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
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Join and Support Dementia Friendly MA Conference: Creating Welcoming Communities
The Dementia Friendly Massachusetts Initiative is hosting a statewide conference titled “Creating Welcoming Communities,” which will showcase models for expanding the Age- and Dementia Friendly movement. Continue reading
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
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
Heartache, Pain, and Hope: Rural Communities, Older People, and the Opioid Crisis: An Introduction for Funders
This 2017 report on the opioid crisis in rural America from Grantmakers in Aging highlights the needs and concerns of older adults, and describes programs, partnerships, policy recommendations, and scientific and medical responses that governments, communities, nonprofits, and philanthropies can support and expand.
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
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
Gov’s Council to Address Aging in MA to Host Listening Sessions in Barnstable, Pittsfield
Governor Charlie Baker’s Council to Address Aging in Massachusetts will hold listening sessions in the Berkshires and on Cape Cod to hear ideas from across the state about how to make the Commonwealth the most livable state for people of all ages.
The Council will advise the Administration on policy to support healthy aging. The public is invited.
The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative will be present at both sessions and encourages any individual or organization with suggestions to join to present verbal comments at either of the following opportunities: Continue reading