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In this Issue
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The Board of Directors of Elder Services was pleased to announce that Joan Hatem-Roy would be the agency's new Chief Executive Officer as of July 1st. The Board President, Roseann Robillard, said "We are very excited about Joan's appointment to this new leadership position. Her 35 years of clinical expertise and program development skills have helped Elder Services build a 42-year stellar reputation as the Northeast's regional leader in elder care."
In 1983, Joan became the first Protective Services worker in Massachusetts; she soon assembled a comprehensive Crisis Intervention Team of staff with expertise in protective services, mental health counseling, money management and specialized skills related to suicide prevention and hoarding. Joan was promoted to Director of Home Care in 1985 and led a major organizational change process to promote interdisciplinary casework between nurses and social workers. This shift positioned the agency for new opportunities to work with health care systems, community services and elder housing. Joan also is credited with establishing the agency's Social Work licensure program; to date, more than 600 staff have been supported to obtain and maintain their Social Work license.
Since 2010, Joan served as the Assistant Executive Director with a focus on health care programs. She helped develop the nationally-recognized Healthy Living Center of Excellence, providing a range of evidenced-based programs that empower thousands of Massachusetts seniors to manage chronic health conditions.
Joan also helped pioneer new transitional care programming to help local hospitals reduce or avoid readmission of high risk seniors. These efforts helped federal and private funding sources see the value of our expertise in addressing "social determinants of health" with appropriate resources and care coordination. Joan's expertise and business acumen is sought by organizations across the country seeking to develop health care delivery systems that improve the overall health of all older adults.
As she assumes her new leadership role, Joan states "I am both honored and humbled to have been chosen to continue the legacy of an organization built on vision, leadership and service to older adults and look forward to working with the staff, the leadership team and community professionals to continue meeting today's unique challenges of aging."
Joan lives in Haverhill with her husband and two children.
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The Merrimack Valley soon will lose an influential ally with a big heart for senior citizens and aging issues, as Haverhill's Brian Dempsey recently announced that he is resigning from the state legislature to join the private sector.
Representative Dempsey, 50, has served in the House of Representatives for 26 years, the last six as chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. He will join the Boston lobbying firm, ML Strategies, in September.
"We want to wish Brian the best of luck and we're confident he will bring the knowledge he has gained advocating for elders to his new position," said Elder Services Chief Executive Officer Joan Hatem-Roy. "We thank him for always taking our calls and putting his muscle behind legislation which really has made a difference in the lives of senior citizens across the Merrimack Valley."
Representative Dempsey was first elected to the state legislature in 1990 after a three-year stint on the Haverhill City Council, a position he won right out of college. Early in his career, he was credited with helping to keep a hospital open and functioning in Haverhill. He later helped to resolve the subsequent deficit when the city sold the old Hale Hospital to a for-profit company. More than $22 million in state funds flowed to the city to cover that debt.
Al Norman, Executive Director of Mass Home Care, noted that Dempsey was a strong supporter of efforts to increase funding for the home care program, the State's Protective Services program for at-risk elders, and add supplemental funding to end home care wait lists. Representative Dempsey also supported funds to raise the income eligibility level for home care applicants.
In 2013, Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley presented its Vision, Leadership, and Service Award to Dempsey in recognition of his service on behalf of elders, adults with disabilities, families and caregivers. We are grateful for his many contributions to the Merrimack Valley!
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Plum Island has attracted artsy crowds for decades; poets, musicians, painters and writers, all looking to be inspired by the island's beauty and tranquility. So, when two musically motivated residents were looking to bring a sense of unity and fellowship to this Merrimack Valley coastal community, a porch-style music festival seemed like the perfect venue.
Cynthia Keefe and Kevin Kelly rallied the community for the first PlumFest. Now in its 3rd year, PlumFest has not only added performers, it added a new member to the planning team - Chaz Rudich-Stolar, who has been with PlumFest since the start. Chaz is now the Co-Organizer, Volunteer Coordinator and fundraiser for this annual music festival. And, he also happens to be the Director of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program at Elder Services. Rudich states "I had been on the Island for three years and really missing that sense of community I had back home in Pittsburgh. When I heard about the idea of PlumFest, I knew this was going to be good! It was a way to get island folks to participate in the community and to get out and have fun."
Chaz explains the concept came from the 'porch-fest' concert style. "Homeowners volunteer their front porch as a stage for local musicians and agree to let them use electricity for their instruments and maybe provide some shade." To make it easy for the crowds to see multiple performers, cars are parked at the Newburyport Airport with travel provided by a complementary shuttle to different porch "stages" across the island. The 70+ local volunteer performers, range from high school garage bands to up-and-coming artists like jazz-pop Israeli singer, Florie, who is based in Boston. Parking and admission are free. However, donations are accepted and can be deposited in jars placed at music sites throughout the festival.
Chaz felt a strong connection to the Music & Memory Program because its original focus was on engaging individuals in a long-term care setting. This internationally program uses iPods and personalized playlists to promote active engagement and quality of life for individuals with Alzheimer's or related dementia. He states "The program has expanded and is now available to elders who are still able to live at home." Chaz also noted that the Music & Memory Program's extension to include community-based elders was an added bonus when choosing a beneficiary.
For more information on future plans for PlumFest, visit
www.plumfest.org.
Read more about the Music and Memory Program at Elder Services in a past blog post found here
. For information on caregiving resources, please call The Family Caregiver Support Program at Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley at 800-892-0890.
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New Staff - Welcome!
Chief Financial Officer
Tammy O'Donnell has joined the leadership team at Elder Services as the new Chief Financial Officer. In this role, Tammy will have direct oversight of the fiscal department and help the agency manage both budget needs and new initiatives.
O'Donnell has worked in healthcare finance for underserved populations for over 25 years. She was the Budget Director for the state's $3.2B Medicaid program in the mid '90s.
Most recently, she served as Vice President for Alternative Payment Strategies and CFO at Eliot Community Human Services, contracting with the Executive Office of Health Human Services and private insurance companies to provide a wide range of services, including behavioral health
brain injury services, residential treatment and services for persons with developmental disabilities.
Money Management Program Manager
Following the retirement of Bea Stankard, Elder Services welcomed a new Money Management Program Manager, Matthew Ryan. Matthew earned a BS degree from U Mass Lowell in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Management. Most recently, he was a Branch Supervisor at the Newburyport Bank - Amesbury Branch.
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Elder Care Fund renamed to DiStefano Family Care Fund
Renamed to honor our recently retired Executive Director, Rosanne DiStefano, the DiStefano Family Care Fund remains a financial resource for older adults, aged 60 plus, who need immediate assistance and live in the Merrimack Valley. Funds may be used to purchase "basic necessities" such as prescriptions, food, fuel and shelter when all other means and resources have been exhausted.
If no other payment source is available, the Fund also may be used to cover short-term home care services, home health care, payment of a utility bill or brief respite care for a 24/7 caregiver. Each situation is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Generally, there is no cost to the elder. However, in some instances, the DiStefano Family Care Fund may share the cost with the elder or their family. Every recipient is given an opportunity to pay back their awardto help replenish the DiStefano Family Care Fund - a "pay it forward" philosophy that benefits the next elder or family who calls and needs help.
The DiStefano Family Care Fund is solely supported by fund-raising events and activities, foundations and private contributions. Gifts, in any amount, are always welcome and can be made directly to the DiStefano Family Care Fund. Contributions also may be made to celebrate special people or events or to honor someone's life with a memorial gift.
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Recent Events
Annual Golf Classic
Upcoming Events
Elder Network Meetings
The Elder Network Luncheon Meetings are open to professionals who work with, care for or provide programs or services for older adults. Meetings are held on the first three Wednesdays each month, except July and December. Notices are e-mailed. To be placed on the e-list to attend a meeting please call Linda Dempski at 978-946-1429 or e-mail
[email protected].
Save the Date: Latino Caregiver Event
An event for caregivers to take a break and gain resources in their community.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
9:00 am -12:00 pm
Lawrence Council on Aging
Free Admission * Breakfast and Lunch provided
More information to follow.
Presented by: Merrimack Valley Alzheimer's Partnership
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This newsletter is brought to you by our Education Team:
Anne Proli, Bonnie Sisson, Caroline Cole, Maureen Drouin, Laura Marsan, Hemali Shah
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