Baycrest Health Sciences & Baycrest Foundation Publications
Issue link: http://baycrest.uberflip.com/i/1228161
THE POWER OF GIVING B aycrest was founded in 1918 as the Toronto Jewish Old Folks Home after volunteers and donors came together to address a need for care and shelter in the community. Ever since, supporters have mobilized again and again to expand Baycrest into a hub of care, education and research to improve brain health and aging. They provide funds for ground breaking and innovative projects that go beyond the scope of government grants. Baycrest@ Home is one of these projects. BAYCREST@HOME PILOT A GO Lucille Wolf is tremendously proud to be honoured by her family with a transformational gift that will launch Baycrest@Home, a suite of programs and services for older adults with dementia and their families living in the community. "The older adult population is growing with people living longer, requiring care and assistance," Wolf says. "Baycrest@Home will enable people to stay in their homes by receiving services and medical attention, which will substantially increase their quality of life and be a major savings to the healthcare system." Baycrest@Home will include: technological and smart home features to increase the safety of older adults; practical services to help caregivers; access to programs to stimulate and entertain those with dementia; and, virtual and face-to-face clinical services. With this gift from the Bernard and Norton Wolf Family Foundation, Lucille's children Karen (Fred) Leitner, Ron (Marla) Wolf and Linda (Perry), Smith chose to honour their mother because it reflects her passion and her work over several decades as a medical researcher. Philanthropy has grown exponentially in the family over three generations. "Norton felt that philanthropy was an important way of giving back to the community that he and his family had been supported by and flourished in," says Lucille, referring to her late husband, a prominent London, Ontario developer and aviation enthusiast. Other visionary donors stepped up early and generously to help kick-start Baycrest@ Home, and will be featured in future editions of BrainMatters. "There's no place like home, and we are grateful to all our donors for helping us change how our community cares for older adults and supports their families. 12 BrainMatters SPRING|SUMMER 2020 Lucille Wolf with her husband, Norton, who passed away in 2015.