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 was a particularly busy one with 11 new faces joining our staff.
That includes SCO GSSCs Damaris Gomez and Erika Santana, PCA Skills Trainers Wanda Jimenez and Meghan Murray, Registered Nurses Noldy Jovin-Seide and Diane Reardon, Case Manager Kathleen Cash, Administrative Aide Anu Rathoie and ENP Donna Campbell.
Also coming aboard are new Tenant Resource Coordinator Melissa Berdu and Jamie Fowler, who takes over as our new Fiscal Director.
Congratulations and welcome aboard to all.
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In addition to the newcomers to the agency, BayPath also will have a familiar face taking on a new role.
Case Manager
Amanda McAloon has accepted a new position as a Waiver Case Manager.
Congratulations to her as well for the well-earned advancement.
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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 November staff meeting, the previous recipient, Laurie Towle, passed the sailboat on to CSSM Case Manager Donna Murray for her dedicated work for the agency.
Congratulations to Donna and to all of the former, and future, winners of this unique honor.
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Norman retires from Mass Home Care leadership position
Mass Home Care has announced that its Executive Director for the past 31 years, Al Norman, has resigned his position as of December 15.
For more than three decades, Norman served as the policy and advocacy point person for the state-wide Mass Home Care Association, and has successfully lobbied for hundreds of millions of dollars for home care programs in Massachusetts.
"I liked working with the elderly so much, I've become one," said Norman in his final monthly At Home with Mass Home Care newsletter. Looking back on his three decades of lobbying on Beacon Hill for the elderly, Norman added, "A good advocate is sometimes happy -- but never satisfied."
For more information on Norman's tenure with Mass Home Care and other news on issues facing older adults in Massachusetts, check out Norman's final Mass Home Care newsletter.
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BayPath celebrates National Caregivers Month with event
November was National Family Caregivers Month, and to celebrate the occasion, the BayPath Family Caregiver Support Program hosted an evening event for area caregivers on Nov. 29.
The night featured a talk by
Deborah Strafuss, author of "On Angels' Wings: A Journey Through Alzheimer's with My Mother."
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Spreading Joy This Holiday Season
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Light Up the Holidays gifts await delivery in our Marlborough office.
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With help from TJX and Philips Lifeline, BayPath spreads some seasonal joy with Light Up the Holidays program
BayPath has been busy this holiday season, as the agency is in the midst of our annual Light Up the Holidays gift drive. 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 for all they do to help us brighten up the holidays for the consumers we serve.
Now it's BayPath's turn to do our part. As you can see from the photo above, we had stacks of gifts piled up to be delivered. BayPath staffers are making the rounds to deliver them all in time for the holidays.
Again, our heartfelt thanks goes out to TJX, Philips Lifeline and their generous employees, as well as to all of our dedicated staff members volunteering their time to collect, organize and deliver these gifts and bring a little joy to consumers in need this holiday season.
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| Joseph Kowalski, a consumer in BayPath's Adult Family Care Program, checks out his Light Up the Holidays gift after it was delivered by BayPath AFC Case Manager Jennifer Baker. |
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Another Dementia-Friendly Resource Added
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COME 2 B Dementia Friendly, Marlborough COA bringing new memory cafe to Welly's Restaurant in January
 Memory cafes are a unique resource for caregivers and the loved ones they are caring for who have Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. Fortunately, they are also becoming available in more places, especially for caregivers in MetroWest.
The latest memory cafe to come to the area will begin in Marlborough in January. The Time Out Cafe at Welly's Restaurant is sponsored by COME 2 B Dementia Friendly Marlborough, the Marlborough Council on Aging and Welly's Restaurant.
Those living with memory loss and their care partners, family, and friends attend for free to relax and enjoy refreshments, conversation, entertainment, and laughter, for a positive experience in a supportive environment.
These cafes offer an opportunity for people caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or another dementia a chance to get some needed relief while still spending time with your loved one and other caregivers in a relaxed and welcoming setting. The cafes encourage socialization with other caregivers and loved ones where you can just be yourself. They provide an opportunity to get out with your loved one and have an enjoyable morning or afternoon.
Unlike support groups that are strictly for caregivers or adult day programs just for the care recipient, memory cafes offer a chance for both the caregiver and care recipient to get needed respite and socialization while remaining together.
Starting in January, the Time Out Cafe will be held every other month on the third Sunday of the month, from 1-3 p.m. at Welly's Restaurant (153 Main Street, Marlborough, MA).
Attending the Cafe is free, and RSVPs are requested but not required. Contact
Trish Pope at 508-485-6492 or
[email protected] for more information or to RSVP. You can also visit the COME 2 B Dementia Friendly Marlborough
website for more information on the Time Out Cafe.
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Subaru Helping Fill the BayPath Food Pantry
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| MetroWest Subaru General Manager VJ Donnelly (left) and BayPath staff members pose with the trunk full of donations for our food pantry. |
Subaru's Stuff the Trunk food drive provides valuable donations to BayPath's Food Pantry this holiday season
BayPath Elder Services teamed up with MetroWest Subaru this holiday season for a "Stuff the Trunk" food drive.
During the week of December 11-18, MetroWest Subaru collected donations for BayPath's Food Pantry at Subaru's Natick dealership, and MetroWest Subaru General Manager
VJ Donnelly delivered the donations to our Marlborough office on Tuesday, December 19.
The BayPath Food Pantry provides a vital service for some of our neediest clients, supplying food when an older adult cannot get out of the house or when returning to bare cupboards from a hospital or nursing home stay or any other
number of short-term emergencies.
Subaru is also supporting BayPath's Meals on Wheels program this holiday season. As a member of Meals on Wheels America, the Elder Nutrition Program at BayPath Elder Services is proud to participate in Subaru of America, Inc.'s annual Share the Love Event to help raise critical funds needed to support our local seniors. When you buy or lease a new Subaru this holiday season, we hope you'll choose Meals on Wheels as the recipient of a $250 donation.
Our thanks again and a heartfelt Happy Holidays to MetroWest Subaru, Subaru of America and everyone whose contributions will help sustain these valuable programs.
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| A trunk full of donations from MetroWest Subaru will help fill our food pantry. |
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Creating Savvy Caregivers in Sudbury
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BayPath Family Caregiver Support Program completes another successful Savvy Caregiver course in Sudbury
The latest offering of our Savvy Caregiver training workshop held its sixth and final class on December 11, with nine more area caregivers successfully completing the class at the Sudbury Senior Center.
The Savvy Caregiver Program is a free, six-week training series for family and friends who are active caregivers taking care of a person living with Alzheimer's or related dementia. The course is designed to help caregivers understand the impact of dementia on both themselves and the person they are caring for, learn the skills to manage daily life, take control and set goals, communicate more effectively, strengthen family resources, feel better about their caregiving, and learn to take care of themselves as well as the loved one they are caring for.
"I enjoyed the course very much," said one participant after the completion of the Sudbury workshop. "I thought both of you were excellent instructors, very resourceful and good at handling questions. The course itself was very worthwhile. I learned some helpful tips and feel strengthened to go ahead. Thank you very much."
The course was taught by Caregiving MetroWest Program Manager Douglas Flynn and BayPath Caregiver Specialist Alicia Rego. We would like to thank the Sudbury Senior Center for providing the space for the class. And most of all, we would like to congratulate all of the participants who have now acquired the knowledge and skills to be true Savvy Caregivers.
"[I have a] deeper understanding of dementia and how it impacts a person, and [how to] develop better strategies to help my mother," said another participant. "I also understand how to get more organized to balance my life with my caregiving. [It was a] wonderful, helpful course! Alicia and Doug are very knowledgeable and the course is extremely useful. Thank you!!"
We will be offering the course again in the spring
. If you are interested in participating in a future class or hosting a course in 2018, please contact us at 508-573-7204 or
[email protected].
You can also find more information on both the Savvy Caregiver and Powerful Tools for Caregivers courses offered by BayPath's Family Caregiver Support Program on the
Caregiver Training Workshops page on caregivingmetrowest.org.
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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Lights! Camera! Holiday Action!
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Digging in to a package to see what treasure awaits in the Yankee Swap.
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Stars come out as BayPath shows its seasonal spirit with movie-themed "A Hollywood Holiday" staff party
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Decked out in their holiday best. |
BayPath held its staff holiday party on December 12, and there was plenty of fun, food and good cheer to go around.
The festivities featured a movie feel with "A Hollywood Holiday" the official theme. A mural of the famous Hollywood sign, a red carpet area for photos, popcorn station and posters of dozens of holiday movies and specials created a festive atmosphere, while Assabet Valley provided a tasty spread for all to enjoy.
After the food was consumed, staffers burned off a few calories with a round of holiday movie trivia and the traditional Yankee Swap. Our thanks go out to all who attended, especially the Holiday Party Committee who put it all together.
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| Enjoying a holiday feast at the annual staff holiday party. |
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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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