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 its staff to meet the needs of clients and programs. the latest arrivals include I&R Specialist Desire Maldonaldo Lefebre, Waiver Specialist Erika Perez, Marlborough Site Manager Felicia Smith, Nutrition Supervisor Michael Annunziata and PCA Skills Trainer Elizabeth Newton.
Congratulations and welcome aboard to you all.
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Mission Springs Resident Services Coordinator Julia Schneiderman reports that
on November 13, the Mission Springs residents were treated to a wonderful breakfast by the Mission Springs Board.
All the board members were in attendance, including Christine Alessandro, Nancy Chandler, John Doherty, Jon Juhl and Kathy Nealon. This is the third year the board has held this event, whipping up delicious homemade items such as waffles, eggs and casseroles, and it is sure to continue as an annual fall tradition. ...
Meanwhile, the BayPath Bulletin would like to extend its congratulations to Schneiderman, who passed her LSW exam this month.
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Caregiving MetroWest Program Manager Douglas Flynn and BayPath Elder Services Adult Foster Care and Personal Care Attendant Program Manager Deborah Arsenault, OTR/L were invited lead a workshop at the Case Management Society of New England's fall conference.
The conference, titled "Powerful Tools: Corralling Our Best Resources for Elders in the Community," took place at North Hill in Needham on Saturday, November 7. The BayPath presentation was themed the "Caregiver's Toolbox," and featured a demonstration of the Caregiving MetroWest website and discussion of the project's history and development by Flynn, while Arsenault delivered an informative and entertaining talk on the AFC and PCA programs and her own experiences as a caregiver.
Our thanks to the Case Management Society of New England, Executive Director Maureen Ferguson and Dana Kern for the opportunity to share information about our programs with their organization.
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 Caregiving MetroWest continues growth during National Family Caregivers Month
It has been a busy few weeks for everyone at
CaregivingMetroWest.org, as November is National Family Caregivers Month.
We continue to bring the site's wealth of information and resources to more and more area family caregivers. And more and more caregivers are finding us. Our recently completed second quarter of the program's second year boasted the site's most traffic yet, with over 4,000 unique users visiting the site in that span.
Caregiving MetroWest was also on hand for the National Family Caregivers Month Recognition Event at the State House in Boston on Monday, November 2.
The theme of the day was "Respite: Care for the Caregivers" and featured speakers included Massachusetts Lifespan Respite Coalition Project Director
Amy Nazaire, Department of Developmental Services Commissioner
Elin M. Howe, Executive Office of Elder Affairs Secretary
Alice Bonner, Department of Veterans' Services Secretary
Francisco Urena and AARP Massachusetts State Director
Mike Festa.
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Well-Deserved Recognition
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BayPath Intensive Case Manager Dana Leavitt nominated for prestigious Cathe Madden Award
 This month, Intensive Case Manager
Dana Leavitt accomplished something no other case manager has ever done at BayPath. Leavitt earned a nomination for the Cathe Madden Award, presented at the 45th Annual Home Care Aide Celebration
put on by the Home Care Aide Council and co-sponsored by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs on
November 17 in Boxborough.
"This award was in memory of a case manager who demonstrated 'extraordinary enthusiasm, innovation, and commitment to her job,'" said BayPath Director of Client Services
Mary Lou Sheehan, who was on hand for the ceremony along with Home Care Senior Manager
Liz Tretiak and Dana's mother. "Although Dana didn't receive the award, she certainly exemplifies all of these qualities in her day to day work. Congratulations Dana!"
Leavitt was nominated by the staff at Medical Resources Home Health, who offered this praise for her work in making their nomination:
"Dana is an incredibly dedicated case manager. She cares deeply about her work, the clients and the staff that provide services. Dana goes above and beyond, taking the extra steps in assuring both the client as well as our aides are being treated respectfully and that the services are being provided appropriately.
Dana truly cares about the clients and the care they receive. She takes pride in her work with the clients and checks in weekly with us to make sure everything is okay for her clients. Dana understands how hard our staff work and how difficult it can be to find the right employee for some clients.
Dana is an asset to the state and all of the clients she assists. We admire her work ethic, dedication, compassion and caring spirit. We are very thankful to be working with Dana."
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Wheels to Meals in Marlborough
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Marlborough Supportive Housing transportation program for community dining sites up and running
On Friday, November 7, our Marlborough Supportive Housing program kicked off a new transportation program that will provide transportation for tenants to our community dining sites, which are shared between the three supportive housing sites. The transportation is provided through Employment Options, a local non-profit organization, and funded through an Area Agency on Aging grant.
Involved in launching the program were Employment Options Transportation and Facilities Manager Mike Murphy and Executive Director Toni Wolfe, as well as BayPath Supportive Housing Coordinator Jane Rourk, Nutrition and Healthy Living Director Denise Menzdorf and AAA Assistant Director and ADRC Coordinator Fran Bakstran.
This was a great team effort and we are very pleased to have Employment Options as one of community partners in providing high quality services to our senior and under 60 clients at Supportive Housing.
-- Submitted by BayPath's Jane Rourk, Marlborough Supportive Housing Coordinator
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Baypath under 60 client Suzette Bernier waves before getting on the bus at Main Street to go to the lunch at Bolton Street.
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Help Us Improve Services in MetroWest
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BayPath seeking new Advisory Council members
BayPath's Area Agency on Aging is looking for new members to join the Advisory Council.
Members of the Advisory Council advocate on behalf of older people and the issues that affect their lives. Meeting six times per year, the Council is a voluntary group of citizens mandated by the Older Americans Act to provide information, guidance, advice and support to the Area Agency on Aging. We rely on Advisory Council members to help us improve services for older adults in the MetroWest area. The Council fulfills this obligation by working through the BayPath Board of Directors, the Area Agency staff, its own committees and community leadership.
If you wish to learn more about the Area Agency on Aging or may be interested in attending a meeting, please contact Fran Bakstran at 508-573-7346 or
[email protected].
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 Participants offer praise for matter of balance workshops
MetroWest Regional CDSME Coordinator Silvia Dominguez-Bodie provided the BayPath Bulletin with an update on the BayPath Healthy Living Department's community programs.
Bodie noted that the month of November marks the end to the 10 "A Matter of Balance" workshops in the community, and she is expecting to have over 100 people complete the program.
Bodie has received great feedback regarding the program and the coaches leading the workshops as well. Here is a sampling of some of those comments:
- "The exercises are so easy to do that I find myself doing them in the waiting line at the grocery store."
- "I am more aware of my surroundings and have made simple changes in my home to reduce the risk of falling. I didn't realize what a big difference it makes to add another lamp in my living room."
- "The physical therapist is a miracle worker. I have never seen my friend stand up straight. What a difference to have his walker adjusted to his height."
- "I didn't know I could buy a step stool with hand rails. This is exactly what I need."
- "The exercises helped more than just my balance because it also help with my sciatica pain."
- "The leader was very enthusiastic, which made learning fun and interesting."
- "I am 92 years old and I am here to prevent a fall because I want to make it to my 100th birthday."
Bodie closed by adding that BayPath will be offering these programs during the winter with some assisted living facilities and will offer them again with the senior centers in the spring.
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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Board members lead outreach efforts
BayPath Board members Steve Zafron and Carol DeRienzo have continued their outreach efforts with visits to senior centers throughout our coverage area.
Zafron has been the driving force behind this effort, with a goal of visiting the senior centers of all 14 of our communities. He moved closer to completing that quest with stops in Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson and Marlborough in October and Northborough on Nov. 19. He's scheduled to be at the Callahan Center in Framingham on Dec. 2.
DeRienzo has joined him at most of his recent stops, where they have provided information about BayPath's various programs and services as well as demonstrating the features, information and resources for caregivers available on Caregiving MetroWest.
Several BayPath staff members have also accompanied Zafron at various stops. Caregiving MetroWest Program Manager Douglas Flynn and Caregiver Specialst Alicia Rego were on hand in Hudson to discuss their programs, while Home Care Senior Manager Liz Tretiak provided some valuable assistance in answering some questions about the Home Care program. Tretiak and Ombudsman Director Mary Brooks also helped out in Northborough in November.
Zafron has no plans for stopping even after completing the tour of senior centers, as he hopes to bring his outreach efforts to other venues and organizations throughout the area.
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| (L-R) Ombudsman Director Mary Brooks, Home Care Senior Manager Liz Tretiak, Board member Steve Zafron and Board member Carol DeRienzo spreading the word about our services at a recent BayPath and Caregiving MetroWest website community outreach at the Northborough Senior Center. |
Hispanic lunch at the Marlborough COA
On a monthly basis, the Nutrition Program and the Marlborough COA partner to provide a Hispanic lunch and informational session at the Marlborough COA.
In October, 25 seniors came out to hear about Chronic Disease Self-Management Education from Silvia Dominguez-Bodie and enjoyed a lunch catered by Assabet Valley Regional Technical School. The next Hispanic lunch will be at 11 am on December 1.
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| BayPath Home Care Supervisor Amy DeMichele (left) and Home Care Senior Manager Liz Tretiak at the career fair at Hudson High. |
BayPath booth a big hit at career fair in Hudson
BayPath was on hand for the Career Pathways Fair on November 20 at Hudson High School for students from Hudson High and Assabet Valley Regional.
Home Care Supervisor Amy DeMichele and Home Care Senior Manager Liz Tretiak represented BayPath, and Tretiak reported that is was a successful day in a number of ways.
"The goal of the fair was to expose junior and senior students to different types of careers and companies," said Tretiak. "We had a big turn out at the BayPath table - students were interested in volunteer opportunities, internships, and human services and health care. We also had a large amount of people and reps from other tables coming to learn about BayPath for their families. We networked and made some new connections for services for our Person-Centered Care ECOP clients."
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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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