Philadelphia’s Center for the Rights & Interests of Elders to close next week after nearly 50 years of operation.
The nonprofit organization Center for the Rights & Interests of Elders (CARIE), based in Philadelphia, will cease operations next Wednesday, marking the end of nearly five decades of service. The announcement, made by the board in an email to supporters, comes shortly before the Thanksgiving holiday, raising questions about the timing and circumstances surrounding this decision.
Details regarding the reasoning behind CARIE’s abrupt closure remain scarce. The organization’s newly appointed executive director, Brian Gralnick, did not respond to inquiries seeking additional information. Similarly, board chair Joan Davitt, an associate professor focused on aging at the University of Maryland, has also not provided comments regarding the closure.
CARIE’s website indicates it employs 26 staff members. The organization has reported significant financial challenges, with its latest audited financial statements revealing total revenues of .9 million alongside an operating loss of 7,307 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024. A financial report dated January raised alarms about CARIE’s fiscal health, indicating potential risks, including the possibility of defaulting on its line of credit. It was noted that as of the end of January, CARIE had only enough cash reserves to cover its expenses for two weeks.
This year, CARIE lost two significant contracts that were crucial for its operations, effective next year. These contracts involved providing long-term care ombudsman services to seniors in Philadelphia and Montgomery County. Ombudsmen play a vital role in advocating independently for residents in long-term care facilities, assisting with complaints regarding care and living conditions.
Since 1981, CARIE has been an important resource in Philadelphia, providing ombudsman services four years after the organization’s founding. The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging is currently in the process of selecting new providers for these essential services. In Montgomery County, CARIE began offering ombudsman services in 2022, but the county’s Office of Aging Services plans to resume this service internally on February 1.
The organization has faced instability in its leadership since the retirement of longtime executive director Diane Menio in March 2023. Menio led CARIE for 34 years and was succeeded briefly by Whitney Lingle, who served for 19 months. Following her departure, CARIE was overseen by an acting executive director for a year before Gralnick’s arrival in September. The closure of CARIE represents a significant loss for elder advocacy in the region, as the organization had established itself as a cornerstone for protecting the rights and interests of the elderly community.
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