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Our Mission
BayPath Elder Services, Inc.'s mission is to be a trusted partner in providing an array of services and programs to older adults, caregivers, and persons with disabilities to support their independence and dignity.

BayPath offers home care and related services enabling people to live independently and comfortably in their homes while promoting their well-being and dignity. 
 
Founded in 1977 as a nonprofit corporation, BayPath has nearly 40 years' experience serving and advocating for the needs of older adults as a designated Massachusetts Aging Services Access Point and a designated Area Agency on Aging.  
Visit BayPath's website

   

Our Services
Our Service Area
BayPath Elder Services, Inc. serves the following communities:

Ashland
Dover
Framingham
Holliston
Hopkinton
Hudson
Marlborough
Natick
Northborough
Sherborn
Southborough
Sudbury
Wayland
Westborough  
Welcome Aboard
BayPath added another new member to our team this past month as the agency continues to strive to address the needs of the clients and communities we serve.

Darlene Da Silva has come aboard as a Geriatric Support Services Coordinator in the SCO program.

Congratulations and welcome aboard.   
Pointing the Way


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Caregiver Corner

Caregiving MetroWest launches new responsive design that enhances experience on all devices 
CaregivingMetroWest.org has continued to improve and enhance the experience enjoyed by the visitors who come to site since its launch over two years ago.

We have just introduced one of our biggest improvements, upgrading the site to a "Responsive Design" that allows smartphone, tablet, laptop, and desktop users to all experience the same access to comprehensive caregiver resources, information and support.

Previously, mobile device users accessed a limited version of the website. With more and more of our visitors accessing the site through smartphones and tablets, that was a problem we were eager to rectify.

With a grant from the MetroWest Health Foundation, BayPath Elder Services, Inc. was able to upgrade Caregiving MetroWest with the help of Artifex Technology Consulting, Inc., and we are proud to announce the re-design is complete.

With the responsive design, all users will now experience the same site, with the content and images automatically resizing to fit the size of the screen of the device accessing the site. For example, content that is displayed in multiple columns on a desktop will automatically reformat to a single column on a smartphone, so that the user does not have to scan side to side or shrink the type size to see it all.

We hope that this will improve the experience for mobile device users, making it more likely for them to stay on the site longer and get more of the information and resources they need. So try it out, and feel free to let us know what you think of the upgrades and what else we might be able to improve in the future to aid you in the care of your loved ones.

September, 2016

Season-Ending Celebration
The Gentlemen Songsters entertain the attendees at the End of Summer BBQ in Marlborough on August 30.

BayPath hosts End of Summer BBQ at Liberty Hill supportive housing site in Marlborough

The BayPath Nutrition Department and Supportive Housing Program hosted our second annual End of Summer BBQ at our Marlborough Supportive Housing site on August 30.

The weather was more than cooperative with sunny skies and a warm breeze; it was a perfect day for the festivities that were held outdoors in the courtyard at Liberty Hill apartments at 240 Main Street. About 50 party goers and guests enjoyed the BBQ hamburgers, hotdogs and chicken prepared by our Elderly Nutrition Program caterer, Bateman Foods. Ice Cream and toppings were provided by community partner Bouvier Pharmacy.

A special thank you goes to the nonprofit musical group, The Gentleman Songsters, for providing free musical entertainment by singing in harmony tableside! Thank you also to our community partners, Comfort Zone Homecare for providing chips, Sarah Oliveira of the Marlborough Health Department for providing raffle prizes, The Reservoir Center for providing, free of charge, File of Life forms for the attendees, Right at Home Newton and Brookhaven at Lexington staff members for assisting with serving, and the Marlborough Housing Authority for assisting with set up and clean up after the event.

We look forward to hosting our third annual summer BBQ next year!

Nutrition Director Denise Menzdorf (center) and Kitchen Coordinator Karen Bassinette (right) serve up some tasty offerings at the End of the Summer BBQ in Marlborough. 

-- Submitted by Jane Rourk, Supportive Housing Coordinator  
Teaching Tools
BayPath Elder Services offering Powerful Tools for Caregivers class in Hudson in October
BayPath Elder Services, Inc.'s Family Caregiver Support Program and Caregiving MetroWest will lead a Powerful Tools for Caregivers class in MetroWest this fall.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers is a six-week course designed to provide family caregivers with the tools and strategies to better handle the unique caregiver challenges they face. The evidence-based program has been shown to have a positive impact on caregiver health.

You will benefit from this class whether you are helping a parent, spouse, friend, someone who lives at home, in a nursing home or across the country.

The classes will meet once a week and will be led by BayPath Caregiver Specialist Alicia Rego and Caregiving MetroWest Program Manager Douglas Flynn, who are both trained and certified as Powerful Tools for Caregivers Class Leaders. Flynn earned his certification earlier this month after completing a two-day training course at Old Colony Elder Services in Brockton. Rego was certified in 2015.

This class will be held at the Hudson Senior Center (29 Church Street, Hudson, MA) on Thursdays from 1-2:30 p.m. The first class is on October 13, and the course runs through November 17. This program is made possible through the generous support of Pleasantries Adult Day and Consulting Services, the Hudson Senior Center and BayPath Elder Services.

Respite care is available for your loved one during each class at DayBreak program at the Hudson Senior Center.

Class size is limited, and registration is required. For more information or to register, call Alicia at 508-573-7239 or Doug at 508-573-7204.

Delivering Healthy Choices
Nutrition department delivers hundreds of fruits and vegetables to Meals on Wheels clients
The nutrition department and many volunteers delivered 450 bags of local fruit and veggies to our Meals on Wheels clients on July 20 and August 24. The department will be completing two more deliveries by the end of September.

The fruit and vegetable deliveries are made possible through a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture and the Nutrition Program at BayPath. 
 
In other nutrition-related news, the BayPath Board of Directors voted to contract with a new Chinese meal vendor, Lindley Food Service, beginning on October 1. Lindley was founded in 1984 and is a New England contract food service management company. Chinese meals for BayPath will be provided daily through Lindley's kitchen in Andover, MA, where they are currently providing regular, therapeutic, Chinese, and Latino meals for Elder Services of Merrimack Valley.

Have news from your department or a staff member worthy of some recognition? Let us know about it for next month's BayPath Bulletin. Send us your updates.
 
Spreading the Word
Cassels sharing knowledge with the rest of staff
One of the services BayPath performs for our clients and other members of the communities we serve is connecting them to useful resources. But one of our greatest resources is our staff itself.

A perfect example of that is Options Counselor and TBI
Courtney Cassels
Specialist Courtney Cassels. Cassels has been regularly sharing her wisdom by sending the rest of the staff some helpful information about her specialty every week in her "TBI Tidbit Tuesday" email.

Here's a recent example of one of the "tidbits" Cassels shared with the staff:

"I have had several staff ask me what the difference is between an ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) and a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) so this week we will take a look at what those differences are.


A
traumatic brain injury is an injury to the brain caused by an external force after birth. Common causes of a TBI include gunshot wounds, motor vehicle crashes, assaults, or falling and striking your head. 
 
An acquired brain injury includes all types of TBI and also brain injuries caused after birth by a stroke and loss of oxygen to the brain.

The Brain Injury Association defines a TBI as an alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force. An acquired brain injury is defined as an injury to the brain, which is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma.

An ABI is an injury to the brain that has occurred after birth.
Those who have an ABI and those who have a TBI experience some of the same challenges following the brain injury including; difficulty with thinking, mood swings, depression, memory difficulties, impulsivity, and other physical difficulties.

*Don't forget that if you suspect a client may have suffered a brain injury, refer them to their PCP for further evaluation*"
Thank you for taking the time to look through our newsletter, and please check out our website, www.baypath.org. Have news, information or feedback from a client that you want to see in our next newsletter? Let us know


BayPath Elder Services, Inc. is a member of the MetroWest ADRC,  
a partnership with HESSCO and the MetroWest Center for Independent Living.
BayPath Elder Services, Inc.| 508-573-7200 | http://www.baypath.org

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