The BayPath Bulletin
All the News You Need ASAP
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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
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BayPath Elder Services, Inc. serves the following communities:
Ashland
Dover
Framingham
Holliston
Hopkinton
Hudson
Marlborough
Natick
Northborough
Sherborn
Southborough
Sudbury
Wayland
Westborough
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BayPath added three new members to our team this past month as the agency continues to strive to address the needs of the clients and communities we serve.
Laura Quinlan has joined the agency as a receptionist, while Lynn Tedesco has come aboard as a Hudson site manager in the nutrition program and Susan Longmoore was hired as the new Community Coordinator for the COME 2B Dementia Friendly program.
Congratulations and welcome aboard.
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Resident Services Coordinator Julia Schneiderman, MS, LSW reports that October brought some treats to the residents of Mission Springs, BayPath's supportive housing site in Holliston.
Massage therapist Robin Pease gave a talk on the benefits of massage and provided free brief massages. Jean Sniffen of the Natick VNA came to give tips on talking to your doctor. And the Holliston Newcomers brought cute kids to trick or treat!
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Hudson (above) and Marlborough show off their fall colors.
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Caregiving MetroWest adds Q&A on caregivers caring for themselves
Powerful Tools Under Way
BayPath Elder Services, Inc.'s Family Caregiver Support Program and Caregiving MetroWest welcomed its first class of caregivers on Oct. 13 in Hudson for the inaugural session of its Powerful Tools for Caregivers course. It was an impressive turnout as every slot was filled with 14 caregivers attending the opening class.
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 classes are 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.
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Cote named Outstanding Employee of the Year
Long-Term Care Options Counselor
Susan Cote has been named BayPath's 2016 Outstanding Employee of the Year.
"Sue is an asset to BayPath as an Options Counselor," said BayPath Executive Director
Christine Alessandro. "She is extremely knowledgeable, and she is always smiling, which puts everyone at ease."
Cote was honored before the start of BayPath's Board of Directors monthly meeting on October 26, earning the award from a field of 15 talented and dedicated staff members who received nominations this year.
Gwen Blumberg,
Dana Levitt,
Suzanne Menard,
Paula Geller,
Marc Peloquin,
Angelina Portuense,
Megan Murphy,
Crystal Alderfer,
Debi Arsenault,
Kathy Villanueva,
Amy DeMichele,
Denise Menzdorf,
Fran Bakstran and
Diane Quigley
rounded out the list of finalists nominated for the award.
At the full-staff meeting on October 27, service awards were be presented to those employees reaching a milestone anniversary in 2016. Those recognized for their service were
Seveny Fuchu, Debi Arsenault, Kate Cosseboom and Amy Chiasson for 10 years with agency, Rhonda Cotton, Milka Mombrini and Alicia Rego for five years' service, and
Maria Zuniga,
Shela Charlot,
Linda Ford,
Siu Kin Chan,
Barbara Fawcett,
Jill Standish,
Debra Shaw,
Angelina Portuense,
Nancy Dumart,
Karen Basinet,
Cindy Getchell,
Michelle Lugenbeal,
Traci Robidoux,
Suzanne Menard,
Christin Musella,
Courtney Cassels,
Kaitlyn Butler,
Sarah Creelman,
Julie Sullivan,
Erika Perez,
Elizabeth Newton,
Nicole Desimone,
Diane Quigley,
Lauren Clark,
Una Murphy and
Shi He for one year.
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BayPath's 2016 Employee of the Year Susan Cote (center) is flanked by Board President Carol DeRienzo (left) and Executive Director Christine Alessandro.
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Connecting with the Community
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BayPath Executive Director Christine Alessandro discusses the COME 2 B Dementia Friendly Program at the Senior Health and Wellness Fair in Framingham. |
BayPath programs highlighted at Senior Health and Wellness Fair
BayPath Elder Services, Inc. was a proud participant in Massachusetts State Senator
Karen Spilka's annual Senior Health and Wellness Fair on October 22 at Joseph P. Keefe Technical School in Framingham.
The fair featured a variety of workshops and presentations about senior health programs, benefits and wellness activities, as well as representatives from a variety of health care and elder services organizations in MetroWest.
In addition to representatives from the Information and Referral department providing attendees with information about BayPath's many programs and services, BayPath Executive Director
Christine Alessandro also led a presentation on the COME 2 B Dementia Friendly Program.
COME 2 B Dementia Friendly is a community-based initiative consisting of agencies, businesses and committed individuals working together to create dementia-friendly communities throughout MetroWest Boston. This initiative was funded in part by a grant from the MetroWest Health Foundation. After an initial launch in Marlborough, Hudson and Northborough, the program has been expanded to Westborough and Sudbury this year.
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Massachusetts Meals Milestone
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Nutrition department helps state reach milestone with over nine millions meals served this year
BayPath's nutrition department helped Massachusetts reach a state-wide milestone for the nutrition programs this year.
BayPath Nutrition Director Denise Menzdorf reports that
Shirley Chao, the State Nutrition Director at the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, informed the nutrition directors state-wide that for the first time ever we have reached nine million meals served to consumers throughout the Commonwealth in a single year. The total meals served last year was 8,408,899.
This year, there were 1,453,153 congregate and
7,682,799 home-delivered meals for a total of
9,135,952. That represents an 8.5% increase in meals served from last year.
BayPath's contributions for the year were 132,229
home-delivered meals and 10,444 congregate meals for a total of 142,673 meals.
Congratulations to all of the staff members and volunteers of the BayPath nutrition department and their counterparts throughout the Commonwealth for helping so many older adults in need this year.
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.
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BayPath celebrating National Family Caregivers Month with informational event on Nov. 18
November is National Family Caregivers Month, and BayPath's Family Caregiver Support Program and Caregiving MetroWest will mark the occasion by hosting a special event for area caregivers.
On November 18, BayPath welcomes all family caregivers to join us for an informational coffee hour at our Marlborough office (33 Boston Post Road West, Marlborough, MA 01752).
The event is free to attend and open to all family caregivers, who will get an opportunity to learn about the Family Caregiver Support Program at BayPath Elder Services, learn about our free, award-winning informational website, CaregivingMetrowest.org, and receive a packet of local caregiver resources.
Please RSVP to Caregiver Specialist Alicia Rego at 508-573-7239 or [email protected].
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Wait Is Over for Better Budget News
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Nearly $4 million of funding restored to elder home care services, ending wait list for Massachusetts seniors
After a long legislative battle and plenty of lobbying, there was finally some good news to report for Massachusetts older adults and their
caregivers earlier this month.
On Oct. 6, Governor Charlie Baker signed into law a spending bill that included
$3.78 million for elder home care services. Those funds should end the wait list for home care services that had been implemented on September 1.
The elder care funds were part of a much larger $187.5 million spending bill, the bulk of which will help fund the
MassHealth program, which received $164 million. But the $3.78 million slated to go to home care services will make a direct and vital impact on the quality of life for Massachusetts seniors.
Al Norman, the Executive Director of Mass Home Care, led the lobbying fight to restore the funding to the home care services line item, detailed the impact of the move.
"I am very pleased to report that the Governor has signed the supplemental budget bill that includes section 28, which adds $3.78 million to the elder home care services line item, using federal Community First Trust Fund money," said Norman in a press release.
"The Governor has rescued these seniors from the No Care Zone, and we thank him and his staff for understanding why a little home care means so much to these families.
"This should result in the end of the home care wait list that began on September 1st. If no action had been taken, this wait list could have reached 2,000 elders by next June. Even with this funding, the home care programs are just about level to our appropriation level in FY 16 -- so there are still some challenges ahead this fiscal year."
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The Healthy Living Center of Excellence and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs is bringing the Savvy Caregiver, a community- based caregiver training specifically developed for caregivers of those living with Alzheimer's and Related Dementia, to the Bay State, and more specifically, to BayPath.
BayPath will host two training sessions to teach staff from Aging Services Access Points and other agencies working with older adults throughout the state how to conduct the program, with instruction provided by staff of the Southern Maine AAA. The first training will be held on December 5-6 (snow dates Dec. 15-16) and the second on
January 9-10 (snow dates Jan. 23-24).
Both trainings will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Agencies interested having personnel attend the trainings should contact
Susan Poludniak at
[email protected] to register.
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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.
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