Woodbury Man, Elder Friends Coordinator Looks to Inform the ‘Sandwich Generation’

Joe Pendal has been working with Elder Friends—a Woodbury program that provides a respite for caregivers—for the past decade.

In that time, and through experiences with his own parents, the 48-year-old Woodbury man has gained a better understanding of the challenges facing seniors, specifically in terms of housing.

He decided to compile his knowledge in a recently released e-book, Golden Years: The Sandwich Generation’s Guide to Living Arrangements for Aging Parents.

The book aims to expand people’s understanding of the complexities of senior housing.

“There’s a certain nomenclature you’ve got to know,” Pendal said.

Those whose parents may be moving out of the family home have to talk with social workers, state and county agencies, and others, Pendal said, and it can get overwhelming.

“That’s going to make someone’s plate really full,” he said.

Pendal, who is also working to establish a naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) in Woodbury, said his childhood neighborhood in New Jersey was a tight-knit community full of senior citizens.

“It was almost as if we were family,” he said.

When his children spot the elderly on the streets, they refer to them as “our people,” Pendal said.

The primary goal of the book—and a yet-to-be-launched website—is to educate people about their options and prevent them from taking “false steps,” he said.

The book is also meant to lay the groundwork for the NORC, which are created to help the elderly stay in their homes, Pendal said

“It emphasizes the value of community,” he said.

Elder Friends is weekly program that allows caregivers to drop off seniors from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. most Thursdays at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Woodbury.

Other Woodbury churches also help sponsor the ecumenical program, which features everything from music to lectures to mock game shows, Pendal said.

“It’s a special program,” he said.

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