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December is a time of many holiday festivities and family get-togethers. Here in Massachusetts, it’s also a time of snow and cautious driving. Older Driver Safety Awareness Week in the first week of December is an opportunity to promote the importance of safe driving among older adults. Continue reading
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. She was single, with significant hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis. Although she had a prosthetic leg, she was mobile. She had been active in her church but was recently spending more and more time alone in her apartment and not even collecting her mail. Her apartment was getting increasingly cluttered, bordering on hoarding. Continue reading
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 United States is provided by family members and friends, and many do not even identify themselves as caregivers. Continue reading
By Angel Bourgoin, Consultant, JSI
This year’s Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging (MCOA) fall conference was a great success. Bringing together Councils on Aging, municipal agencies, researchers, and other partners in Falmouth, Mass. on October 8-10, the conference was a vibrant discussion on the important issues and opportunities in improving the lives of older adults. Joanne Moore, president of the MCOA Board of Directors, praised the conference’s presenters and staff, saying “Our 600+ engaged learners went back to their Senior Centers renewed, excited, and bubbling with ideas!” Continue reading
By Kayla Romanelli, Program Associate, Tufts Health Plan Foundation
“How many people in the room feel maxed out?” A few brave participants slowly raised their hands. Then another question, “How many people in the room wish they had a road map to achieve their goals?” More hands went up. “Today we are going to help you build that road map.” And with that, the workshop began. Continue reading
By Rob Schreiber, MD, Medical Director, Massachusetts Healthy Living Center of Excellence
I often find myself doing things that only five years ago were being done by others. Self-checkout at the grocery store, online banking, arranging travel, self-education, and buying products over the Internet are just some of the examples that illustrate the basic fact that I must take charge. Continue reading
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 hearing about it; or if you are like us you live and love it!) but it is important to note how much this way of thinking is driving public health priority selection and resource allocation. Continue reading
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 easily, live independently and increase their chance of early death. Continue reading
Falls are the leading cause of injuries among older adults, but there are many ways that older adults can prevent falls, including:
By Ann L. Hartstein, Secretary, Executive Office of Elder Affairs
September is Healthy Aging month, and healthy living is the path to healthy aging. Five years ago the Patrick Administration launched its Aging Agenda, just ahead of the Baby Boomer Age In, which began in 2011 as the first of the boomers celebrated their 65th birthdays. Acknowledging that aging begins at birth, and that all of us who are alive are aging, the Aging Agenda is based on nine principles for a healthy lifestyle. Continue reading