Berkshire Senior Online

Elder Services has been supporting and serving the community since 1974. Our staff and volunteers work in partnership with communities, and with health care and social service organizations throughout Berkshire County to serve more than 10,000 seniors, individuals with disabilities, and caregivers a year.

Elder Services has achieved a few milestones this past year that I’d like to share with you. Our Meals on Wheels/Nutrition program - which celebrated its 30th birthday this year — served more than 260,000 meals overall, an increase of more than 10,000 meals from the year before. Our Meals on Wheels drivers delivered over 200,000 of these meals to homebound elders, providing a wellness check at the same time they brought a hot, nutritious meal.

This year, the Berkshire Senior - our monthly newspaper — celebrated its 20th birthday. Berkshire Senior offers a combination of news, information, and advocacy pertinent to elders. Circulation is now 10,800 copies a month, with a mailing list of over 4,000, and it is available at more than 125 locations throughout the county.

Supportive Housing at Providence Court in Pittsfield celebrated its 5th birthday this year. This program provides assisted-living-like services that allow the residents of Providence Court to “age in place” by providing the supportive services they need to remain independent.

In October of 2004, Elder Services celebrated the groundbreaking of a project to convert the Lee Central School in Lee into 37 units of  affordable senior housing with enriched services, and a manager's apartment. This project has proceeded ahead of schedule, and occupancy of the residence, which has been renamed Crossway Village, is expected to begin this month.

This past year much has been said and written about the new Medicare Part D Prescription Drug benefit. Many elders are confused and unsure of how to proceed. The staff and volunteers of the Elder Services SHINE program (Serving Health Information Needs of Elders) have been a reassuring presence throughout the county by providing free, unbiased, and up-to-date health insurance information. As enrollment in the various plans proceeds, SHINE staff and volunteers will continue to support Berkshire elders so that they can make informed choices.

This past year, 478 Elder Services volunteers contributed more than 37,000 hours of support and service to Berkshire elders. Community Volunteers provide rides to medical appointments, help with grocery shopping or provide companionship. Money Management volunteers help elders to sort through their bills and keep their checkbooks balanced. Ombudsmen volunteers visit nursing and rest home residents to receive, investigate, and resolve their concerns. Other volunteers help with clerical and administrative tasks at our office, and with the preparation of Berkshire Senior and Berkshire Senior TV. More than 150 volunteers assist with the preparation and delivery of Elder Services Meals on Wheels, and with the setup, service, and cleanup of the 14 meal sites located throughout Berkshire County. Over the summer, other volunteers helped to operate the historic popcorn wagon in Pittsfield. And last, but certainly not least, our Board of Directors and Advisory Council - both comprised entirely of volunteers, provide appropriate guidance and direction to the agency.

Elder Services staff is a group of extremely dedicated individuals. Some work directly with Berkshire elders, while others provide essential administrative, supervisory, fiscal, and clerical support. Together they ensure that Elder Services stays true to its mission to provide Berkshire elders the opportunity to live with dignity, independence and self-determination, and to achieve the highest possible quality of life.

This past year, Elder Services Information and Referral specialists responded to more than 6,700 inquiries for information about programs or services - basically 6,700 calls for help. Our Nursing Staff, in collaboration with the county’s nursing facilities, began full implementation of a statewide initiative designed to ensure that elders receive the services they need in the most appropriate and least restrictive setting. Our Protective Services and Elder Intervention Workers continue to work with elders who are victims of abuse, or are self-neglecting and unable to remain in the community without intervention, while our caregiver support staff try to ensure that caregivers receive the supports they need.

Our Client Services Coordinators and Case Managers continue to ensure that Berkshire seniors receive the services that are most appropriate to their needs. This past year our Home Care programs served more than 1,023 elders a month. We are serving more frail homebound elders - with greater needs - than ever before. In many cases, the Elder Services volunteer, Meals on Wheels driver, or staff member may be the only face-to-face contact a senior has that day. These one-to-one connections are perhaps the most important of all - because these connections are the ones that let home-bound Berkshire elders know that they are not alone and they are not forgotten.

On behalf of Elder Services, I would like to thank the Board of Directors, the Advisory Council, our staff and volunteers for all you do and for the caring way in which you do it. Thank you.