The Harvard COA Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers are working hard to keep pace with the increase in the number of seniors in town, which now stands at 1120. As the number of seniors in town increases and our department becomes better known and utilized, the number of seniors using our services has increased as well.
The staff now consists of three part-time employees: a director working 30 hours per week, an outreach coordinator working 15 hours per week, and a program coordinator working 6 hours per week. The program coordinator position, created in the fall of 2008, is made possible by a grant from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs. The services of the Council on Aging continue to be provided by both the paid staff and dedicated volunteers who supplement their work.
The COA manages a caseload of 65-75 clients. These are seniors who have significant issues with health and aging or are living alone with little or no support. The outreach worker conducts home visits on a regular basis and the seniors’ needs are carefully monitored by the director, who is a licensed social worker. Communication with family living near or far is a critical component and constant advocacy is a must. All contact is carefully documented and confidentiality is strictly maintained.
Additional services offered by the COA include:
Information and referral: The staff is well informed about services that might be needed and helpful and disseminates information and gives referrals on a daily basis.
Exercise/Fitness: The COA currently runs 8 aerobic exercise classes a week and a weekly yoga and ballroom dance class. The health benefits of exercise and fitness are well documented and the COA seeks to make it convenient and affordable for seniors to participate in forms of exercise that are tailored to all levels of fitness and physical ability.
Medical Equipment: The COA maintains an equipment-lending room with walkers, canes, commodes, crutches, shower chairs and wheelchairs available for loan, free of charge.
Monthly Newsletter: A monthly newsletter describing services, programs, and helpful hints and tips is mailed to all Harvard residents over the age of 60 and is also available on the town website.
Senior Tax Work-Off: The program managed by the COA allows seniors to work for various town departments and earn up to $750 off of their property taxes.
Hildreth Café and Brown Bag lunch: The COA sponsors a weekly lunch on Tuesdays, where all interested seniors can enjoy a hot meal for a donation of $2. On Thursdays, a brown-bag lunch is offered as an additional opportunity to get together and socialize.
Card Games: There are card game opportunities each week at the Hildreth House, which provide a place to meet together and socialize and offer mental stimulation.
Computer Center: A well-equipped computer center is available for senior use on topics such as internet exploration, digital photography, e-mail, and personal finance. Classes taught by volunteers are offered periodically and in-home assistance can also be arranged.
Podiatry clinics: The COA brings in a podiatrist every other month to see seniors at the Hildreth House for routine foot care. The charge is $25 (directly payable to the doctor), which is significantly cheaper than one would pay in a physician’s office, as this service is rarely covered by insurance.
Transportation: The COA administers the use of a van for transportation to medical appointments, shopping, banking, scheduled events, etc. A small fee is charged according to the distance travelled.
Speakers, Workshops, Classes: The COA offers a variety of lectures and educational programs throughout the year. (Examples include: Medicare, Downsizing, Elder Law, physicians speaking on various diseases and illness, Tax Preparation, etc)
Trips: The COA sponsors approximately 25 day-trips per year to a wide variety of concerts, museums, historical sites, restaurants, sport venues, theatre productions, etc.
Intergenerational Programming: Several programs are offered each year that bring younger and older generations together to share. Examples include: Boy Scout men’s breakfast, Bromfield Student Council luncheon, Girl Scout holiday tea.
Fuel Assistance: The COA is responsible for reviewing applications to the town fuel-assistance program and making recommendations for funding assistance to the Town Administrator.
Wellness Clinic: The COA hosts the Nashoba Nursing Service personnel monthly to provide blood pressure screenings, nutritional counseling, and seasonal flu and pneumonia vaccinations.
Highlights of 2008
Staff and volunteers continue their work to maintain the Hildreth House. A Community Preservation grant this year allowed for the completion of the exterior painting of all trim, window frames, and doors.
The Friends of the COA held a highly successful fundraiser Fashion Show in the fall and the proceeds were split between the Friends and the Elderly and Disabled Tax Fund. The Friends are using their funds to pay for the monthly newsletter.
The end of 2008 brought a horrific ice storm that rendered most residents of Harvard without electricity for a week or more. The staff worked throughout the crisis to ensure that vulnerable seniors were aware of the emergency shelter, and they coordinated with the police and ambulance departments to conduct welfare checks on individuals that they were not able to reach by phone.
The Board of Directors thanks retiring members Trudy Lambie and Ed Searight for serving admirably on the Board and continuing to volunteer on a regular basis.
Respectfully Submitted,
Board of Directors: Carlene Phillips, Chair Sharon Briggs Jan Goodell
Jeff Harris Barbara Kemp Connie Larrabee
Bill Mohn Fran Nickerson Colleen Nigzus
COA Staff: Ginger Quarles, Director Maria Holland, Outreach Coordinator
Bill Herbert, Program Coordinator
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