The FREE Program Offers Household Help to Seniors

A new pilot program has recently started in Port Washington and New Hyde Park called the FREE (Family Residence and Essential Enterprises), which provides assistance with household services for  members who are 60 years of age or older has many seniors glad for the needed help at no cost to them. Project Independence is a program in the and enables seniors to stay in their homes.

At a recent Town of North Hempstead meeting, a resolution was adopted looking into expand the FREE Program. Supervisor said the program provides seniors with assistance in yard and garden work as well as household chores. Evelyn Roth, commissioner of the Department of Services for the Aging for the Town of North Hempstead, described the program as one in which seniors enjoy the services provided and workers get satisfaction from helping older residents.

“One of the major obstacles to aging in place for seniors in suburban communities is the fact that many are no longer able to take care of certain jobs around the house – anything from changing a ceiling light bulb to yard work, gutter cleaning, moving heavy objects and minor household repairs,” said Roth. “Jon Kaiman has made overcoming this obstacle a major goal of Project Independence.”

According to Roth, the pilot program, which began in New Hyde Park and has recently expanded to Port Washington, was funded for about 75 hours of work (the jobs usually take up to an hour) at $3,000. The way the workers or trainees get paid is the Town Council approved a small grant of $3000 for the pilot program, Roth said.

“That grant is administered through our department which houses Project Independence,” said Roth. “FREE/TRI bills us on an hourly basis and they pay their trainees.”

To run the program Town-wide for a year would likely cost between $10,000 and $15,000. When a call comes in about a job, a representative from Project Independence, usually one of their social workers, and someone from FREE/ The Rehabilitation Institute (TRI) will visit the home together to assess the job, Roth explained.  The Town's social worker is also there to assess whether the senior needs any other assistance from Project Independence

“The service is free to the residents unless there is a need for special materials or equipment," Roth said. "These the resident would be expected to provide ... To date, 29 jobs have been completed and 7 are pending.” 

Chris Long, associate director at the FREE headquarters in Old Bethpage, said developmentally challenged individuals get to go out with a supervisor to the seniors home and do a great job and get paid between $8 and $10 per hour.

“The FREE Program provides critical support services that enables aging residents to maintain their home and grow older in the community in which they love,” Long said.

Anne Jasse, a senior from New Hyde Park, said she has used the FREE service twice so far and the workers did a wonderful job. She added that she will be using the service again in the near future.

“They cleaned our gutters for my husband and I and it has been wonderful,” Jasse said. “This program keeps seniors safe and keeps them in their home.”

Joan Ortiz, a New Hyde Park resident, said she only used the service once two months ago but she was very pleased with the outcome.

“Three trainees came with their supervisor and they moved everything from my cellar and they were pleasant and quick,” Ortiz said. “I am thinking about calling them back to do my windows.”