Umbrella of the Capital District
- http://www.theumbrella.org/ -
Umbrella of the Capital District, 509A Union Street, Schenectady, NY 12305 - Phone: 518-346-5249. Founded in 1995, currently Umbrella of the Capital District serves more than 500 homeowners living in Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer and Saratoga counties.
Do you know someone who, because of age or a disability, needs a little help maintaining their home? If help was available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for little more per day than the cost of a postage stamp would it be worth it? A nonprofit agency helping senior citizens and persons with disabilities keep the two things they cherish most... their homes and their independence.
One of the most common reasons elderly and disabled homeowners move out of their homes is that the house becomes, "to much to handle" both physically and financially. Umbrella economically performs those chores that member homeowners can no longer do for themselves, including a preventative maintenance routine designed to identify and repair/replace basic items before they erupt into costly, major repairs.
Here are just some of the services enjoyed by Umbrella members:
Umbrella strongly supports the "Aging at home" philosophy and is committed to the idea of seniors helping seniors gain confidence to live comfortably and independently in their own home for as long as desirable and practical. Through our program of high quality home maintenance, with special emphasis on prevention, Umbrella is helping senior citizen and disabled homeowners to regain confidence that often leads to greater independence, self satisfaction, peace of mind and improved overall health.
One of the most innovative aspects of Umbrella is our workforce. For the most part, we use senior citizens. Our handypersons have the skills to get the job done! In fact, some have more than 30 years of experience in various trades. Equally important, because most of our handypersons only work to supplement their income, they are able work for less. We pass this savings on to our members. In the Capital District region alone, more than 100 retirees provide services.
Emergency assistance is just a phone call away - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If a pipe bursts, a window breaks or the furnace won't start, trained Umbrella staff are ready and able to help correct the problem. In fact, handymen are sent to the member's home within 90 minutes of being called.
Routine maintenance work is identified and prioritized as part of a written 17-point home inspection reports done at no cost for every Umbrella member once a year. The emphasis is always on prevention. Our goal is to fix small problems before they mushroom into major repairs.
Weatherization Referral and Packaging Program (WRAP)
WRAP reduces energy costs for the low-income elderly by improving the energy efficiency and comfort of their homes while ensuring their health and safety. It enables low-income seniors to permanently reduce their energy bills by making their homes more efficient. Many weatherization providers promote the concept of "whole house weatherization." They tackle the house as a single energy- consuming system instead of as a loose collection of unrelated systems. Using this approach, providers can find the best combination of measures for reducing total energy consumption in low-income housing. Contact your local office for the aging.
Restore -Residential Emergency Services to Offer (Home) Repairs to the Elderly - http://www.dhcr.state.ny.us/ocd/progs/restore/ocdprgre.htm -
THIS PROGRAM IS NOT INDIVIDUALLY APPLIED FOR IT IS GRANTED TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO BE USED FOR EMERGENCY REPAIRS FOR ELDERLY HOMEOWNERS.
The Housing Trust Fund Corporation receives a legislative appropriation to administer the RESTORE Program. RESTORE funds may be used to pay for the cost of emergency repairs to eliminate hazardous conditions in homes owned by the elderly when the homeowners cannot afford to make the repairs in a timely fashion.
In response to a publicly-issued Notice of Funding Availability, not-for-profit corporations and municipalities submit program designs detailing how they would administer local RESTORE programs. Included in their program designs are how they would select eligible recipients, monitor construction, and ensure compliance with program requirements. Eligible applicants are permitted to design programs for grants, loans, or both.
Certified Aging in Place Specialists - http://www.aarp.org/families/home_design/rate_home/a2004-03-23-caps.html
The Remodelors Council of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in collaboration with the NAHB Research Center, NAHB Seniors Housing Council and AARP developed the Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) program to address the needs of consumers who want to make their house a home for a lifetime - regardless of one's age, or functional abilities.
A Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist is trained in the unique needs of older people; home modification that can help people continue living independently in their homes longer; common remodeling projects; solutions to common barriers. CAPS professional have been taught the strategies and techniques for designing and building aesthetically pleasing, barrier-free living environments. The CAPS program goes beyond design to address the codes and standards, common remodeling projects and their cots, product ideas and resources need to provide comprehensive and practical aging-in-place solutions.
