Search and Care Inc.

Search and Care’s mission is to seek out older people in the community who need help in managing life's daily activities or accessing essential services, and to provide them the support and companionship they require to live with security and dignity in the manner they choose.

Our vision is to help older New Yorkers age at home for as long as is safely feasible. To accomplish

Goal One: Help alleviate isolation and loneliness to mitigate mental/medical health ramifications -- improving an older adult's ability to age at home with quality of life and peace of mind.

Goal Two: Double service area (100+ blocks from East River to Hudson River): from traditional catchment of East Harlem/Upper East Side, to include Upper West Side where fee-free, in-home social work is lacking.

Goal Three: Needs assessment and evaluation to determine correlations between services and older clients' aging at home longer -- input from our Client Advisory Committee to suggest augmentations/new services.

Search and Care defrays the cost of staff training and professional development -- fostering improved skills of our staff members.

In March 2021, at the beginning of the COVID-19 public health crisis, Search and Care converted from in-home services to primarily engaging our clients telephonically. We re-envisioned our care to be provided offsite by Social Workers, Care Managers, and our agency's other supportive service professionals—offering various fields of expertise. Social Worker and Care Manager Outreach: Every client was called by their Search and Care Social Worker or Care Manager. We ascertained: a) if they were safe; b) what were their pressing concerns, needs, challenges, etc.; c) how they were handling isolation being most had to shelter in place; and, d) what the impact was of COVID-19 on their physical, emotional and mental health status. The agency has been able to meet our clients' needs. They have expressed gratitude and relief as in-person care has resumed since, for many, home visits are often their only face-to-face interactions. Since the inception of the COVID-19 public health crisis, Search and Care learned that an emergency plan (fiscal and programmatic) is crucial in responding to any future crises. In March 2020, we quickly transitioned to telephonic/virtual Social Work/Care Management and other supportive services. The agency has now resumed safe in-home services (i.e., staff and clients fully vaccinated), but now—through the experience over the last 18 months—has a roadmap on how to respond to the current exacerbation of COVID-19, and if another emergency occurs.