ELDERWERKS EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

Elderwerks was founded in 2012 by Jennifer Prell, a senior living executive and advocate, to help older adults navigate their needs throughout the aging process. Although Illinois has great services and support for older adults, many have trouble figuring out how to navigate the services and options. Elderwerks was created to meet this need for education and support. Elderwerks believes that the financial status of an older adult should not prohibit their ability to access high caliber personalized support, essential information, or long-term supports and services.

Elderwerks helps older adults find the services they need to remain in their home or helps older adults through the transition from one home to another. There are thousands of options and Elderwerks helps reduce the time spent trying to figure out how to stay home well or transition into senior housing. We provide complimentary information, referrals, and guidance for all types of senior housing, home care, support services, and benefits. We are experts in legal, community support, and benefits and help older adults and their families find information and resources they need.

Elderwerks can help older adults remain in their own homes by supporting their whole person with information, referrals, and guidance. For older adults who cannot stay home due to safety concerns, the lack of socialization, or other factors that mean they are declining rather than thriving, we refer them to senior housing options best suited to their whole person. Elderwerks is the most active social service in regards to knowing all senior housing and care options in Illinois. We tour all of the senior communities in northern Illinois regularly, track quality and performance, and only refer to high quality providers and communities. By knowing which community and/or provider offers what services, what they do well, and what they do not, we can help find the best fit for each older adult that contacts us so they thrive and can live well wherever they are at.

We serve any older adult, senior, caregiver, or family that contacts us for help. Since Elderwerks was founded we have helped over 17,000 older adults find senior living. In 2024 we answered over 39,000 phone calls & emails, 2,400 cases were built to help find senior housing, and we educated over 5,300 people. Elderwerks has 11 staff members, including 7 full-time and 4 part-time employees. In addition, 25 volunteers assist our agency regularly, and we are part of RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) which offers Elderwerks additional volunteers for larger events such as our Aging Better Expo held annually in August, Make a Senior Smile and Stiches for Seniors programs, Caregiver Support Groups, book club, Gift Wrapping Fundraiser, and other events. Elderwerks prides ourselves on educating professionals on aging and dementia topics.

We print the Elderwerks Senior Resource Directory which is free to anyone who asks for it. It's also available on Elderwerks website.

Elderwerks partners with many healthcare organizations, government agencies, social services, and other community agencies who serve older adults, including Senior Services Associates, the Department on Aging, AgeGuide, Senior Care Volunteer Network, Veterans Assistance Commission McHenry County, Independence Health & Therapy, Home of the Sparrow, United Way, and 211.

Programs and Services
Elderwerks helps older adults and their families navigate programs, benefits, and services to make sure our older adults receive what they have earned, find the services best suited to their needs, and help guide them to appropriate care. Approximately 85% of our services are free, and Elderwerks helps thousands of older adults per year.

Free Information, Referrals, Advocacy, and Case Management – Elderwerks provides older adults and their families with information on a variety of supportive services and housing options. We help older adults, and their families navigate the system and find the care they need to thrive. Elderwerks also prints a complimentary 340+ page Elderwerks Senior Resource Directory with information on all local and federal programming in Illinois. We provide information and referrals on a variety of topics, including housing, transportation, nutrition/meals programs, cleaning services and household maintenance, companionship, accessibility and adaptability, home care, veteran’s benefits, respite care, legal assistance, emergency alert systems, shopping assistance, medical referrals, counseling, dementia screening, dental assistance, wellness checks, and more.