COUNCIL ON AGING
The mission of the Council on Aging is to serve and advocate for the health, social and financial needs of Town seniors. To that end the Board of Directors was occupied with a variety of activities including planning for a future permanent senior center. In July Tom Morabito stepped down from his position as chair. The COA is deeply grateful for his years of dedicated service in that capacity and for his successful guidance of the board during a crucial period of planning for a permanent senior center and transition between directors. The Board elected Barbara Miranda as the new chair. Ms. Miranda also represented the COA at the Town’s Cluster Town Force Committee this past summer that investigated a novel process for choosing site options for new Town facilities. Following that study the COA board concluded that the Kendall School
site remains the first choice for a future senior center. In the fall the Board of Selectmen approved the Kendall site as well. A warrant article requesting release of funding for the first stage of planning a future center has been prepared for the next Town Meeting. The board continued its study of best senior center models by continuing to visit other new, successful senior centers. Finding solutions to some housing and transportation problems were also issues the Board continued to focus on. In addition, the board provided on-going assistance in the formation of the Friends of the Belmont Council on Aging, a non-profit organization that supports the mission of the COA. The organization is currently active and a membership drive is forthcoming.
In the Senior Center’s fourth year of operation on Oakley Road, use of services and the number of programs at the Council on Aging continue to expand. Programs initiated in the last two years (see Annual Reports of 2000 and 2001) have become established offerings at the center. This year the COA further developed its services to family caregivers. Through a state grant a community lecture series was offered in the spring to assist family caregivers in various aspects of their job role. The COA also embarked on a novel program to provide family caregivers with relief/respite care. Through a special federal grant Belmont teens were trained to provide supervision and companionship for elders while family caregivers could take a break from care. This was also a way for teens to obtain flexible part-time summer
employment. This past November the COA was invited to present the results of the program in the form of a poster exhibit at the” Innovations in Massachusetts” section of the national Gerontological Society of America convention. The COA hopes to receive future funding to refine and re-offer the program in 2003 while teaching other communities interested in replicating the program. In addition, the director collaborated with the geriatric team of McLean Hospital in writing a chapter for a scholarly book on depression and the elderly designed to help caregivers with depression. The senior center also now has available a “caregiver’s corner” where written materials helpful to family caregivers are available.
Community health education efforts this year focused on lectures on arthritis, nutrition and mental health. Thanks to a local public health grant the COA collaborated with the Town Youth Services Department to offer a lecture series on grandparent education about child safety. Other new intergenerational programming included a Local Cultural Council funded sing-a-long in January and a two-part watercolor painting seminar. For the third year in a row the LCC awarded funding to the COA. The grant will fund a special arts project bringing together middle school students and seniors. New nature appreciation projects between seniors and children took place thanks to the efforts of Phyl Solomon from Habitat.
New programming at the COA is intended to reach out to different parts of the senior community. In the fall work was underway to establish English as a Second Language classes for those linguistic minorities who are in need of that particular service and who currently do not access COA services and activities. New types of computer classes offered over the year have also drawn in otherwise very busy younger seniors who are interested in learning new skills or teaching already acquired skills.
Another major focus in the operations of the senior center has been to implement a better system of generating accurate statistics. However, underreporting of non-confidential contacts at the senior center remains an issue since the COA must rely almost exclusively on sporadic volunteer assistance to input the data.
The total number of senior center and COA service users was: 1755, or 35% of the senior population.
Transportation clients: 276.
Meals on Wheels: 102.
Social Services: 205.
Average number of seniors and family members using the senior center per day: 60.
This past year there have been a number of positive additions to our volunteer program. The COA relies heavily on its ever-expanding volunteer corps and would not be able to provide a vast array of services without them. The COA was fortunate this past year to receive three senior interns of the U-Mass Gerontology program who are from Belmont. They provided quality companionship to homebound and at risk elders as well as assistance in program development at the senior center. A priority of this past year was to find additional ways to show appreciation for all the hard work of the volunteers. A series of “Recognition Teas” to host different volunteer groups is underway. More resources were devoted to the annual volunteer recognition luncheon, which was held this year at the Museum of our National Heritage in
Lexington.
Capital improvements over the past year included the acquisition and arrival of the new BelderBus. A new PC is storing our database as well as a variety of digital photos tracking people and activities of the center over time. Through a special state grant the senior center now possesses assistive listening devices that improve the listening capacity of people who are hard of hearing in group discussion and lecture situations.
The growth of programs and services took place despite Town budget cuts for Fiscal Year ‘03. In part the reductions are due to the increase in rent by $1500 a month starting in May of ‘03. Budget cuts were made in the vehicle repair and staff professional development accounts. To offset the impact of some of these cuts the COA regrettably needed to ask for suggested donations for some previously free services and events. The volunteer hostess group also came to the aid of the COA by raising funds through a bake sale and breakfast and by supervising the process of collecting suggested donations at senior center events. They are working on a cookbook and will work in conjunction with the Friends organization to raise funds. State, federal and private grants supplement the overall COA budget. Regrettably, there were
reductions statewide in the “formula” grants. The unfortunate result was that the COA was required to impose a summer leave for Karen Nichols, the senior center coordinator. Changes in the guidelines for federal “senior aides” meant the elimination of our permanent senior aide position. As a result the end of the calendar year saw the end of the nine-year tenure and devoted services of Madeline Swymer, afternoon receptionist and transportation department dispatcher. Although she will continue to provide us with invaluable volunteer services twice a week her change in status remains a big loss for the COA.
The committed, caring staff of the COA has, fortunately, remained a stable group of employees over many years. Unfortunately, one of the drivers, Brad Cunio, has been on extended medical leave. Hopefully, 2003 will see him healthy and returning to his position.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Miranda, Chair
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