2000 Monthly News
November
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2000 Monthly News
November
Elder Services Promotes Lillpopp, Adds Two New Staff
Elder Services awards $35,000 in federal funds for
elder support services
New information on Alzheimer’s disease. By Jay Ellis,
D.O., F.A.A.N.
Promotion of Nancy McCarthy to Residential Service Coordinator
Medicare to increase payments to nursing homes
Candidate views on Medicare
Elder Services awards $35,000 in federal funds for elder support servicesElder Services of Berkshire County is pleased to announce the awarding of $35,000 in Federal Older Americans Act funds for support services grants for people over 60. The grants are for October 1, 2000 through September 30, 2001.
Elder Services is the Area Agency on Aging for the 32 Berkshire County cities and towns. The role of the Area Agency on Aging is to administer the Older Americans Act and serve as an umbrella agency for aging programs and information throughout the county. Through the Older Americans Act, Elder Services awards Title III grants to fund needed community services. This years’ grant recipients include Western Mass Legal Services, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services of the Berkshires, Visiting Nurse Association of the Berkshires, Gabrielle Elston-Ferry and SPARC (Sickness Prevention Achieved through Regional Collaboration).
Western Mass Legal Services will receive $18,500 to provide legal advice, brief advocacy and representation for elders on matters involving government benefits, housing, healthcare, institutionalization, protective services, long term care, abuse, neglect, age discrimination, defense of guardianship, nutrition and income and utilities.
Thirty-five hundred dollars will go to Working People. Working People is run through the Career Services Unit at Transitions, a Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services of the Berkshires. Working People will provide chore services such as washing floors and walls, yard work, cleaning ovens, defrosting freezers , washing windows, changing storm windows and cleaning attics and basements to remove fire and health hazards to Berkshire elders in need of such help.
The Visiting Nurse Association of the Berkshires will use $10,200 for a Fall Prevention Program. The newly developed program will allow groups of seniors in four elderly housing developments to openly discuss and address their fear of falling and, learn exercises designed to improve their strength and balance.
Gabrielle Elston-Ferry, a private nurse practitioner at Family Practice Associates, with expertise in Alzheimer’s Disease will use $1000 to provide in-home assessments of individuals with Alzheimer’s and offer education to family caregivers to help keep their loved ones safely at home.
SPARC (Sickness Prevention Achieved through Regional Collaboration), a healthcare organization created to improve the health of residents of the Berkshire Taconic area by increasing their use of disease prevention services will receive $1800. They will use the grant to provide in-home influenza and pneumococcal immunizations to homebound elders who are unable to get to a doctor or a public clinic for the immunization.
Anyone in need of these or other aging services may call Elder Services at 499-0524 or 1-800-544-5242 for more information.