located at 2377 Pacific Street in Brooklyn. The program began with a warm welcome and words of encouragement by Emmie Glynn Ryan, Chief of Staff and General Counsel, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens and Affiliated Agencies.
Multiple training sessions are scheduled for staff members with the Progress of Peoples Management team across the Catholic Charities affordable housing sites. The 90-minute training sessions are led by licensed leaders in nursing from the College of Nursing at SUNY Downstate and will cover topics including: What is Aging in Place?, Enhancing Tenant Safety and Fall Prevention, Cognitive Decline and Communication/Care Techniques, and Identifying Medical Distress and Seeking Assistance.
Staff members present at the first Aging in Place Workshop in Brooklyn were eager to learn from the experts. During an icebreaker exercise, Christine Simmons, Clinical Director at the Catholic Charities Mercy Gardens Supportive Housing building shared how some of the tenants she and her team work with are already aging in place. “We have tenants who moved into Mercy Gardens when they were in their 40s and are still residents 20 years later. When tenants age in place, our team evaluates their changing needs to continue to provide the best support we can,” explained Ms. Simmons.
The training session was led by Kathleedn Bratby, EdD RN, Clinical Associate Professor from the College of Nursing and Director of Advanced Level Program, MS in Nursing Education Track; Barbara Kitchener, Ph.D., BSN, MA, RN, Assistant Professor from the College of Nursing and Dirctor of the Entry Level Program, RN to BS Track; Veronica L. P. Arikian, Ph.D., RN, Clinical Associate Professor from the College of Nursing; and Joanne Ritter-Teitel, Ph.D., MA, RN, Associate Professor, Associate Dean, Clinical Affairs and Community Partnerships.