Parker Foundation Awards a $2.5M Grant to VNA Health Group for 2nd Year

PISCATAWAY, N.J., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year, Parker Foundation, Inc. has awarded a $2.5M grant to Visiting Nurse Association Health Group (VNAHG) to support its Advanced Care Institute (ACI). The funding will continue to be used to expand the ACI's efforts to provide in-home primary care through its "house calls" model and palliative medicine. Funding also enables both organizations to continue to develop and support new or improved programming in these areas. Learn more about it here.

In-home primary care is a critical service to home-bound seniors and can improve quality of life and reduce overall medical costs. Visiting Physicians Services (VPS), a member of VNA Health Group, currently provides medical services, particularly for aging individuals with chronic conditions. With additional funding, VPS will continue to expand services to more individuals throughout NJ. Palliative medicine focuses on serious or life-limiting illnesses providing symptom relief with an improved quality of life and is currently mostly offered in hospital settings.

"The numbers are staggering in how many people will need services as they age, and with Parker's mission being to make aging part of life, we see this as the perfect partnership to provide a better quality of care and quality of life and to expand innovative and transformative programs," says Parker President & CEO, Roberto Muñiz.

"This collaboration is focusing more attention on older adults and making sure they have the care they need to remain in the community and be comfortable and independent," says Dr. Steven Landers, President & CEO of VNAHG.

VNAHG's ACI services bring physicians, advanced practice nurses to over 5,000 patients and provides over 36,000 in-home primary care visits per year. The palliative medicine program serves almost 5,000 patients with over 2,500 community-based visits.

Both Parker and VNAHG are committed to developing and creating innovative solutions to allow seniors to live their lives to the fullest while staying in their homes and communities as long as possible.

About Parker Foundation Inc.

Parker Foundation Inc. is an affiliate of Parker Health Group, Inc., a nonprofit New Jersey-based aging services organization with over 112 years' experience in residential and home and community-based services. Parker is committed to empowering older Americans. To learn how We Make Aging Part of Life®, visit parkerlife.org.

About VNA Health Group

Visiting Nurse Association Health Group (VNAHG) is New Jersey's largest nonprofit visiting nurse association and visiting physician service that helps individuals and families achieve their best level of health and well-being by providing home health, hospice, palliative and community-based care, and operating private-pay personal care services. For more information visit www.vnahg.org.

SOURCE Parker Life