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 40 years of 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 continues to expand to meet the needs of its consumers and programs, and this month two new faces joined our staff.
Yamilka Nunez comes aboard as our new administrative assistant in the PCA Program, while Madelyn Cruz will be the new Tenant Resource Counselor for the Tribune Apartments in Framingham.
Congratulations and welcome aboard.
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BayPath has long followed a special tradition to recognize the dedication, selflessness and passion of its staff.
At each month's staff meeting, a staff member is chosen to receive the coveted sailboat. It
is awarded to a staff member who deserves some special recognition for their efforts. Adding significance is the fact that the current holder of the sailboat gets to select the next winner, so this is an honor bestowed by a fellow staff member who sees their co-worker's special contributions every day.
At the December staff meeting, the previous recipient, CSSM Case Manager Donna Murray, passed the sailboat on to PCA Nurse Robin Logan for her dedicated work for the agency.
Congratulations to Robin and to all of the former, and future, winners of this unique honor.
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Caregiving Chronicles blog providing a wide array of information
One of the best sources for new information on the site is the
Caregiving Chronicles blog. This feature, regularly updated by Caregiving MetroWest Program Manager
Douglas Flynn, contains a combination of posts about issues affecting caregivers, new resources in the area and Q&As with experts on fields related to caregiving.
In the past month alone, posts have included information on a new caregiver
support group in Hopkinton, info and resources about
"sundowning" for those caring for a loved one with dementia, and
winter weather tips for caregivers. Check the blog for updates coming this month, including a planned Q&A on the issues facing caregivers caring for a loved one with hearing loss.
In other Family Caregiver Support Program news, congratulations are in order for BayPath Caregiver Specialist
Alicia Rego, who welcomed her second child,
Luke, to the world on January 17.
While the proud mom takes some well-deserved time off for her maternity leave, area caregivers will still be well served as Options Counselor
Sue Cote will be filling in for Rego this winter.
Caregivers in need of support or help in finding and accessing resources can still contact BayPath for assistance by calling Cote at 508-573-7200 and asking for the caregiver department.
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LGBTQ+ Initiative Making Progress
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BayPath initiative providing information and assistance to LGBTQ+ elders, as well as offering community trainings
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) seniors face the typical challenges of aging; however, because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity they are at higher risk for abuse, isolation, discrimination and exploitation.
Fearful of mistreatment, LGBT seniors are five times less likely to access services than non-LGBT seniors. Moreover, many of these LGBT seniors are estranged from their family of origin, and do not have children, so they are facing the challenges of aging without supports that many people take for granted.
BayPath's new LGBTQ+ Initiative, funded in part by a grant from the MetroWest Health Foundation, has staff available to answer questions, provide information and referrals, and offer new programs and events to MetroWest older adults, their family members, and local professionals. BayPath LGBT Coordinator
Julie Nowak and Elder Community Care Coordinator
Cindy Getchell can be reached at 508-573-7288, or by email at
[email protected].
You can also keep up to date with information about the initiative and issues facing LGBTQ+ older adults in general on BayPath's newly launched LGBTQ+ Facebook page,
Pathways of BayPath Elder Services.
BayPath is also pleased to offer a 90-minute training opportunity for the MetroWest area on the issue of LGBT Elders Cultural Competency to help better serve these all-too-often hidden individuals in our communities. The LGBTQ+ Initiative is currently conducting trainings for the BayPath staff, but will soon be setting up trainings for organizations, businesses and community groups throughout our coverage area.
This training will provide employees, volunteers, and community professionals with tools to work with the growing numbers of LGBTQ+ older adults. Any and all questions are welcomed by our trainers, in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. Spots are filling fast, so please contact BayPath's LGBTQ+ Initiative team to learn more about our program, fees, and to schedule your training date.
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Holidays Made Merry and Bright Once Again
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SCO GSSC Darlene Florencio (left) and BayPath consumer Silvia DeResende were all smiles after another happy holiday gift delivery.
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Light Up the Holidays program brought gifts, and joy, to many of our consumers once again this holiday season
The holiday season is behind us, but we would be remiss to go without a final thank you to everyone who helped make our Light Up the Holidays program a success once again.
Each year during the holiday season we deliver gifts to many of our consumers who otherwise may not have received anything for the holidays. The gifts are provided by the generous employees of TJX and Philips Lifeline, who fulfill the requests collected from consumers by BayPath case managers and other staffers.
We would like to once again
thank TJX and Philips Lifeline and their generous employees for all they do to help us brighten up the holidays for the consumers we serve.
We also wish to thank all of our dedicated staff members who volunteered their time to collect, organize and deliver these gifts and bring a little joy to consumers in need this holiday season.
And if anyone is wondering about the impact this holiday program has on the lives of our consumers, we'll let one of them express her appreciation in her own words.
"Dear Doug and all friends from BayPath Elder Services,
Thank you very much for the wonderful presents I received on Christmas!," wrote one consumer in a thank you note sent to Caregiving MetroWest Program Manager
Douglas Flynn for delivering her gift. "It was very kind and thoughtful of you to bring this warmth (literally) to me and my dog, especially on this day! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!!!"
To see some of the 125-plus consumers who received gifts through the Light Up the Holidays program this year, please visit the
photo album on our
Facebook page.
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| Intake Specialist Patricia Foglia (left) poses with BayPath consumer Jim Weir after delivering his holiday gift. |
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ECC Program Remains Reliable Resource for Elders
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Elder Community Care providing needed mental health help to older adults throughout the MetroWest region
In collaboration with Advocates Community Counseling and the United Way of Tri-County, BayPath continues to offer depression screenings and assessments for in-home or in-clinic counseling
 through the ECC Program. Adults over the age of 60 who reside in the towns of Ashland, Dover, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Natick, Northborough, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, and Westborough are eligible for the program.
Please contact the ECC program for more information, or to make a referral to this worthwhile program, at 508-573-7250.
To reach out to a trained volunteer over the age of 60 any time 24/7, contact Call2Talk, a program of the United Way of Tri-County at 508-532-2255 (CALL).
For psychiatric emergencies, Psychiatric Emergency Services can be reached at 508-872-3333 any time.
-- Submitted by Cindy Getchell, Elder Community Care Coordinator
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 Helping in Holliston
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BayPath helping Holliston offer medical escort program through federally-funded Area Agency on Aging grant
As the designated Area Agency on Aging for the 14 communities in our coverage area, BayPath provides grants to community groups throughout MetroWest to support programs for older adults. These programs include congregate meals, legal services, caregiver supports, transportation, health awareness, exercise programs and other programs to serve elders' needs.
In the current fiscal year, BayPath is funding 10 programs through these grants, including one for the Holliston Senior Center to provide transportation with the assistance of a personal escort to medical appointments. The Medical Escort Program provides older adults, at no cost, an escort to meet the elder at their home before a ride to a medical appointment scheduled through MWRTA and the Senior Center. The escort will then accompany the elder to the medical appointment and see them safely home on the Senior Center's van.
Escorts can provide an extra pair of "ears" to help elders understand instructions from medical personnel, help the elder get on and off the Senior Center bus and give the elder some added comfort and company. For more information and to see if you qualify for the program, call Holliston Senior Center Outreach Coordinator Marty Schneier at 508-429-0622.
See all of the programs BayPath is helping to fund this year through grants via the Older Americans Act, check out the complete listing on our website.
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A Sneak Peak of a Warmer Future
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While the Longfellow's Wayside Inn Grist Mist in Sudbury has provided a picturesque if bitter cold tableau in recent weeks, here's something to lift your spirits while the mercury continues to dip: sunshine and green grass will soon replace the snow and ice with the start of spring just a couple months away.
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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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Copyright © 2017. All Rights Reserved.
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