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
|
BayPath Elder Services, Inc. serves the following communities:
Ashland Dover Framingham Holliston Hopkinton Hudson Marlborough Natick Northborough Sherborn Southborough Sudbury Wayland Westborough
|
BayPath's Silvia Bodie, the MetroWest Regional CDSME Coordinator, was a workshop presenter at the Fifth Annual Massachusetts Sharpening Your Skills Conference at the Hampton Inn Executive Conference Center in Natick in June.
Bodie presented along Kate Lorig, Dr.P.H. of the Stanford University School of Medicine. Lorig, the developer of the Chonic Disease Self-Management Program that more than 3,000 adults in Massachusetts participate in annually, and Bodie discussed issues of recruitment, reaching diverse populations and other innovative projects.
Silvia Bodie (left) and Kate Lorig. |
|
We will be celebrating the 18th anniversary of Mission Springs on August 4! Mission Springs has been open since the summer of 1997 as an affordable living option for folks aged 62 and older. The original building was created in 1960, used to house seminary students, and in later years used by a junior college and an international school.
Mission Springs is co-sponsored by BayPath, which provides an onsite service coordinator, and by The Community Builders, which provides onsite building management. We always hold our big anniversary party in the summer, and it is always well attended by the residents who dress up and have a great time. Members of the Mission Springs Board are invited to attend as well. This year there will be a catered buffet from The Little White Market, and entertainment to follow from Tommy Rull.
|
It's been a busy stretch for the BayPath Caregiver Program, which has ramped up its outreach efforts with a team approach.
BayPath Caregiver Specialist Alicia Rego and Caregiving MetroWest Program Manager Douglas Flynn were both on hand in Hopkinton on July 14 at EMC's "Take Care of Yourself Day: A Resource Fair for Caregiving Services." It was an excellent opportunity to tap into the large and growing ranks of working caregivers.
Rego also helped spread the word about Caregiving MetroWest, the Family Caregiver Support Program and BayPath's other programs in a pair of local television appearances with Arthur Bergeron on July 17, while Flynn represented the caregiver program at the FCSP Statewide Meeting at the Hopkinton Senior Center on June 25.
|
|
|
|
Supportive Housing Hosting Summer Events
|
Renovated courtyard center of activity at 240 Main
To take advantage of the wonderful weather, our BayPath Supportive Housing program will be holding a number of events in the beautiful and newly renovated courtyard at 240 Main Street in Marlborough throughout the summer. The courtyard is beautifully landscaped, with multiple flowerbeds, including rose bushes purchased by tenants and dedicated to departed loved ones. The flowers are blooming and the space is breathtaking, with plenty of seating in both the sun and the shade. Is a great place to sit and chat with friends, relax, and also to hold larger events.
On July 17, an ice cream social, hosted by Tufts Health Plan, Senior Care Options program, and organized by the Supportive Housing program, was held in the courtyard. Approximately 30 tenants stopped by and enjoyed chatting with each other and meeting with Tufts representative, Mar Gusman.
On August 13, the BayPath Nutrition Department will be hosting a BBQ luncheon, featuring grilled chicken and other tasty fare for the tenants of senior housing. BayPath staff members are welcome to come by, have lunch, and help out with the event.
On August 20 from 4-6 p.m., Bouvier Pharmacy is sponsoring what promises to be a fun and fabulous event. Cheryl Burrgess, Respiratory Therapist with Bouvier, and Jane Rourk, BayPath Supportive Housing Coordinator, are planning the event - known as the Bouvier BayPath Bash. There will be BBQ hot dogs and hamburgers and a musical duo composed of a saxophonist and keyboard player for entertainment. Staff members from BayPath, Marlborough Housing, and our vendor Partner's HealthCare at Home are all welcome to stop by and enjoy the festivities.
|
Tenants enjoy some ice cream and friendly conversation at an ice cream social at 240 Main Street in Marlborough on July 17.
|
|
Lending a Helping Hand and Some Wise Words
|
Tretiak shares knowledge and experience to help others in new addition to CaregivingMetroWest.org
With the kind of teamwork routinely displayed throughout the organization, having a BayPath staff member chipping in to help out with another department isn't typically a newsworthy event. But one staffer made such a valuable contribution way outside of her normal duties this month that it cannot be ignored.
BayPath Elder Services Home Care Senior Manager Liz Tretiak took the time to contribute a new content section to the Caregiving MetroWest website. Time is especially precious for Tretiak these days, as she has taken on the role of the primary caregiver to both of her parents. But Tretiak's experience as a caregiver has taught her a lot, and she wanted to share that knowledge with other caregivers, particularly other younger caregivers like herself who may not have expected to find themselves in such a role at this stage of their life.
Tretiak's thoughts have been collected in a new section of the site called "
Advice for Young Caregivers." Thanks to Tretiak's insightful prose and willingness to share some of the knowledge she has gained through personal experience, there is a wealth of very valuable information available on the page. It's highly recommended for caregivers of any age, but especially for caregivers in their 20s and 30s who likely never expected to be thrust into this role so early.
Tretiak's effort has paid off, as the Advice for Young Caregivers page has been extremely popular since its launch. Other than the homepage, no page on the site has had more traffic in that two-week span, with 265 visits to the Advice for Young Caregivers page already. Visitors like what they find there too. They are sticking around to read Tretiak's advice, with each session on the page averaging two minutes, nine seconds.
|
BayPath's Real World Impact
|
Chronic Disease program improving quality of life
Our department offered multiple Chronic Disease Self-Management programs at 15 different sites between January and June of this year. We had a total of 126 people completing these programs in those six months, surpassing by far our goal of reaching 75 people completing per year.
One participant in the
Chronic Disease Self-Management Program workshop offered at the Hopkinton Senior Center called to tell us the leaders were wonderful and the program changed her life. She stated that she only made three out of six sessions due to her pain but on those weeks she read the book and continued on with her action plans. She stated that her chronic pain has improved dramatically and she has her life back!
We also added A Matter of Balance (MOB) to the list of programs available and was well received in our communities, we offered three workshops and 38 people completed the program. We are looking forward to continue to promote MOB this fall around National Falls Prevention Awareness Day - September 23, 2015.
- Submitted by Silvia D. Bodie,
BayPath Elder Services, Inc.
MetroWest Regional CDSME Coordinator
Have a story to share about a client who has benefited from BayPath's services? Email
[email protected]
to let us know about it.
|
Congratulations to Options Counselor
Susan Cote, who recently earned her SHINE (Serving Health Information Needs of Everyone) certification. Cote completed a six-week course with the MetroWest SHINE Program, attending classes twice a week and passing a certification exam.
"It was tough," Cote said. "But we had good teachers. I look forward to incorporating what I learned from it in my options counseling."
Cote noted that the new knowledge and skills she's learned won't change what she does at BayPath, but will enhance her ability to help the consumers she works with.
SHINE is a program that provides free, confidential and unbiased health insurance information, assistance and counseling to
Medicare beneficiaries of all ages and their
caregivers through a network of health benefits counselors. SHINE is funded by the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services and the Massachusetts
Councils on Aging.
|
Nutrition Department Earns State Grant
|
Program helps increase access to fresh produce
The Nutrition Department has been allocated over $14,000 to facilitate the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) this summer through a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.
The SFMNP consists of the Farmers' Market Coupon Program as well as the Homebound Produce Program and covers the 14 communities in BayPath's catchment area.
The Farmers' Market Coupon Program allows us to distribute 425 coupon booklets worth $25 each to eligible participants so they can purchase fresh, local produce at farmers' markets during the summer months. Coupon booklets are available at senior centers, housing authorities, and other community based organizations.
The Homebound Produce Program allows us to distribute, through the Meals on Wheels program, fresh produce to homebound seniors that are unable to attend a farmers' market. They will receive 2-3 deliveries to their door over the summer worth $25.
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
|
|
Caregiver Specialist Alicia Rego at EMC caregiver event
|
|
|
|