Mac users: Increase text size by holding command and +. Decrease text size by holding command and -.According to a new study of adults age 50 and older from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and funded by The SCAN Foundation, many adults age 50 and older remain worried about infection and are more likely to practice
social distancing and to feel socially isolated. Continue reading
Archives
‘Joy Walks’ Walking Clubs for Older Adults Launched in all Boston Neighborhoods
Older adults are invited to join neighborhood Joy Walks walking clubs and participate in the Joy Walks Challenge taking place September through October. Continue reading
Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Available to Older Adults
As of July 4th, over 34,000 Massachusetts households have enrolled in the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative encourages communities working to become age-and dementia friendly to raise awareness about this program to help connect older adults to internet access.
The EBB provides eligible households with a temporary, monthly discount of up to $50 towards their broadband service. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. Continue reading
Report from RWJF and Healthy Places by Design Recommends Community-Based Solutions to Improve Social Connectedness
To amplify learning around social isolation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Global Ideas for U.S. Solutions team invested in six projects that reached diverse places and people as well as a learning network coordinated by Healthy Places by Design.
This Learning Network and their report, Socially Connected Communities: Solutions to Social Isolation, brings a much needed perspective to the national conversation, and provides philanthropy and local leaders ideas for actions which could dramatically improve social well-being. Continue reading
State Funding Awards for Housing, Transportation and Community Services Include Strong Support for Older Adults
In the past week, the state has announced the latest grant awards for MassDOT’s Shared Winter Streets and Spaces program, Affordable Housing Development, and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) – all of which include multiple projects that support older adults.
All of the following award announcements are great examples for age- and dementia friendly communities looking to address housing, transportation and community services.
Age-Friendly Winter Spaces Guide Aims to Help Communities Embrace Winter, Promote Physical Activity and Social Engagement
Through grant funding, collaboration, and technical support, communities across Massachusetts have an opportunity to support residents of all ages in remaining physically active and socially engaged this winter.
The pandemic has heightened the awareness and importance of social engagement, which cities and towns can promote with a new guide developed by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, WalkBoston and the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative. Continue reading
LGBT Aging 2025: Strategies for Achieving a Healthy and Thriving LGBT Older Adult Community in Massachusetts
A new report from The Fenway Institute finds that older LGBTQ adults in the Commonwealth report being diagnosed with depression at twice the rate of their straight, cisgender peers, and are twice as likely to fall and be injured in a fall over the past year.
It also finds that while older LGBTQ adults are more likely to hold a college degree, they are more likely to report having had difficulty paying for housing or food over the past year. LGBTQ older adults living in rural areas of the state expressed concern about the lack of options for LGBTQ-affirming health care, as well as their on-going experiences with strong anti-LGBTQ prejudice and harassment in public settings and senior housing. Continue reading
MHAC Webinar Recording: Understanding Technology as a Social Determinant of Health
As part of several workgroups and initiatives to address the digital divide among older adults – an issue that has been heightened during the pandemic – the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative recently co-hosted a webinar with the Executive Office of Elder Affairs on “Understanding Technology as a Social Determinant of Health.”
The webinar featured research from a team of professors and students at Babson College that focused on equitable technology access and utilization for older adults. Continue reading
Age-Friendly Funding Alert: Community Compact IT Grant, Mass Cultural Council, AmericaWalks
The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative promotes funding opportunities as they become available that support communities and stakeholders in creating more inclusive age- and dementia friendly communities. Below are the latest round of these opportunities: Continue reading
Tufts Health Plan Foundation, Boston Age Strong Commission Receive Golden Shoe Award from WalkBoston
WalkBoston virtually presented their annual ‘Golden Shoe’ awards to those that advanced their mission of creating safe and walkable environments for all and, this year, those honorees included the Tufts Health Plan Foundation and Boston’s Age Strong Commission. Continue reading