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McKees Rocks Facility Offers Assistance To Seniors Who Live At Home

Pittsburgh LIFE, which offers help to area seniors who want to remain in their homes, but still need assistance, opens a new location in McKees Rocks Thursday.

The McKees Rocks operation is the fourth for Pittsburgh LIFE, in addition to ones in Greentree, the North Shore and Allegheny Center.

Initially started in 1997, Pittsburgh LIFE offers services such as nursing care, chore services and transportation to appointments for seniors who want to remain independent and live at home.

CEO Joann Gago said LIFE isn’t just a help to seniors, but their loved ones who can spend as many as 40 hours a week caring for elderly family members.

“Most family that is providing care for their family would prefer to stay in the care, but not the burden of all of it,” she said. “We take the lift off of them; we assist them in many ways. To have their mom, dad, aunt, uncle, brother, or sister stay safe in their own home with our care.”

Gago said enabling seniors to live at home can help them better function each day. 

“Home represents safety and it represents familiarity," Gago said. "And for some people, even with some cognitive changes, they can function pretty highly in their own. Familiar surroundings, if you change their surroundings, they can really kind of lose it."

The McKees Rocks location will also be the organization's largest facility.