RALSTON HOUSE

Ralston Center is aiming to improve the quality of life for those age 55+ in Philadelphia by providing affordable home care, transportation and home repair services through Ralston My Way as well as fitness and education programs through Ralston Wellness.

Ralston My Way will achieve it's goals of reaching 1,000 individuals annually by offering the following services:
• Non-medical home care focused on activities of daily living (such as dressing, bathing, and mobility) and medication reminders;
• Transportation to the grocery store, doctor’s appointments and for socialization;
• Housekeeping and household services such as yard work, snow shoveling and handyman repairs;
• Errands and chores, e.g., meal preparation, grocery shopping, and other household tasks;
• Companionship, pet-sitting, and technology assistance.

Ralston Wellness will achieve it's goal of reaching 400 seniors with our educational series and 300 seniors with our fitness classes by offering the following programs:
• Eight (8) education programs annually which provide older adults with the information they need to to advocate for themselves, develop healthy behaviors, and cope with the issues and challenges that come with aging.
• Regular fitness programs including Stretch and Tone, Chair Yoga, Feldenkrais, and Tai Chi at Ralston Center and additional programs at our Community Partner Locations, in order to increase flexibility and balance, reduce discomfort while supporting performance of everyday activities.

Ralston Center is deeply rooted in its community, with a long, storied history in our physical location at 3615 Chestnut Street in University City. We have been a trusted, reliable source of support for older adults in Northwest Philadelphia for over 10 years with our Ralston My Way services in Northwest Philadelphia, centrally located in Mt. Airy on Germantown Ave.

Ralston has a reputation as "the neighbor who takes care of everything" for older adults who want to stay connected to their city, socialize with friends, and connect to wellness programs that help them to age in good mental and physical health. We will continue to provide affordable Home Care, Home Repair, and Transportation services for older adults in Northwest Philadelphia, with a goal of expanding our Home Care Program’s reach to West Philadelphia in 2021, while continuing to offer Wellness Programs in West and Northwest Philadelphia.

Ralston Center is supported by a strong Board, a full-time staff of eight employees, and roughly 40 part-time caregivers who are thoroughly vetted and trained. We work hard to ensure all our staff are trained in geriatric competencies, and that we are actively responding to the needs of our communities.

Ralston Center has accomplished so much in its long legacy. Most importantly, we have gained the trust of our community and have become one of the most well-beloved service providers for older adults in the region. We do this by creating a people-centered approach, catering our services to each individual and providing them with the resources they need to age well.

Since Ralston My Way opened its doors in 2010, we have served more than 5,000 members through 160,000 hours of service. In 2019 we have continued this success with nearly 1,000 active members and more than 24,400 hours of service to date, more than 55% of which were for non-medical home care services.

Our Wellness programs have also had great success. Our educational series have served fore than 1,200 participants since we began them in 2017 and our Fitness Classes reach more than 300 participants annually.