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.

The support aligns with the final phase of their 2013-2017 Strategic Plan and the needs of the communities in the MetroWest region.

As the RFP explains:

The foundation’s MetroWest Commission on Healthy Aging developed a vision of what healthy aging should look like in the MetroWest area in the coming years and how to achieve that vision. The commission looked at a variety of issues related to physical and behavioral health, community building and social well-being, and transportation and mobility.

In its final report, the commission concluded that there is much that can be done to improve services and care for older adults. The report calls on public and private agencies to join together to encourage greater use of evidence-based disease prevention and chronic disease management practices; improve the support and education that is available to caregivers; decrease the chance of falls in and out of the home; and reach those who are socially isolated, among other recommendations. The full report of the commission, along with a comprehensive data book on demographic and health indicators on older adults in MetroWest, is available for download from our website: www.mwhealth.org.

Another option in the RFP under the “Healthy Aging” category is to address the needs  of social isolated older adults. MetroWest Health Foundation has some basic resources on all Healthy Aging categories for eligible applicants to consider.

Proposals are due  by 4:00 PM o Friday, October 13th. Grants are for a maximum of $40,000 and are made for one year with the possibility of two additional years of continuation funding.