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5 Elderly-Focused Charities

As people age, they may require increased aid to be able to navigate the requirements of daily life. For this reason, there are a number of nonprofit organizations which serve to assist the aging and elderly adult communities. From helping seniors receive necessary support to assisting with education and training and coordinating companionship, these organizations are working to change the lives of so many individuals for the better. For those looking to make a financial or volunteer contribution to a charity that focuses on improving the lives of seniors and aging adults, here are five organizations worth learning about:

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America: The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) provides education and support to individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease. The organization also assists patient families and caregivers, and funds research toward improved treatments and a cure. Founded in 2012 by a caregiver, AFA offers a variety of resource materials, support groups and information for family caregivers, as well as training for healthcare professionals. Further, to help individuals take a proactive approach to brain health, AFA has a National Memory Screening Program which provides free, confidential memory screenings at sites across the country. Donate here.

Pets for the Elderly Foundation: The Pets for the Elderly Foundation (PFE) facilitates companionship between seniors and pets. The late Avrum (Avvy) Katz founded PFE in 1992 with a vision to provide companionship to senior individuals through pet ownership while saving the lives of companion animals in shelters. Today, PFE has helped facilitate over 78,000 happy-ending adoption stories between seniors and shelter animals across the U.S. PFE helps pay the fees to participating animal shelters throughout the United States for senior citizens (age 60 and over) who adopt a companion dog or cat from a participating shelter — including pre-adoption veterinary exams and spay/neuter if part of the adoption fee. Donate here.

Oasis: Founded in 1982, Oasis is a nonprofit educational organization that is active in over 250 communities and reaches more than 50,000 individuals each year. The mission is to promote healthy aging through lifelong learning, active lifestyle and volunteer engagement. Oasis seeks to positively impact lives through partnerships to share knowledge, offer evidence- and research-based programs, conduct evaluations and adapt to meet the needs of diverse audiences. Donate here.

Second Wind Dreams: Second Wind Dreams is a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the perception of aging through the fulfillment of dreams and the offering of educational programs including its flagship sensitivity training, the Virtual Dementia Tour. Since its foundation in 1997, Second Wind Dreams has become involved in more than 1000 eldercare communities in 20 countries. Weaving thousands of dreams from the simple to the sublime, the mission of Second Wind Dreams is simple — to change the perception of aging through the fulfillment of dreams and the offering of innovative educational opportunities to caregivers and communities. Donate here.

SeniorNet: SeniorNet is on a mission to empower a community of older adults to leverage technology and share wisdom. The organization helps older adults take advantage of new technology that can improve their quality of life, reduce isolation and engage with others in new and interesting ways. This is done by connecting older adults with each other and with both physical and online communities. SeniorNet also monitors the most useful technology for older adults and provides reviews, online training and access to tools. Additionally, the team engages in research programs to better understand the interaction between older adults and technology. Donate here.

Additional Senior Charities