While she was ill with COVID-19, Elizabeth Carroll was too weak to call her beloved daughters on her own. And her daughter Louise was filled with concern about Elizabeth’s health. Thanks to thoughtful staff members who took the time to help them FaceTime, mother and daughter were able to connect, easing their anxiety at the most stressful time.

Now that Elizabeth is recovering, she’s grateful to be able to call her daughters on her own. Little by little, she’s regaining her strength, thanks to the excellent rehabilitation services she’s receiving at The New Jewish Home.

Since 2013, Elizabeth has been a familiar and friendly face at The New Jewish Home’s Manhattan facility. She is involved in the resident council and participates in virtually every activity including, Hand in Hand Committee and the Pride March. Being prevented from engaging in activities and socializing during the pandemic was difficult enough, but then Elizabeth herself became ill with COVID-19. 

Born in Virginia and raised in Harlem, Elizabeth moved to Queens during high school with her grandmother, later returning to Manhattan. After working at a variety of jobs, including in a boutique and a restaurant, she found rewarding work as a home health aide. That work supported her family as she raised two daughters, Louise and Lorraine, with whom she is very close.

Elizabeth’s daughters are appreciative of the care their mother has received, both during her illness and now as she recovers. And their mother is already feeling much better—as she tells them herself when she calls. After surviving a frightening experience, thanks to the care she received at The New Jewish Home, she’s working hard to regain her strength so she can participate in the activities she cherishes again, once things are back to normal.

The New Jewish Home has a proud legacy of empowering older adults to live with purpose and enhanced well-being. We’ve been around since 1848 as one of the nation’s first nursing homes, and now serving older New Yorkers of all backgrounds through a portfolio of health care services, including post-acute care and rehabilitation, skilled nursing, adult day care, assisted living, and at-home care.

See how we continue to elevate health care for older adults through our Research Institute on Aging and our SkillSpring program (formerly known as Geriatrics Career Development program), which empower teens and young adults to begin careers in health care.