Effective Oct. 3, Mercy Center with the Aging is operating under the aegis of the Alzheimer’s Association and is no longer an official ministry of the Sisters of Mercy.
The office, which was renamed Mercy Resource Center with the Aging, is located in Monroe Community Hospital, 435 E. Henrietta Road, Rochester.
Mercy Center with the Aging, founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1983, provided resources and support for those caring for elderly loved ones. Under the Alzheimer’s Association, the Mercy Resource Center will continue to offer educational programs, support-group services, information and referral to caregivers and the elderly.
In a statement, Teresa Stewart, president and chief executive officer of the Alzheimer’s Association, said the center and her association have informally partnered over the years.
“We have now identified an unmatched opportunity to expand and solidify this partnership,” she said.
She added that the reorganization will “formalize the natural synergies between the two organizations.”
“People aged 64 (and over) represent the fastest growing segment of our community,” Stewart said. “The assumption of Mercy Center with the Aging will enable us to better respond to the needs of caregivers and older adults, and will improve consumers’ access to information, programs and services.”
Sister of Mercy Kathleen Ann Kolb, a member of the Mercy Sisters’ leadership team and liaison to the center, added that both agencies have the same goal.
“This evolution insures that services will continue and have new life, so that the community can be assured of caregiver resources into the future,” Sister Kolb said.
Sister of Mercy Gratia L’Esperance, who has been involved with Mercy Center for the Aging since its earliest days, will continue to serve as a volunteer at Mercy Resource Center.
