WNY Coalition Pooled Trusts is a collaboration between People Inc. and the Center for Elder Law & Justice

November 19, 2019: On November 7, the Network in Aging of Western New York, Inc. presented the “Program Award of Excellence” to the WNY Coalition Pooled Trusts. The award showcases a program that has been successfully implemented to enhance the Western New York geriatric citizenry and meet a clearly identified need within the community.

The WNY Coalition Pooled Trusts is a collaboration between People Inc. and the Center for Elder Law & Justice. Established in 2004, the trusts now serve hundreds of beneficiaries, including more than 750 older adults and are provided as a service to the community. The two partners originally created the program to enhance the quality of life of people with developmental disabilities. Since its inception, they have expanded the types of trusts offered to include people over age 65 years with qualifying disabilities. 

Today, three distinct Supplemental Needs Trusts (SNT) assist people to secure their financial future, without causing them to lose their government benefits. Through depositing their income directly into the trust, purchases of additional items and services not adequately covered by governmental benefits are possible. Beneficiaries pool their money together to take advantage of better investment opportunities. From humble beginnings, millions of dollars are now expertly managed. KeyBank is the financial partner and manages the investments as well.

The “Over 65 Self-funded Trust” was created specifically to meet the needs of area older adults – especially those with no circle of support – who want to remain in their residence of choice as long as possible. This allows them to avoid premature nursing home placement. The physical, emotional and mental changes that accompany aging often create a frustrating experience for seniors and their families. The hope is to provide a continuum of quality care and supports (including medical coverage, home care/long-term care), which enables each person to maintain their dignity. Through use of the pooled trust, older adults now have a resource to protect their financial future while paying for their ever-increasing healthcare, medications and living expenses. Being able to remain in their residence of choice also permits these seniors to continue to participate in and contribute to the local communities.

A hallmark of this program is the personal attention provided to beneficiaries and their families. A local representative meets with each person, builds a relationship in order to better offer assistance with the process of opening a trust and continues through the life of the trust. For more information, go to wnypooledtrust.org or call 716.817.7484.

The Center for Elder Law & Justice is a non-profit civil legal services agency, providing free legal representation in eight Western New York counties.

People Inc., a multispecialty non-profit health and human services agency, provides programs and services to more than 10,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, special needs, their families and older adults throughout Western New York and the Greater Rochester region. Since 1970, People Inc. has assisted individuals to achieve greater degrees of independence and productivity. With nearly 4,000 employees, People Inc. is one of the region’s largest employers. To learn more, visit people-inc.org, follow People Inc. on Facebook or Twitter @PeopleIncNews.