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 continues to expand to meet the needs of its clients and programs, and this past month witnessed another addition to our staff.
Victoria Senegal joins the agency as a Geriatric Senior Services Coordinator in our Senior Care Options program.
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. The physical sailboat
isn't the most august trophy, as it is just a small ceramic trinket that admittedly has seen better days. But what it represents makes it priceless talisman.
Each month 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.
This month, SCO GSSC Angela Yildiz was the recipient, as SCO Supervisor Angelina Portuense passed it on to one of the stars of her department. Portuense possessed the sailboat for the past month after receiving from Lilibeth Barclay at January's staff meeting.
Congratulations to Yildiz and all of the former, and future, winners.
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New monthly programs
for Mission Springs
Mission Springs Resident Services Coordinator Julia Schneiderman, MS, LSW, checks in with the latest news from the Holliston supportive housing site:
"There are new monthly programs at Mission Springs!
Chair massage is offered at an affordable price, by Robin Pease of A Kneaded
Break Chair Massage. Holliston Pet Meadows will come and perform simple pet services right in the home, such as nail clipping, to make it easier on pets and their humans! And BayPath's
Cindy Getchell is facilitating resident discussions on important topics such as depression."
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Caregiving MetroWest seeking user feedback to improve website
There's still time to take our user feedback survey.
As we strive to do even more to aid the many caregivers who have devoted so much to care for their loved ones, your feedback on the information and resources we have compiled and the user experience you have enjoyed while visiting the national award-winning
CaregivingMetroWest.org website will help us provide even more useful content and greater ease of accessing it.
So please take a couple minutes to take the following
survey to let us know how we are doing and how we can be even more helpful. Thank you very much.
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The start of spring is still a month away, but some unseasonably warm February weather gave a welcome preview. It was the kind of unexpected thaw to make you pull up a seat and enjoy.
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Reaching Out to LGBT Community
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Staff work group, community advisory board and spring events planned to address needs of LGBT older adults
BayPath Elder Services is working with local Senior Centers, churches, and community groups to reach out to elders who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT), their families, and caregivers in the MetroWest area.
The LGBT community is one in which elders, unlike their younger peers, are still often not able to be their authentic selves. It is our hope that these collaborations will identify resources and services where LGBT elders feel safe and welcome. BayPath has formed an LGBT work group of staff members and are in the process of developing an advisory group with representatives from the 14 communities in our coverage area.
The group is also looking forward to offering events and activities for elders, allies, families, and the greater community. Two such events are already scheduled. On Thursday, April 6 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Southborough
the documentary "Gen Silent," which focuses on six LGBT elders living in the Boston area, will be shown. Following the film, there will be a community discussion about the "Gen Silent" and how BayPath can support LGBT elders in the MetroWest area.
On Tuesday, May 9, a Jazz Luncheon Social for LGBT older adults will be held at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School in Marlborough from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Come hear some great music, meet others, and enjoy a free lunch buffet.
If you are interested in attending either event, volunteering as part of our advisory group, sponsoring an event, helping to develop a comprehensive resource guide, or donating to this important mission please contact us at 508-573-7288.
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COME 2 B Dementia Friendly Continues Progress
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Westborough, Marlborough and Hudson all making strides toward becoming dementia-friendly communities
COME 2 B Dementia Friendly Communities Coordinator Sue Longmoore checked in recently with some big news about the program.
The town of Westborough has taken the next step in creating a dementia-friendly community. On January 25, local leaders from town and state government, businesses, schools and various community organizations attended an action team meeting.
To join in on this initiative in Westborough or to learn more about COME 2B Dementia Friendly please contact Longmoore [email protected].
The current members of Westborough's action team (pictured above) are: George Barrette, Kristi Williams, Donna Martel, Glenn McLeod, Sue Abladian, Paula Covino, Margalit Lai, Ted Brady, Shelby Marshall, Carrie Brown, Amber Bock, Sam Leigh, Alice Bonner, Carolyn Spring, Lauren Schiffman, Gail Hanson, Patrick Cullen and Kathy Metzger.
While Westborough takes its initial steps toward becoming dementia friendly, Marlborough is advancing to the next phase of the project.
Marlborough, along with Hudson and Northborough, were the first communities to participate in the COME 2 B Dementia Friendly initiative. Over several months last year, volunteers interviewed over 110 other people who live or work in Marlborough and BayPath compiled and analyzed the survey data to determine Marlborough's priorities specific to our community.
The Marlborough COME 2 B team is now developing the community's action plan to help make Marlborough a place that provides a welcoming and supportive environment, so that people who live with dementia and their caregivers can continue to enjoy and be a part of their community.
On Saturday, March 4, at 9 a.m. at the Marlborough Senior Center (40 New Street, Marlborough, MA), the Marlborough COME 2 B Dementia Friendly team will be presenting the survey results, along with the tentative 2017 plan for making Marlborough a dementia-friendly community.
Hudson is making strides as well. Based on recommendations from its surveys, Hudson has now implemented a new Dementia Friendly Registry.
The Hudson Police Department, along with the Hudson Health Department and Hudson Senior Center, have created a registry to help identify people with dementia if they become lost or disoriented.
It takes just five minutes to register for this free program, which consists of a short form to fill out and a picture taken of your loved one with dementia. Call the Hudson Senior Center at 978-568-9638, the Hudson Health Department a 978-562-2020 or the Hudson Police Department at 978-562-7122 for more information or to set up an appointment.
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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Baker's Budget an Encouraging Sign
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Governor's supplemental budget adds funds to home care which could prevent waiting lists if signed into law
On February 17, Massachusetts Governor
Charlie Baker filed a supplemental budget for fiscal year 2017 that provides an additional
$4.49 million for the home care purchased services account,
And in a separate outside section, the budget allows the Secretary of Elder Affairs to
transfer these funds to the Enhanced Community Options Program (ECOP).
"This supplemental budget request validates the projections we gave to Elder Affairs as early as mid-November, 2016 that we would face serious waiting lists if no further appropriations were granted,
" said Mass Home Care's Al Norman.
"We applaud the Governor's actions to meet the needs of the Enhanced Home Care Program and to prevent waiting lists," added Norman. "We appreciate the work of Elder Affairs in advocating for this much-needed funding. Governor Baker's actions make it clear that he does not want to see elders put on a waiting list for home care."
This represents the second time this year that funds have been added to the home care accounts to prevent waiting lists.
The Governor and legislature still have to work out any differences in their budget proposals, have the budget passed by the House and Senate and signed by the Governor, but Baker's budget is an encouraging sign for the Home Care program.
AFC Program facing cuts
The news is less positive for another important program for older adults and people with disabilities.
Norman reports that on March 1, the Baker Administration will begin cutting as much as $5.6 million from the Adult Foster Care program. The cuts will continue through the last four months of the fiscal year.
Next year, the program could lose as much as $22.6 million.
Adult Foster Care is a program that allows elderly and disabled people to move in with a host family that provides 24/7 support. The average cost per client is less than $21,000 a year. Comparable round-the-clock support at a nursing facility can cost up to four or five times more.
"Community programs like this one make programmatic sense and financial sense," said Norman. "It just makes no sense to cut back community programs that help keep people out of costlier institutions."
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Savvy Skills for Caregivers
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BayPath Family Caregiver Support Program offering six-week Savvy Caregiver class this spring in Hudson
BayPath Elder Services, Inc.'s Family Caregiver Support Program is offering a new caregiver training class this spring at the Hudson Senior Center.
The Savvy Caregiver Program is a FREE six-session training series for family and friends who are active caregivers of a person living with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. Such a caregiving role is specialized work. To do this work successfully, caregivers need special skills, knowledge and a positive attitude that helps them to care for themselves.
This class will help you become an expert in caregiving for someone with Alzheimer's or related dementias by helping you understand the impact of dementia on both you and the person you are caring for, learn the skills you need to manage daily life, take control and set goals, communicate more effectively, strengthen family resources, feel better about your caregiving and take care of yourself.
The class is open only to current family caregivers and is not intended for professional caregivers. It will meet once a week on Thursdays from 12 - 2 p.m. (please arrive at 11:45 a.m. for check-in, as class will begin promptly at 12 p.m.). The first class in on April 6 and the final class will be on May 11.
Complementary lunches will be provided thanks to the generous donations of the Hudson Senior Center and Pleasantries Adult Day and Consulting Services, and respite care is available on site at the DayBreak Program. To register, contact Caregiver Specialist
Alicia Rego at 508-573-7239 or
[email protected] or Caregiving MetroWest Program Manager
Douglas Flynn at 508-573-7204 or
[email protected].
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Super Tailgate Set Stage for Dramatic Bowl Win
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BayPath Elder Services employees got ready for the Big Game with a tailgate party during the week before the Patriots' dramatic 34-28 Super Bowl win over Atlanta.
There was plenty of delicious homemade tailgating treats r
anging from salads to desserts and everything in between. The festivities were enhanced with plenty of gridiron decor, while Patriots highlights were projected on the wall.
Thanks go out to all the staff who baked or brought the many tasty delights and especially to the FUN Committee for living up to its name and organizing another fun-filled event.
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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 © 2016. All Rights Reserved.
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