After a comprehensive assessment that drew the participation of more than 4,000 older adults from 23 neighborhoods across the city, Age-Friendly Boston announced a major milestone with the release of their 75-point action plan to enhance the quality of life for...
News: Stories from the Field
Age-Friendly Berkshires Announces Grant to Pilot Transportation Program
Transportation for older adults is a common topic of discussion for communities looking to become more age-friendly in both urban and rural settings, and Age-Friendly Berkshires will be testing a solution for their region. Inclusive of 32 cities and towns in a...
Patient Navigators: Creating a Healthier Community through Volunteering
By Malka Young, LICSW, Director of Community Impacts, JFS of Metrowest The last time I saw the doctor; I drove into Boston, went through a maze of dark parking levels, backed into a narrow parking space, and traversed long corridors. I rushed, only to fill out my...
A Fall May Signify More Than Just an Accident
By John L. Brusch M.D., Associate Chief of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance Falls are common among adults older than 65. An estimated 14% of older adults in Massachusetts reported falling in the past three months. In about a third of these cases, they suffered an...
How to Identify Depression, and the Strength Behind the Pain
By Kathy Kuhn, Center for Aging and Disability Resource (CADER), BU School of Social Work In my last blog post on mental health and aging, I described Ms. McKay, an older woman who was coping with multiple losses. She had significant hypertension, diabetes, and...
How You Can Fight Elder Abuse in Massachusetts
By Betsey Crimmins, Senior Attorney, Greater Boston Legal Services, Inc. An elderly parent is neglected and isolated by his adult child; a 92 year old woman is at risk for eviction after being fleeced by scammers and does not have enough money to pay her rent; an...
“It’s My Fault and I Just Need to Get Over It”: The Story of Ms. McKay’s Depression
By Kathy Kuhn, Center for Aging and Disability Resource (CADER), BU School of Social Work I’d like to share with you a story from my days as a social worker at Kit Clark Senior Services (KCSS). Ms. McKay is an 82-year-old African American woman living in Dorchester....
Caregiving Made a Little Easier in MetroWest
By Marty Cohen, President & CEO, MetroWest Health Foundation and Rebecca Gallo, Program Officer, MetroWest Health Foundation Odds are if you are over 45, you already are or soon will be a caregiver. Seventy-five percent of all care received by older adults in the...
Improving Walkability in Fall River
By Jaime Corliss and Ben Wood, MDPH and Julie Kelly, Fall River Mass in Motion Public health people love to talk about Policy, Systems and Environmental change (PSE for short). You probably have an understanding of what this concept means (and you may be sick of...
Medication in Motion: The benefits of evidence-based Tai Chi for older adults
By Raymond Santos, Community Relations Director, Ethos Falls are one of the biggest health risks for older adults. In fact, one in three adults aged 65 and older falls each year. Up to 30 percent of those who fall suffer injuries that make it difficult to move around...