News & Updates
April 2023 | Issue 7
Upcoming Events

You can meet representatives from Elder Services and learn more about our current offerings at any of these upcoming community events.


Mayday Celebration at the Dennis Center for Active Living

Health, Wellness and Safety Fair at Eastham Senior Center, May 12
Community Outreach
Martha's Vineyard Office Director Megan Panek and Nutrition Coordinator Melissa Petrosinelli catch up with old friends while supporting MVY Radio's Night Out for Non-Profits at the Portuguese-American Club in Oak Bluffs.
Recent News
Elected officials showed their support for our Meals on Wheels program during the annual March for Meals celebration. Above, State Representative David Vieira at the Bourne nutrition site. Below, State Representative Kipp Diggs at the Barnstable nutrition site. Visit us on Facebook to see more photos from the festivities. Officials accompanied volunteer drivers on their routes and met with constituents who depend on these meals to meet their daily nutrition needs.
ESCCI's Provider Contracts Move Millions into the Local Economy
Our annual "Provider Fair" is an opportunity for front line staff to meet face-to-face with representatives of the vendors our consumers depend on for services such as homemaking. .
The services our Care Managers and Coordinators arrange -- in-home podiatry, assistive medical equipment, grocery shopping, and so much more -- are carried out by for-profit businesses of all sizes, from sole proprietorships to multi-state operations. These providers employ hundreds, most of whom live here and all of whom spend at least a portion of their wages here.

Non-profits like Elder Services are frequently lauded for the good works they do for individuals and the community. What is less often recognized is their economic impact. Slightly more than half of the federal and state money that comes into Elder Services is used to pay for services contracted from third parties. Some of our providers have multi-million dollar contracts with us while others are much smaller.

All the providers we contract with have been carefully screened by the MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs and by us. Home and personal care providers undergo extra layers of scrutiny because of the sensitive nature of the work. Contracts go out to bid every third year, with exceptions made for unique or difficult to source services, such as grocery shopping.

Shop It Drop It, our newest Grocery Shopping & Delivery provider is a locally-owned start-up business. Sheri McKnight, the owner, started shopping for about 8-10 elders privately during the pandemic. She decided to make a go of it as a business. Last October, she contacted Contracts Manager Kim Cazeault, who worked with her to get established as a legal business and then, in December, contracted with her as an ESCCI provider. She is now our primary Grocery Shopping and Delivery provider in Dennis and Orleans.
 
Our Care Managers and Coordinators, our Options Counselors, and even our Protective Services Workers need to stay informed about innovative products and delivery methods that can help promote the safety and independence of our consumers. The annual Provider Fair is a fun way to deliver part of this professional development education. Additional training takes place at the monthly meetings of our clinical division, which often feature guest speakers such as Jim Seymour from the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center or Andrew Bardetti, an Attorney with South Coastal Counties Legal Services.

Click here to learn more about our valued partners in Elder Services's provider network.
The Health Benefits of Volunteering
By Dawn Ericson-Taylor

As Volunteer Resource Center Manager, I’ve learned that the reasons an individual chooses to volunteer can be very personal. For it to be a positive, fulfilling experience the volunteer opportunity must meet that experiential expectation. The most common reasons people volunteer are to meet a need in their community, seek a social connection, or to gain a sense of purpose. Rarely, when asked, do individuals respond, “because it’s good for my health”.

Yet the health benefits of volunteering are becoming more widely acknowledged and supported with research and data.

“Helping others can provide mental, physical and community benefits”, says Dr Austin Hall, medical director of the UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health.
“The most solid evidence for the cognitive benefits of volunteering has been shown in older adults, because they have been studied most,” Hall says. “In this age group, volunteering can delay cognitive decline. Physical activity has also been shown to have a positive effect on mental health, so by choosing an active volunteer opportunity, you can benefit even more.”

The Center for National and Community Service (CNCS), whose mission is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through services and volunteering, report much of the same. Researchers have found statistically significant relationships between volunteerism and lower levels of depression, for individuals 65 or older, a population particularly vulnerable to illness and depression. A study of data for those who volunteered reported higher levels of happiness, life-satisfaction, self-esteem, and a sense of better control over their life, with better physical health and lower levels of depression.

This information may have you asking, “How much volunteer service do I need to commit to in order to gain these health benefits?” CNCS cites a number of studies indicating individuals must meet a “volunteer threshold” in order to receive the positive health outcomes from volunteering. That is, they need to commit to at least 1-2 hours a week to volunteer activities.

From an overall health perspective, the old adage, volunteers get more than they give, may be more accurate than we ever guessed.
Kindness, Integrity, Accountability & Teamwork are the Cornerstones of our Success.
Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands, Inc., is a registered 501c3 organization. We rely on numerous sources of income in order to accomplish our Agency’s mission and depend on the generosity of our community to help us reach our goals.