Leading Interventions for the Elderly (LIFE), a community advocacy program at Weiss Memorial Hospital, provides assistance to identified cases of abused, neglected, frail or homebound older adults. Using a network of multi-agency resources, geriatric physicians and psychiatrists work closely with program staff to provide personalized assistance on a case-by-case basis.
A special component of the LIFE program is the “Dignity Boutique.” Hospital staff and generous companies donate clothing, which enables staff to provide clothing to participants who find themselves in the hospital. According to program director Sharon Gottlieb, this is especially important as the weather turns colder. “Many of our seniors are either homeless, in a low income bracket or on a fixed income,” she says. “They sometimes are referred here for care and don’t have adequate clothing when leaving the hospital. The Dignity Boutique enables us to also address this important psycho-social issue with dignity, as the name implies.”
Several companies have donated large quantities of shoes, undergarments, and warm clothing. More than 200 seniors have benefited from the program, which began a little over a year ago. The LIFE program is open to any agency recognized as a provider of geriatric advocacy services. For more information about the program, or to make a clothing donation, call (773) 564-7265.
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