VNS Westchester Awarded Grant From Field Hall Foundation

VNS Westchester (VNSW) announced today its receipt of a grant of $42,000 from the Field Hall Foundation for its new Van Services Program. The grant will enable the not-for-profit agency to purchase a van that will transport its Home Health Aides to patients’ homes in Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties.

According to VNSW President/CEO Timothy P. Leddy, “We are thrilled to receive this generous grant from the Field Hall Foundation to help us jumpstart this vital initiative. The procurement of a van will enable us, for the first time, to provide safe and reliable transportation for our Home Health Aides (HHAs) as they travel to and from the homes of our patients. This will allow us to fill current gaps in home care services to the homebound elderly in hard-to-reach areas in northern Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties.” VNSW Foundation, Inc. Board Chair, Dr. Amy Ansehl, announced that the Foundation has approved a matching grant that will support the Van Services Program by covering costs for personnel and related expenses.

“It is imperative that seniors receive the home care services they need,” states John R. Ahearn, Field Hall Foundation’s CEO.  “We are proud to support VNS Westchester’s transportation initiative that removes a barrier to those services.” 

The burgeoning need for this transport service, Leddy explained, is based on a number of trends, including the tremendous growth in the region’s senior population as well as the impact of COVID-19.  These trends have driven the demand for support services from Home Health Aides (HHAs) who serve as lifelines for elderly patients who wish to age in place and avoid institutional care. However, providing this care has posed challenges to the agency, as the demand for Home Health Aides has far exceeded availability.

Providing HHA services in suburban and rural areas in northern Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess, said Leddy, “has been an even greater challenge, as these areas have limited public transportation options. In addition, the majority of our HHAs reside in the Bronx and do not own cars, nor drive. This has inhibited our ability to fill critical service needs in these high-demand locations. The new van will enable us to provide vulnerable populations with the high quality personal care and household support that they need and deserve. At the same time, we believe that the provision of van transport services will have a positive impact on the recruitment and retention of Home Health Aides, further strengthening our home care program.”

About VNS Westchester: VNS Westchester (VNSW) is the largest and only independent not-for-profit, Medicare-certified home healthcare agency in Westchester that also serves the Bronx, Dutchess, Putnam, and Rockland counties. VNSW promotes and supports the health and sustains the independence of residents in the communities they serve through the delivery of home healthcare and related community health services by VNS Westchester, VNSW at Home, and VNSW at CCN, their Community Care Navigation agency. For more information about VNSW and the services that they provide, please visit them online at www.vns.org or contact 914-682-1480.