Leaders from business, health care, education and state government launched a new “Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition,” a collaboration that includes businesses from diverse industry sectors working with the state to assess and address the needs of unpaid family caregivers in Massachusetts. The group’s launch this week is marked by the release of a Massachusetts State of Care Report and Employer Toolkit, which highlight research and best practices for employers to support working family caregivers. Continue reading
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News
MHAC Partner Beth Soltzberg of JF&CS Gives TEDx Presentation on Memory Cafes
MHAC is excited and proud to pass along a TEDx Talk presentation from one of our partners and Advisory Council members, Beth Soltzberg who directs the Alzheimer’s/Related Disorders Family Support Program at Jewish Family & Children’s Service in Waltham. Continue reading
Age-Friendly Job Alert: MA Councils on Aging, MA Public Health Association Staff Openings
The Massachusetts Councils on Aging have announced two opportunities to join the association’s staff supporting the councils across the state. Please see these opportunities below and pass along to any who may be interested. Continue reading
AARP: Pop-Up Recipes for Parklets and Bike Lanes
Bicycle lanes and parklets are fun, easy and popular pop-up projects. There are many ways to create a demonstration bike lane. Parklets — which are essentially parking spots for people rather than cars — can be created with little more than paint, plywood and some decorative accessories.
This photo album is an excerpt from The Pop-Up Placemaking Tool Kit, a free publication by AARP and the planning and design firm Team Better Block, to be released on December 4. Continue reading
Baker Administration Proclaims November 2019 as Family Caregivers Month
In support of the more than 844,000 Massachusetts residents who provide frequent or daily care to their family members, the Baker-Polito Administration has proclaimed November 2019 as Family Caregivers Month in the Commonwealth.
Online Resources to Support Family Caregivers:
The Commonwealth offers a number of services to help caregivers. This Mass.gov topic page linked below brings together a number of state health and social services in one place to help caregivers find the information they need, based on their unique situation:
Mass.Gov Topic Page on Caregiving
The Family Caregiver Support Program provides advice and support through the services of Caregiver Specialist for residents caring for an older family member, a relative with a disability, or an older relative caring for a child. Caregiver Specialists serve at regional aging services agencies that cover every community in Massachusetts:
The Massachusetts Family Caregiver Support Program (Mass.gov/Caregiver)
The page linked below includes caregiving tips and resources that caregivers may need for providing care both at home and in other settings:
Caregiver Tips and Information
The majority of family caregivers work full or part-time jobs in addition to their caregiver responsibilities, and many employers are finding creative ways to support their employees. This web page below provides employers resources on how to make the workplace more welcoming for caregivers.
Caregiving Information for Workplaces
In addition to online resources, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs also supports MassOptions, an aging and disability information, and referral call center. MassOptions is a free service that helps older residents, people with disabilities, and caregivers connect with support services in their area. The service can be reached Monday – Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, by calling toll-free 1-844-422-6277.
Age-Friendly Funding Alert: Cultural Facilities Fund
Managed in collaboration with MassDevelopment, the Mass Cultural Council’s “Cultural Facilities Fund” (CFF) is an initiative of the state of Massachusetts providing grants to support the acquisition, design, repair, rehabilitation, renovation, expansion, or construction of nonprofit cultural facilities state-wide. Continue reading
New Transportation Training Resource Available Online for Aging and Disability Service Providers
Transportation Training for Staff of Aging and Disability Service Providers is a new online training from MassMobility about community transportation options for older adults and people with disabilities in Massachusetts. Continue reading
Age-Friendly Funding Alert: Community Health Fund Portal is Live
The Massachusetts Community Health Fund (Community Health Fund) is an opportunity to reduce health inequities in communities across Massachusetts. The Community Health Fund is both a grantmaking and capacity-building resource to assist organizations and communities in addressing the root causes of health inequities, specifically, institutional and structural racism.
The portal to submit an application for the Community Health Improvement Planning (CHIP) Processes funding opportunity is now live! Please visit the How to Apply page to learn more about submitting your idea and to access the online portal. Continue reading
Age-Friendly News Clips: September and October 2019
Periodically, the Healthy Aging Collaborative will share news articles that mention state and local efforts to make cities, towns and regions in Massachusetts Age- and Dementia Friendly.
Check out the following articles from September and October 2019 on the momentum of this movement building across the state. Continue reading
‘All in Together’ Report Examines Intergenerational Shared Spaces to Benefit Young and Old
For any Age- and Dementia Friendly Community advocating for intergenerational shared spaces and programming, a new report called “All In Together: Creating Spaces Where Young and Old Thrive” by Generations United and The Eisner Foundation provides some useful tools and examples from across the country. Continue reading