Speaking in a lilting New Delhi accent, Rashmi Aggarwal charmed the clients at the work center of the Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest NJ on Aug. 22, stopping to shake hands and explain the service she will be giving 30 of them.

Thanks to a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Aggarwal — who works in the geriatrics department of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center — will make monthly visits to the East Orange headquarters of JVS in her role as nurse practitioner.

The foundation is sponsoring her services as part of a three-year, $297,000 allocation through its New Jersey Health Initiatives program. Its intention is to coordinate healthcare services for vulnerable adults who are aging in place.

In addition to Aggarwal, the grant will subsidize health fairs at JVS and periodic evaluations by professors from Fairleigh Dickenson University.

The 30 JVS clients who were chosen from among 100 at the work center are seniors with disabilities.

"They were the neediest of our current clients who had medical problems, and we felt they could benefit from the specialized medical case management," said Peggy Himsl, assistant director of rehabilitation services at JVS.

Supervising the program is Dr. Theresa Redling, chief of geriatric medicine at Newark Beth Israel. "There is a large senior population here that is aging with disabilities," she said. "Our collaborative relationship with JVS will enable them to access better health care and to keep them functional and living independently so they can continue to age in place."

Jane Hecht, grant writer at JVS, said her agency obtained the foundation support by "looking outside the box."

"We identified a need. As they age, many of these people don't have parents or family or an adult home or a safety net," said Hecht. "They are living on their own, and no one is taking care of navigating them to access the proper health care they need. Many with psychiatric problems may not be taking their meds. We've become like their family, their social environment, and we felt this was a necessary thing."

If JVS clients require her more than once a month, Aggarwal promises "to provide services on a consultative basis" along with other nurses at Beth Israel. "If we are needed more, we can work it out, certainly."

Aggarwal is used to bringing her services to needy populations away from the hospital complex. She spends much time making house calls to the elderly in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and private residences.

"A lot of seniors are not able to make it to the doctor because of transportation issues or being disabled," she said. "So I go out to see them and do complete geriatric evaluations. I work very closely with the Beth's home-care department. I also specialize in wound care, and I have a great interest in helping patients with dementia, Alzheimer's, and disabilities."

But her visits to JVS starting in September will bring a new dimension to her experiences as a health-care professional.

"This is a work area. In the other places I always sat down with the people and played. Here they are working, and I hope I am not disrupting them."