Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging

Haven't downloaded the Conference App yet?

Here's why you need to...

Please note that MCOA WILL NOT BE PRINTING A CONFERENCE BOOKLET THIS YEAR, so with the conference just one week away, we strongly suggest attendees download the APP now to ensure a smooth and seamless conference experience. A mini digital guidebook will be emailed to attendees on October 4th - we highly recommend that you print the guidebook before attending the conference as LIMITED copies will be available. We look forward to seeing you next week in Danvers!

Watch this short 2-minute video below to learn more!

https://mcoaonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Conference-App-Instructions-FINAL2-1.mp4

GET THE IPHONE APP | GET THE ANDROID APP

Downloading and installing the App is as easy, just 5 steps!

1. Head over to your phone’s APP store, iPhone or Android, and search for MCOA Annual Conference or scan the handy QR codes below.

2. ‘GET’ or ‘INSTALL’ the App on your phone

3. Open the MCOA App and Sign-in at the top right corner.

4. Follow the on-screen prompt to check you email for the Access Code.

5. Enter the Access Code and You’re IN!

IMPORTANT: you MUST use the email address that your registered for the conference with.

A sneak peek at some special features:

~ The Home Screen is the Hub of all things Fall Conference

~ Browse all the great workshops and build your very own schedule in the APP

~ Check in for CEU’s

~ Submit a survey for every workshop

~ Speakers, Sponsors and Exhibitors, all at your fingertips

~ Customize your profile and connect with others and even make notes for future networking

~ Receive enable notifications so you never miss an announcement throughout the 3 day conference

Did you know?

It took 5 trees to print 500 of the 80+ page Program booklet. Over the last 40 years of conferences, that’s 200 trees! By creating a digital app instead of a printed conference booklet, MCOA reduced our carbon footprint and will help create a more sustainable future for our communities.

FY24 SIG Grant RFP

More than $500,000 Available in NEW FY24 SIG Grant Funds!

With the restoration of Service Incentive Grant (SIG) Funding by the Mass State Legislature, MCOA is incredibly excited to share that we are seeking RFPs (Requests For Proposals) from COAs for the FY24 SIG Grant Field Demonstration Projects and anticipate awarding grants totaling more than $500,000 for initiatives prioritized by our Membership and approved by EOEA in the following areas.

Age and Dementia Friendly Capacity Building (up to $10,000 each)
Memory Café Innovations and start-ups (up to $5,000 each)
Nutrition Innovation and/or Expansion (up to $20,000 each)
Senior Center Modernization (up to $25,000 each)
Public Health Connections (up to $5,000 each)
Development and implementation of Outreach and Marketing of your COA to older adults and caregivers (up to $10,000 each)
Capacity-Building for Caregiver Respite Services or financial aid to enable Caregiver Respite Financial Assistance (up to $10,000 each)
Provision of Transportation Services to support older adults in maintaining their independence (up to $25,000 each)

Applications are due by 4 PM on Thursday, November 9, 2023, and award notifications will be made by Thursday, November 30, 2023. Projects must be completed by June 30, 2024.

You can access the full RFP here. The full RFP also contains the schedule, including Bidders’ Conference and other important instructions.

If you missed last week's Bidders' Conference you can watch it here.

Q&A from the Bidders' Conference will be posted here later today.

Trainings and Meetings

Monthly Outreach Meeting

Please join us on zoom on Thursday, 10/19 from 11:00am-12:00pm as our guest speaker, Cheryl Tudino, Public Affairs Specialist for the Social Security Administration will be providing a virtual presentation on Retirement, Medicare, Survivor, and other benefits available through the Social Security Administration. They have the answers to all those burning Social Security questions that you may have. Such as…Did you know that your spouse may be eligible for a Spousal benefit off your record? When is the best time to start collecting your Retirement benefits? Do I have to take my Retirement benefits if I enroll into Medicare? Will Social Security be available in the future for me? How will I be impacted financially as a widow/widower? Also, an overview will be provided on how to access these services, whether it be online with MySSA, in person or over the telephone. Finally, she will discuss the new re-entry service model, post pandemic office closures.

Cheryl is a Public Affairs Specialist for the Social Security Administration, servicing all of RI and Southeastern Massachusetts. She educates the public, community advocates, private companies and government agencies about Social Security. She is a subject expert on Social Security policy and benefits, including Retirement, Disability, Survivor and Medicare, as well as Social Security’s online services. There will be time at the end for questions. Those who register will receive the recording of the meeting and materials provided by our guest.

New Directors

Did you start as a COA Director within the past three years? Do you still have lots of questions?

Save the date: On October 24 from 10:00-11:00 AM as a follow-up to “Managing for Success” we invite new directors to come back together to discuss lessons learned from Dan’s presentation as well as how these lessons were utilized in your own COA/Senior Center. These discussions will be facilitated by Jacqueline Collins, Principal of “Partnering for Performance.” Look for registration in next week’s Brief.

Questions? Please contact Kelly Burke 413-923-1972 or kelly@mcoaonline.com

Transportation/Mobility Coordinators Meeting

Please join us on Friday, October 6 for a presentation by Emily Williams, Director at the Bridgewater COA. Emily will be sharing her “Bridgewater Cares Transit Program”. The program’s goal is to provide reliable, safe and convenient essential transportation and deliveries to vulnerable populations who currently have limited or no access to services (e.g. Bridgewater elders, disabled, and BSU students in need). Emily applied for $22,080 (with an additional $5,520 in matching funds from the BCOA and BSU) from the MassDOT Community Transit Grant Program for Mobility Management Professional Services. The grant supports a first of its kind microtransit intergenerational software system with Bill’s Taxi and the BCOA van, as well as a paid internship for a BSU student. Time will be provided for questions and answers.

MCOA New Training Offerings through BU CADER

Through MCOA’s Partnership with Boston University’s Center for Aging and Disability Education and Research (CADER) Program, we are excited to bring you the following NEW training opportunities at no cost to you! These online courses provide you with flexibility and continuing education credits!

Human Services Management (3 CEs, 3 hours)

This course is designed to help you identify and further develop the skills needed to be effective managers and leaders in human services organizations. Human services organizations are mission-driven organizations created to address individual, community, and societal needs and help promote social justice and change. These organizations exist in a rapidly changing environment with complex social, political, technological, and economic issues. These issues, and the changes and challenges that result from them, require leaders who recognize that they must work together with staff to build adaptive organizations that balance competing demands from a variety of stakeholders.

Click Here to Register

Program Planning (1 CE, 1 hour)

One of the fundamental competencies essential for human services professionals is possessing skills in planning, implementing, and evaluating interventions. According to the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) (n.d.), human services workers will be able to design a plan of action for an identified problem and implement the plan in a systematic way. This requires an understanding of problem analysis, decision analysis, and design of work plans.

Click Here to Register

Also, there is still time to take the Volunteer Engagement Training at no cost!

Volunteer Engagement in the Aging Network (2.5 CEs, 2.5 hours)

This course offers an introduction to volunteer management. You will learn to assess your agency’s needs, prepare job descriptions for volunteers, recruit, and match volunteers to positions, onboard and train volunteers, and develop policies and procedures to manage this critical workforce. In addition, you will learn how to strengthen your volunteer program and evaluate your work. You will be provided a broad perspective of volunteer management approaches and tools to engage volunteers most effectively and create a culture of volunteerism to increase the capacity of your agency.

Click Here to Register

For more info on CADER programs click here.

Healthy Aging

Dietary Guidelines Resources in Spanish

This Hispanic Heritage Month, use Dietary Guidelines Recursos en español to celebrate food traditions and promote healthy eating in the Spanish-speaking communities you serve.

SNAP

Misfortune: Households can request replacement SNAP for foods lost through flooding, power outages lasting longer than four hours, etc. DTA will replace up to one month of benefits but the loss must be reported within 10 days of the event. A link to DTA’s SNAP misfortune webpage with information on reporting the loss. Filing a verbal request: Households can also report the misfortune by phone by calling the DTA Assistance Line, selecting their language and then pressing 5, then 1.
Head of household death: The head of household CAN be changed in the event of death or other change in household composition without triggering a Benefits Determination Notice (BDN) terminating SNAP for the entire household. This is captured in DTA's December 2016 change to 106 CMR 361.220. In 2017, DTA had a 'death of grantee' pilot - with the goal of a more seamless transition for the remaining household members. If older adults in your community experience similar issues, please let me know and/or reach out to MLRI (pbaker@mlri.org or vnegus@mlri.org) Thank you to the Avon Council on Aging for flagging this and contacting the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. More to come on this issue!
Replacements ICYMI: On August 30, replacement payments were distributed for benefits lost 10/1/22-6/30/23. (On May 12, individuals and families in Massachusetts received state-funded retroactive replacement SNAP payments to compensate for benefits lost to skimming, phishing, etc. 4/1/22-9/30/22.)
Join a local DTA Advisory Board: Many SNAP Coalition members participate in the area DTA Advisory Boards around the state, there is typically one for each local DTA office (some DTA offices do not have active advisory boards right now). DTA Advisory Board members typically meet a few times a year (virtually) to receive local office updates and provide feedback and recommendations to DTA regarding the overall needs and resources of the local office service area. Advisory Boards also provide recommendations to the Commissioner on DTA policies. For more information view this fact sheet.

Dementia Friendly Massachusetts

No DFM Monthly Meeting in October 2023

Due to the Fall MCOA Conferenc, there will be no October DFM Monthly meeting in October. Plan to join us in November for a presentation by Tom Harrison, one of the authors of The Complete Family Guide to Dementia. These authors were featured at the MCOA Small and Rural Conference and provide a great example of how communities can support caregivers. It may be possible for speakers to come to your community. You can learn more at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD3JP9j_pXU

Just in Case You Missed It! Dr. Jackson-Pope of the MA Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Presented at the September DFM Meeting

Dr. Lenora Jackson-Pope joined the September 13th Dementia Friendly MA monthly meeting to talk about the MA Alzheimer Disease Research Center. Her presentation included work on their updated speaker’s bureau. Click here to listen to the Zoom recording: https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/24_ZcRWPEUjGfIJPOl5RWFOHHa_1_N_3dYtI-ShL8bIDZZUQJu5r212vcMsKqR3d.tteYsKauwPAAguGU Passcode: f1Q97L#G

AARP Announces Annual Age and Dementia Friendly Summit on

October 31^st at College of the Holy Cross

This annual Age and Dementia Friendly Massachusetts event will explore how local leaders can implement strategies in urban, suburban, and rural communities that:

Ensure parks and public spaces are accessible for people of all ages and abilities
Keep a focus on equity and engaging diverse populations
Recognize the value of opportunities to engage and empower residents of all ages
Uncover opportunities for securing financial support

Participants will be exposed to best practices and, insights in order to design approaches that meet the needs of residents in their communities and across the Commonwealth. This Summit is free. To learn more, click here: https://events.aarp.org/Qd0Bax?sms=2&cn=Zq6IdkL6SVqszionBy2v5g

State Community Compact Program Offers Potential Funding for AFDF

Several communities working to become more age- and dementia friendly have received support through the state’s Community Compact Best Practice Program . The funding program is a voluntary, mutual agreement entered into between the Healey-Driscoll Administration and individual cities and towns of the Commonwealth.

In a Community Compact, a community will agree to implement at least one best practice that they select from across a variety of areas. The community’s chosen best practice(s) will be reviewed between the Commonwealth and the municipality to ensure that the best practice(s) chosen are unique to the municipality and reflect needed areas of improvement. Age-and Dementia Friendly Best Practices are among the list of options from which communities can choose. The program opened on August 21st and remains open until funding runs out.

Local Cultural Council Programs

Mass Cultural Council funds and manages a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCCs) across the state, representing every city and town in the Commonwealth. Each council awards money based on individual community cultural needs, assessed, and set by LCC members. Applicants apply directly to local councils. Age-and dementia-friendly community stakeholders can find more info here . Deadline is October 17^th.

Want to Get Credit for the Dementia Friendly Work that You Are Already Doing?

Have you taken a look at the DF Checklist to see how far along you are in becoming a Dementia Friendly Community. Do you have a Memory Café? Offer a Support Group? Provide programming from the Alzheimer’s Association or the Dementia Friends program?

Click here to find the Dementia Friendly MA checklist. Questions? Contact Patty Sullivan patty@mcoaonline.com.

DFM Newsletter

To sign up and receive DFM newsletters and emails directly, Click on this link: https://dfmassachusetts.org/news/sign-up-for-email-news/

Don’t forget to regularly check your spam/junk mail folder if you don’t see them or reach out to patty@mcoaonline.com.

Community Transit Grant Program

MassDOT has announced the schedule for the FY24 Community Transit Grant Program vehicle cycle. The application will open November 28, and applications will be due December 22.

Register for an application training on November 28 or 30. Regional Transit Authorities, nonprofits, municipalities, and private operators of public transit (shared-ride) services are eligible to apply for wheelchair-accessible vehicles to expand mobility for older adults and people with disabilities.

Learn more and subscribe for updates

Free COVID Tests Available to Households

Beginning September 25, every U.S. household can again place an order to receive four more free COVID-19 rapid tests delivered directly to their home. Need help placing an order for your at-⁠home tests? Call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489).The U.S. government will continue to make COVID-⁠19 tests available to uninsured individuals and underserved communities through existing outreach programs. Please contact a HRSA health center, Test to Treat site, or ICATT location near you to learn how to access low- or no-cost COVID-⁠19 tests provided by the federal government.