The BayPath Bulletin
All the News You Need ASAP
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BayPath Elder Services, Inc.'s mission is to be a trusted partner in providing an array of services and programs to older adults, caregivers, and persons with disabilities to support their independence and dignity.
BayPath offers home care and related services enabling people to live independently and comfortably in their homes while promoting their well-being and dignity.
Founded in 1977 as a nonprofit corporation, BayPath has nearly 40 years experience serving and advocating for the needs of older adults as a designated Massachusetts Aging Services Access Point and
a designated Area Agency on Aging.
Visit BayPath's website
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BayPath Elder Services, Inc. serves the following communities:
Ashland
Dover
Framingham
Holliston
Hopkinton
Hudson
Marlborough
Natick
Northborough
Sherborn
Southborough
Sudbury
Wayland
Westborough
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BayPath continues to expand to meet the needs of clients and programs, with a growing staff now topping 120 employees.
Among the newest arrivals is Cynthia Cormier, who has come aboard as the Act on Alzheimer's Community Coordinator as part of BayPath's new program to develop dementia-friendly communities in Marlborough, Hudson and Northborough.
Also among the latest additions are Case Manager/Home Care Specialist Elaine Cibelli, Coleman Coach Nicole Desimone, Registered Nurse Diane Quigley, Home Care/SCO Program Assistant Lauren Clarke, Intake Referral Specialist Andrea Fallavollita and SCO Supervisor Una Murphy.
Congratulations and welcome aboard to you all.
And an additional special congratulations to Angelina Portuense, who was promoted to SCO Supervisor.
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Mission Springs Resident Services Coordinator Julia Schneiderman reports that
December brought many community holiday events to the Mission Springs residents in Holliston.
The Inspire Dance Academy of Medway performed a lively dance show. Children from the Miller school dropped off gift bags for all the residents. And 60 children from the Miller school choir presented an exuberant holiday concert.
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BayPath has launched a new employee initiative to improve morale and foster camaraderie among the staff in and out of the office.
The Fun Committee was formed last month and quickly set up several events. The first of what will be monthly lunchtime gatherings to celebrate that month's staff birthdays was held on Dec. 1. Future parties will be held on the first workday of each month, and all staff are invited to attend.
The Fun Committee also began a monthly after-work gathering at Tavern on the Green in Northborough on Dec. 3. About a dozen staff members attended and enjoyed an evening of dinner, drinks and conversation.
The Fun Committee consists of
Jane Rourk,
Liz Tretiak,
Linda Ford,
Amy DeMichele,
Megan Murphy,
Douglas Flynn,
Nancy Dumart,
Cindy Getchell,
Dana Leavitt and
Sarah Creelman.
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Caregiving MetroWest offers help for holidays and much more
December has been another busy month for the
website and BayPath Family Caregiver Support Program.
Caregiving Chronicles blog
discusses the many issues family caregivers can face during the holiday season in a conversation with Century Health Services CEO Judith Boyko, MBA, MS, RN. ...
Caregiving MetroWest was proud to be a part of EMC's "A Celebration of Caring" event at EMC's office in Franklin on Thursday, Dec. 3.
Caregiving MetroWest Program Manager Douglas Flynn was on hand for the entire day, while Karen Carr, who has taken over as BayPath's Caregiver Specialist while Alicia Rego is on maternity leave, joined the festivities in the afternoon. ...
Speaking of Rego, before she took her leave, she left plenty of valuable new content for The Wellness Wall, including some winter weather tips.
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Making the Season a Little Brighter
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Marlborough Supportive Housing Coordinator Jane Rourk (left) delivers a gift to Margaret Hogan, one of a record 197 gifts given by BayPath's Light Up the Holidays program this year.
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Light Up the Holidays program distributes record number of gifts to BayPath consumers this season
BayPath's Light Up the Holidays (LUTH) program brought holiday joy to a record number of consumers this year, delivering gifts to 197 in all, ranging in age from 46 to 100.
BayPath offers a special thanks to long-time LUTH partners TJX and Lifeline for fulfilling 120 wish requests. Also thanks to BayPath board members and staff who provided gifts for an additional 77 consumers.
And much appreciation to BayPath staff members who took time to deliver all these gifts to consumers' homes, as well as all of the members of the Light Up the Holidays committee:
Gwen Blumberg,
Bryan Casasanto,
Courtney Cassels,
Shela Charlot,
Kate Cosseboom,
Linda Ford,
Barbara Fawcett,
Paula Geller,
Carolyn Hochard,
Sylvia Jahns,
Heather Lacasse,
Denise Menzdorf,
Megan Murphy,
Jane Rourk,
Alisa Troncoso and
Kayla Weber.
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| Just some of the 197 gifts donated for the Light Up the Holidays program waiting to be delivered to BayPath clients. |
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Celebrating Success and Building Upon It
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Healthy Living caps a banner 2015
The Healthy Living program offered a total of 31 workshops in 2015, with 394 people attending at least one session, and 320 completing the programs.
BayPath has a unique position as MetroWest Regional CDSME Coordinator Silvia Dominguez-Bodie is one of the seven regional coordinators in the state of Massachusetts to promote CDMSE (Chronic Disease Self-Management Education). BayPath works with three other ASAPs - Springwell, Minuteman and HESSCO - to promote and coordinate programs. During 2015, we partnered with HESSCO and offered workshops in Foxboro, Sharon and Walpole under BayPath's leadership. Many partnerships were introduced with our regional partners such as The Healing Garden in Harvard, Needham YMCA, Facing Cancer Together in Newtonville, Brigham and Women's Hospital in Foxboro, Clinton UMass Hospital, Foxboro YMCA and multiple living assisted living facilities.
The success of the programs was due in great part to the many volunteers who take the time to give back to their communities. We had 16 volunteers that were very busy during 2015. Our own Allison Park from the Nutrition department co-lead a workshop during the worst winter we have had so far.
Dominguez-Bodie also wanted to take the time to acknowledge one volunteer in particular who was very busy with us in 2015, Pegg Mancuso-Rowe, who has been a volunteer for BayPath for about four years, co-lead a total of 14 workshops during the year and is always willing to lead workshops where she is needed. She never wants to be recognized and loves leading the workshops to make a difference in someone's life. We are fortunate to have so many volunteers that believe in what we do.
We are looking forward to another great year promoting Healthy Living in 2016!
Grant awarded to continue and expand programs
The Healthy Living Department's Empowering Older Adults with Chronic Conditions program was awarded a grant of over $24,000 from the MetroWest Health Foundation. The funding will enable the program to coordinate 12 evidence-based healthy living programs in 12 communities in 2016.
There are plans for at least one workshop in the majority of the communities in BayPath's coverage area, along with several in HESSCO towns. BayPath will also be offering several of the workshops in Spanish.
Have news from your department or a staff member worthy of some recognition? Let us know about it for next month's BayPath Bulletin.
Send us your updates
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Some Well-Deserved Recognition
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| Don Curtis (above right) receives his Certificate of Recognition from Money Management Program Supervisor Paula Geller, while Dick Repose (bottom right) was also among the honorees. |
Money Management volunteers honored at annual luncheon
BayPath's Money Management Program held its Appreciation Luncheon on Dec. 8 at the Edwards House in Framingham.
Among the volunteers honored was
Don Curtis, who received a Certificate of Recognition. Curtis has volunteered with the Money Management Program for 23 years, joining the program in the first year that it was offered by BayPath.
Dick Repose, who has volunteered in the Money Management Program for six years, was also among the volunteers who received a Certificate of Recognition for his work.
Approximately 50 percent of Money Management Program volunteers have participated in the program for five years or longer. Currently, there 64 individual volunteer in the program, with three new volunteers scheduled for training in January. Together, they devote more than 150 hours per month to assist elders with their routine financial activities. On average, volunteers meet with clients twice a month to help pay bills, maintain a budget, balance the check register, advocate with service providers and much more.
-- Submitted by BayPath Money Management Program Supervisor Paula Geller. Photos by BayPath Director of Client Services Mary Lou Sheehan.
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'Little Necessities' Make a Big Difference
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Mass Home Care manages trust to aid elder women
As the 2015 holiday season approaches,
Mass Home Care disclosed that it has been managing for 16 years the selection of recipients from a private trust fund that pays for "little necessities" for women over the age of 60 across Massachusetts.
Mass Home Care uses 26 local non-profit agencies, including BayPath, to carry out the program on behalf of elderly clients who receive home care assistance to remain living independently at home. Between 2001 and 2015, the Little Necessities program has awarded $2.34 million dollars to 8,435 older women.
A Trust for older women was created in 1912 to assist "needy and deserving gentlewomen, in reduced circumstances, that their lives may be made more comfortable." In 1999, the Trust asked Mass Home Care to manage the selection of gift recipients, and the Little Necessities Program was created. The Trust has asked to remain anonymous.
Little Necessities awards help older women maintain their independence, living comfortably and safely in their own homes. Typical grants are in the $250 range, but run as high as $900. Awards covered a broad spectrum of goods and services, including such standard items as lift chairs, mattresses and bedding, bed frames, rollators, vacuum cleaners, microwave ovens and air conditioners, along with items like furnace repair, portable oxygen, dentures, hearing aids, and groceries - the basics of daily living. The fund has prevented evictions, replaced broken railings and steps, and helped people get to medical appointments.
"We can pay for many of the things that low-income seniors can't afford-and most grants won't cover," explained
Al Norman of Mass Home Care, who created and oversees the program.
Mass Home Care said it is hoping this philanthropy will inspire others to offer support for low-income seniors.
Any member of the public who wants to help Mass Home Care expand the Little Necessities program can contact the group at:
[email protected], or by calling 978-502-3794.
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BayPath held its annual employee holiday party on Dec. 17. With the boardroom decorated with a Candyland theme to create an enchanted environment, much fun was had, even more food was consumed and gifts were exchanged - and exchanged again and again - in the Yankee Swap.
Special thanks to holiday committee members Courtney Cassels, Megan Murphy, Cindy Getchel, Linda Ford, Douglas Flynn, Sarah Creelman, Jane Rourk, Debra Shaw and Liz Tretiak for all their work. Tretiak in particular earns extra praise for creating so many of the wonderful decorations.
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Thank you for taking the time to look through our newsletter, and please check out our website,
www.baypath.org. Have news, information or feedback from a client that you want to see in our next newsletter?
Let us know
BayPath Elder Services, Inc. is a member of the MetroWest ADRC,
a partnership with HESSCO and the MetroWest Center for Independent Living.
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Copyright © 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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