The Arthur D. Emil Caregiver Support Center Celebrates 13 Years of Providing a Refuge to Those Helping Loved Ones During an Illness

The Arthur D. Emil Caregiver Support Center, the first of its kind in New York City, recently celebrated its 13th anniversary. The center, located on Montefiore Einstein’s Moses Campus, offers a free, safe refuge where caregivers can replenish their physical and mental energies, receive emotional support and enjoy a quiet respite from their loved one’s bedside.

Caregivers are often unseen heroes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t also need support. Studies have shown that long-term stress can affect people’s health and well-being, so it’s essential that caregivers have the time and resources to also care for themselves.

“The family is the unit of care,” said Randi Kaplan, LMSW, Director, Arthur D. Emil Caregiver Support Center, Montefiore Einstein. “We do everything to support that and strengthen the communication between the family, patient and care team.”

The anniversary was celebrated with an all-day open house for all caregivers and Montefiore Einstein associates who socialized, enjoyed treats and small gift bags with inspirational messages attached and took a small break from their busy day.

Since its opening, the center has served 40,000 caregivers and has expanded its reach beyond the Moses Campus. Montefiore Einstein now has support centers in five locations—including the Wakefield Campus, Weiler Hospital, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and White Plains Hospital.

Along the way, the centers have adjusted to serve the evolving needs of the Montefiore Einstein community. Starting in March 2020, for example, associates began to use support centers to debrief, regroup and recharge from difficult days.

The caregiver support centers are dedicated to always offering free, confidential and welcoming support, recognizing the difficult and life-changing journey that the patient and their loved ones are navigating. They operate as part of Healing Arts at Montefiore Einstein, a network of programs that uses the arts, creative arts therapies, integrative medicine and other healing approaches to enhance the quality of life, health and well-being of patients, associates and the community.

Explore the programs and services for caregivers offered at Montefiore Einstein.