Why We Need Your Support
We hope that the answers to the following questions will help you understand why your support is so greatly needed and deeply appreciated by the Abramson Center for Jewish Life.
Where did the funds come from to build the Abramson Center for Jewish Life?
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Through the hard work and generosity of the Center’s Board of Directors, and the support of other generous individuals, as well as foundations and businesses, we were able to raise $28 million to build our Horsham campus. Our name recognizes a generous lead gift of $7 million by the Abramson Family Foundation and the Abramson family.
Why do you need to continue to raise money?
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The money raised to build our Horsham campus was never intended to support the cost of providing for the daily care of our residents. Appeals such as our Annual Fund, our Endowment Fund, and special campaigns, help us to fund programs that enhance our residents’ quality of life and to build a future reserve that will sustain our ability to serve the elderly who otherwise could not afford care.
Doesn’t the government pay for the care of seniors through Medicare and other programs?
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Medicare does not cover nursing home care, except for limited short-term skilled care after a hospital stay. Medical Assistance (Medicaid) pays a portion of nursing home care for seniors only after they have exhausted their life savings and have no other assets. However, Medical Assistance payments do not cover the Center’s full cost of care, thus creating a large shortfall each year that must be offset by charitable support.
How much charity care does the Abramson Center provide?
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70 percent of the 324 elderly residents—or 227 individuals—who live at the Center’s Abramson Residence receive Medical Assistance. For each of these 227 individuals on Medical Assistance, we provide approximately $60 per day of uncompensated care. Payment caps and recently proposed cuts in Medical Assistance rates by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania present an even greater challenge to the Center’s mission of providing nursing care to Jewish elders who have no financial means.
If the majority of residents receiving nursing care cannot afford to pay for care, why do you provide such a high level of service and amenities?
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In 1996, the Center’s Board of Directors committed to building a new campus with world-class programs and facilities to serve Jewish seniors in the 21st century, and to continue the Center’s historic mission of caring for elderly Jews in need of long-term care who have no financial means. Our board members and our donors continue their firm belief that our elders in need of nursing care deserve to enjoy the privacy of single-occupancy rooms, caring staff, life-affirming educational, religious, and social activities, and to exercise control over their daily lives to the fullest extent possible—regardless of their ability to pay.
Is my gift really needed?
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Gifts large and small help us to meet the daily care needs of our residents and to generate future income, through investments, to help us weather the changing climate of government reimbursement for nursing care.
My relative pays privately for care at the Abramson Center for Jewish Life. Isn’t that enough?
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As the family member of a loved one who receives care at the Abramson Center for Jewish Life, you know first-hand how important it is to have a senior community that provides exceptional care, and where Jewish values and traditions are respected. That is why we ask you to help other Jewish seniors who are less fortunate than your loved one.
Can’t you cut costs?
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The Center continuously evaluates and monitors its operations to look for ways to become more efficient and cost-effective, without sacrificing the quality of life our residents enjoy. There are many expenses that are beyond our control, which drive our ongoing need to raise funds, such as: wages for professional nurses who are in short supply; energy costs; and insurance rates.
Doesn’t the Jewish Federation help to fund the Abramson Center?
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The Abramson Center for Jewish Life receives a yearly grant of approximately $240,000 from the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia to help offset the cost differential for providing kosher food to our residents, as well as for support of religious life programs. While this support is greatly appreciated, it represents only a small fraction of the charitable dollars we need to help us care for large numbers of Jewish elders who have no financial means.