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Helping elders, caregivers and persons with disabilities live better lives since 1974

Volume 6, Issue 2                                                                          July 2014


July 22 marks FCHCC's 40th anniversary of bringing vital programs and services to the elders, persons with disabilities, and caregivers who are such an important part of our community. 
 
We hope you enjoy learning more about our history below. Stay tuned for our special announcement of a celebratory event this fall!
Introducing a new class of volunteers who really SHINE!
Congratulations to our newest class of certified SHINE Counselors! These folks graduated the SHINE (Serving the Health Information Needs of Everyone) Program's eleven-week-long spring training session on June 5.

Please join us in wishing them the best of luck as they go out into their communities to provide free, unbiased health insurance information, education, and assistance services to Medicare beneficiaries and adults with disabilities.
Recent graduates from the SHINE Program's spring 2014 training include, in the back row, from left to right, Jesse Pulitzer-Kennedy, Ed Preissler, Wayne Glaser, and, in the front row, from left to right, Ronnie Williams, Rachael Risser-Sperry, and Holly Handfield.



  

SHINE Counselors can consult with you over the phone or in person at your area senior center, in your home, or at another location that is convenient for you. To learn more about SHINE or to reach a trained and certified SHINE Counselor serving your area, please call 800-732-4636, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Read more at www.fchcc.org/community/shine.htm

Could you make a difference as a Meals on Wheels driver?
Thanks to their daily dedication, volunteer Meals on Wheels drivers impact our community in so many ways. Home-bound elders look forward to visiting with the friendly drivers delivering their lunch; caregivers, family members, and other loved ones are at ease knowing that their loved one will be provided for while they are away; and our towns are strengthened by this simple act of kindness and generosity.


If you think that volunteering with Meals on Wheels could be the meaningful work that you've been looking for, now is the time to act. Volunteer drivers are currently needed in towns across Franklin County. In exchange for their time, drivers receive a stipend and mileage reimbursement. If you have transportation and a couple of hours to deliver noontime meals, give us a call at 413-773-5555 or 978-544-2259. You can make a difference.

  

Read more about the impact of the Meals on Wheels program at www.fchcc.org/homesupport/mealsonwheels.htm.

Announcing our new website made with YOU in mind!
FCHCC will unveil a newly redesigned website on the anniversary of our incorporation. Still located at www.fchcc.org, the new site will feature a more modern design that combines easy-to-use navigation with the same great resource information you're used to receiving from FCHCC.

"This new website is designed with consumers in mind," says Jessica Albrecht, Media & Communications Manager at FCHCC. "We've organized the information in a new way that is simpler to navigate and allows the visitor to find information that pertains to them and answers their questions much faster."
Media & Communications Manager, Jessica Albrecht, compares the new website design (left) with the old (right).


Brand new to the website will be a blog that features content - like The Good Life - relevant to elders, persons with disabilities, caregivers, and the professionals, legislators, volunteers, and others who support them.

We hope you'll come visit us - virtually - on July 22! To let us know what you think of the new website, feel free to send us an email at info@fchcc.org or call 413-773-5555 or 978-544-2259. This website has been designed with you in mind, and your feedback is always appreciated.

A look back at 40 years of service...History
Upon incorporation on July 22, 1974, FCHCC began providing home care, applying for grants and contracts and receiving funds from public or private sources, as well as administering programs designed to support and maintain older persons in the community with homemaking, social services, legal services, nursing services, hot meals, nutrition, medical services or any service that prolongs the life and well being of older persons.

On October 1, 1975, FCHCC was the first Home Care Corporation to be designated as an Area Agency on Aging. Throughout the 1980s, the agency continued the start of the home care program with area planning, administering the meals program and working with local Councils on Aging. During that decade, the Adult Family Care program was added, along with Protective Services and Nursing Home Ombudsman (now known as the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program).

The 1990s were a time of continued growth, adding nursing assessment and evaluation for various services, housing supports at residences, and the expansion of services for persons with disabilities through personal care assistance. New programs added a variety of long-term supports in the community and strengthened the agency's capacity to serve persons who would otherwise be in nursing facilities.

The new millennium emphasized assistance to caregivers, grandparents raising their grandchildren, and persons with dementia. All three of these groups are expanding while the demographic of older persons, especially those over 85, are the fastest growing part of the US population. The current mandate of the Affordable Care Act, with its "triple aim" of improving the experience of care for individuals, improving the health of populations, and lowering per capita costs, includes times of care transitions and linkages of clinical healthcare providers with community partners.

 

The original intent and evolution of FCHCC over four decades has us ready to meet the current challenges and place the consumer at the center of opportunities for healthy living.

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Looking back over forty years reminds us how far we've come since we began serving older adults in 1974. While our programs and services have been expanding, our supporters have been there to see us through each new change and opportunity to create a greater impact. 
 
Our thanks goes to all who volunteer their time and expertise or who make a financial contribution towards forwarding our mission of supporting the independent living of elders and persons with disabilities and their caregivers. Learn more about how you can get involved or make a gift.
 
If you're in need of assistance, reach out to us. We're here to help. Contact the Information & Caregiver Resource Center for timely, relevant answers to your questions. Call 413-773-5555 or 978-544-2259 during normal business hours or email info@fchcc.org anytime.

You can read more about our programs at www.fchcc.org

  

Sincerely,

  


Roseann Martoccia
Franklin County Home Care Corporation


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