Mac users: Increase text size by holding command and +. Decrease text size by holding command and -.On September 20th, Mayor Marty Walsh announced the City’s Home Share Pilot Program in partnership with www.nesterly.io and the success of their first 8 inter-generational matches in a speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Continue reading
Category Archives: News and Updates
AARP Community Challenge Takes Quick Action in Massachusetts
AARP Massachusetts is pleased to announce two winners of the AARP Community Challenge, a grant program designed to fund projects that spark change and improve the quality of life at the local community level. Continue reading
MIT AgeLab Recruiting High School Students for OMEGA Summit
The MIT AgeLab is recruiting high school students across New England for the OMEGA Summit, a fun, informative, and collaborative event on October 21, 2017. Continue reading
Senior services symposium focuses on redefining housing for our aging population
Registration is now open for an upcoming senior services symposium to assist housing professionals, service providers, policy makers and others concerned about ensuring that older adults can actively age in community.
Older Adults, New Ground: Redefining Housing for Our Aging Population
Wednesday, October 4th
9:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Newbridge on the Charles | Dedham, MA
Attendees can expect to:
- Learn about best practices in the continuum of aging services in housing for low-income older adults.
- Participate in workshops on relevant topics such as innovative partnerships in housing and services.
- Learn how to advocate to help address the service and housing needs of aging adults.
Questions? Contact: OlderAdultsNewGround@EnterpriseCommunity.org
MetroWest Health Foundation Fall RFP Includes Age- and Dementia Friendly Support
As part of its Fall Request for Proposals, the MetroWest Health Foundation will be awarding grants to communities in their coverage area that focus on Healthy Aging, which includes support for Age- and Dementia Friendly efforts. Continue reading
Enter Your Age- and Dementia Friendly Efforts for Mass Municipal Association Innovation Award
More and more cities and towns across the state are taking up Age- and Dementia Friendly commitments and now communities have a chance to be recognized by the Massachusetts Municipal Association for that work through the organization’s annual Innovation Awards.
Mass Municipal Association (MMA) criteria states that “any project or program that has been successfully implemented in your municipality and that may serve as a model for other communities could be considered innovative. Innovations should address a problem common to municipalities in Massachusetts in a new and different way. Innovative programs can be instituted in any area of local government.” Continue reading
New Report Guides Efforts to Build Age- and Dementia Friendly Communities
Over the past seven months, we’ve worked closely to align the efforts of the Collaborative with our partners working to build age- and dementia friendly communities across the Commonwealth.
Using as a guide the “Better Together” Report from AARP that crosswalks the age- and dementia friendly processes and toolkits, the Collaborative has coordinated outreach and engagement efforts with AARP-Massachusetts and Dementia Friendly Massachusetts. MHAC has also been working with those partners and the Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts/New Hampshire on tracking age- and dementia friendly commitments from cities and towns.
We now have a new resource to support these efforts. Tufts Health Plan Foundation just released the Report on Demographics, Programs, and Services for an Age- and Dementia-Friendly Commonwealth. This report provides a comprehensive look at the current activities and resources to support people living with dementia and their caregivers in our state. Research was conducted by Elizabeth Dugan, PhD, Nina M. Silverstein, PhD, Shuangshuang Wang, Bon Kim, and Natalie Pitheckoff from the Gerontology Institute of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Continue reading
Boston Globe: Many of state’s elderly struggle to pay their bills
A recent Boston Globe article highlighted the state’s struggling performance on the elder economic security index, a tool developed by UMass Boston and promoted by healthy aging advocates.
As the article states, “More than 60 percent of single older adults in the state can’t afford food, housing, or other living expenses, the second-highest rate in the country, behind only Mississippi.” The problem is even more pronounced for women and people of color.
Turning to potential solutions, the article notes Governor Charlie Baker’s Council to Address Aging in Massachusetts and the Age-Friendly Communities movement, specifically the City of Boston’s 75-point action plan, which includes many elements aimed at bolstering an older adult resident’s ability to remain economically secure and independent.
Anyone interested in commenting to the Governor’s Council in regards to elder economic security, or any other suggestions to enhance the well-being of older adults in Massachusetts, can submit written comments here.
Final ‘Governor’s Council’ Listening Session: Aug 2nd in Pittsfield
The Governor’s Council to Address Aging in Massachusetts has held listening sessions in Gloucester, Worcester and Barnstable with the final opportunity to verbally offer feedback occurring in Pittsfield.
The session will take place on August 2nd, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Elder Services of Berkshire County (877 South Street, Suite 4E, Pittsfield, MA 01201)
The 24-member Council is charged with developing a plan to promote healthy aging in Massachusetts, and to achieve the goal of making the Commonwealth the most age-friendly state for people of all ages.
Specifically, the Governor’s Council would like to hear about:
- What factors make your community a great place to grow older?
- How can we support families that include one or more older adults?
- How can we promote more human connectedness (reduce loneliness, isolation) in communities?
- What are the top two issues or concerns that create barriers to people being able to age well in their communities?
- How can we accelerate innovation to support and connect older adults?
- How can we change public perceptions about aging?
Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request, contact: William Travascio at 617-222-7597 or William.Travascio@state.ma.us
Notice of Opportunity to Participate in DPH Community Health Initiative
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) requests responses from individuals/organizations interested in participating on the new Determination of Need’s Community Health Initiative (CHI) Statewide Initiative Advisory Committee and/or the CHI Healthy Aging Fund Advisory Committee.
The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative (MHAC) encourages its members and partners to consider the Healthy Aging Fund Advisory Committee, specifically. DPH is partnering with the Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) to establish and consult an Advisory Committee to develop and implement the CHI Healthy Aging Fund Initiative. MHAC applauds DPH and EOEA for prioritizing Healthy Aging as an area of focus. Continue reading