Monday, February 27, 2017
Senior Care Day on the Hill
Today we welcomed elder service organizations from my district in their visit to my State House office. SeniorCare Inc. of Gloucester, which delivers service to nine North Shore communities and Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley which serves 23 communities in the Merrimack Valley were visiting the State House as part of a lobby day to provide information about the needs of seniors for home care, nutrition programs, protective services, and housing. My conversations with them reinforced how valuable their work is.
These non-profit agencies work directly with thousands of elders and disabled adults to help them remain living in the community with dignity. Care managers and other professionals support elders and their families by providing assistance for health and wellness. Both organizations do so much to help secure independence and safety for elders every day.
Mike Festa, State Director of AARP MA, and a former colleague in the House of Representatives, was the host of a gathering of 300 elders, caretakers, and family members. Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts and the Mass Senior Action Council co-sponsored the day’s event.
Elder needs are vitally important. In just three years, 22% of our state’s population will be a senior. By 2025 nearly one in four residents will be 60 years of age or older. Clearly, we need to be paying due attention to their needs. Enabling our seniors to remain independent, vibrant and connected to their communities is good for us all.
If you know an elder or a person with a disability, perhaps a relative, friend, or neighbor, who needs information about nutrition resources, health care services, nursing home information or other areas of interest I recommend that you visit http://www.seniorcareinc.org/ or http://www.esmv.org/.
