St. Peter's by the Sea Awards Grant to Expand Resources for Older Adults

York Hospital is pleased to announce that it recently received a generous $1,700 grant from the St. Peter’s by the Sea Community Sharing Committee to help expand the lending library for patients and their caregivers at the Center for Older Adults in South Berwick.

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, the York Hospital Center for Older Adults launched a virtual book club to provide resources to patients, family members, and caregivers to help navigate new diagnoses from the comfort of home. During the six-month-long program, patients, providers, and caregivers all read the same books and then joined virtual discussions moderated by a facilitator to share insights. Based on the success of the initial book club, the Center for Older Adults started a lending library in 2022 so that patients and their families could benefit from borrowing books about topics of interest, including new diagnoses (e.g. Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s Disease, ALS) and caregiving topics (e.g. nutrition, hygiene, home safety, and self-care). The books have been very popular with patients and their families, and the Center for Older Adults is grateful for this grant support to expand the variety of books and subjects offered.

The York Hospital Center for Older Adults, located at 57 Portland Street in South Berwick, offers programs and services to better serve patients who are 65 years of age or older. Patients and their caregivers learn about the lending library at their appointments and can request books at the front desk. There is a sign-out sheet and staff follows up to ensure books are returned. Titles in the current collection range from medical information on aging and cognition to memoirs and personal patient narratives. This generous grant from St. Peter’s by the Sea will help expand selections to include other important concerns for older adults, such as nutrition, diet, exercise, and sleep hygiene.

York Hospital President & CEO, Dr. Patrick Taylor thanked the Committee saying, “As an independent, nonprofit community hospital, we strive to not only meet the medical needs of the patients and families we serve – we also aim to promote improvements in mind, body, and spirit in pursuit of well-being. We are grateful to the St. Peter’s Charitable Grants Committee for supporting and sharing this mission with us throughout our Seacoast communities.”

For more information about the York Hospital Center for Older Adults, visit https://yorkhospital.com/care-and-services/older-adult-care.

To learn more about the St. Peter’s by the Sea Charitable Grants Committee, visit https://st-peters-by-the-sea.org/.