Lifespire Commemorates 70 Years of Giving Hope To Individuals With Developmental Disabilities

Lifespire Commemorates 70 Years of Giving Hope to Individuals with
Developmental Disabilities
Lifespire Commemorated 7 Decades of Giving Uninterrupted Hope to 100,000 New Yorkers with
Developmental Disabilities Since 1951. Lifespire Marked 21 Months of Uninterrupted Care Given
to a Nation Crippled by a Pandemic.
New York, NY December 16, 2021 --(PR.com)-- Lifespire, Inc., www.lifespire.org, commemorated
crossing its seventh decade of support to over 100,000 New Yorkers with Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities on November 29th, 2021.
“We are 1,000 professionals working together in teams to provide remarkable services for a population
that is growing at the rate of 3% annually. By blending professionalism with an empathetic agility,
Lifespire helps to provide the highest quality of living to people supported,” stated Thomas Lydon, Chief
Executive Officer. “The deep stress, anxiety and confusion that surrounds our situations has been
relentless. But each person in Lifespire’s agency has taken serious steps to fill the gap by working
together to gain greater awareness, to expand capacity and bring greater clarity to its mission.”
Lifespire’s talented teams of service providers and administrators tangibly are making a difference in the
lives of thousands of people daily – a difference not to be overlooked, ignored or denied. What has
changed from 70 years ago is the level of training necessary and the intentionality by which Lifespire
provides its services.
The Science Behind the Agency’s Success

The recent Gallup survey of US care workers shows that direct care professionals who strongly agree that
their employer cares about their wellbeing are 2.3x more likely to feel “well prepared” to do their job than
caregivers who can’t say the same. Consequently, Lifespire recognized the increased level of burnout for
direct support professionals, their supervisors and clinicians during this pandemic and made adjustments
to reduce workload demands and personnel shortages.
Language, Listening & Transparency

Other ways this health crisis affected Lifespire and other agencies is in the importance of learning to
engage in two-way dialogues, which often resolves many problems before they start. Communication at
Lifespire is paramount in order to move the agency forward and in the same direction.
Transparency also became a prerequisite for Lifespire in this new workplace: open, transparent and
honest efforts to make sure responsibilities were not overlooked and one person is not overloaded, taking
the full brunt of the work.
“At Lifespire, there was a never give up attitude, in the face of many losses,” as described by Dr. Rita
Seychell, Physical Therapist.
Achieving the Impossible
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What has been experienced over the last 21 months since the outbreak of the pandemic clearly compares
with those PTSD symptoms suffered by those on the battlefield:
The epidemic of direct support professionals’ burnout, which affects 76% of full-time employees, seems
exaggerated, but the numbers don’t lie: 49% of direct support professionals strongly agree their employer
cares about their wellbeing.
The pandemic has certainly made serving the IDD population more difficult, complicating the jobs of
most people, from the front lines to the administrative operations for these agencies.
A Historical Documentary Recording Its History

Lifespire is looking to produce its own documentary looking back over nearly three-quarters of a century
of hope and Family Life Quality at the hands of the people who broke the cultural and societal barriers,
through the eyes of Dr. Jim Normandy, VP for Day and Community Services.
The Challenge Facing Agencies Serving This Population:

Stagnation or declines in government funding 73%
Shortage of skilled workers 63%
Important Facts About Lifespire

- Locations: 82 throughout the five boroughs of New York City, as well as services and sites in
Westchester and Ulster County
- Residences: 118
- Day Comprehensive Service Centers: 11
- Citywide Services Include: Family Support Services, Individual Support Services and Assistive
Supports
- Staff: Over 1,000
- Number of Individuals Served: Over 5,000
Lifespire Services – How We Do It

Day Habilitation
Community Habilitation
Residential
After School Respite
Article 16 Clinic
Family Support
Lifespire – History
For seven decades, Lifespire has continued to fulfill the legacy of uninterrupted care envisioned by Ida
Rappaport, founder of ACRMD (former name of Lifespire) and Harry Kamish by helping to support
5,000 people each week to reach their life goals of community involvement, meaningful employment and
independent living. Lifespire’s efforts have been recognized in 2016 when they became only the third
organization in Manhattan to receive accreditation by the Council on Quality and Leadership for
Person-Centered Excellence.
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Careers at Lifespire
Lifespire is a place that creates an inclusive and welcoming space for people of all backgrounds.
Together, we strive to build an encouraging, supportive, and flexible organization that fosters innovation.
We are committed to cultivating a place where everyone can feel they belong. We are an Equal
Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. To find out more about careers at Lifespire email:
[email protected].
A career at Lifespire offers new experiences for growth, and the opportunity to work with dedicated
people every single day. We are always looking for passionate individuals who understand that they make
a big difference. For more information, email [email protected].
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Contact Information:
Lifespire, Inc.
Anthony DiMaio
917-449-1177
Contact via Email
www.lifespire.org
Online Version of Press Release:

https://www.pr.com/press-release/851048
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Lifespire Commemorates 70 Years of Giving Hope To Individuals With Developmental Disabilities

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Lifespire Commemorates 70 Years of Giving Hope to Individuals with

The Science Behind the Agency’s Success

Language, Listening & Transparency

Achieving the Impossible

A Historical Documentary Recording Its History

The Challenge Facing Agencies Serving This Population:

Important Facts About Lifespire

Lifespire Services – How We Do It

Online Version of Press Release:

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