Berkshire Senior Online

Ethel Parrott (left) receives support from Elder services that help her remain in her home.  She is seen here with Elder Services Case Manager Carol Betti (right)

  Elder Services of Berkshire County is offering a fresh approach to enhancing the lives of an 

expanding elder population with community long term care programs that help elders 
to remain in the community, whether in their own residences, in shared living  apartments, 
or in foster homes. 

   “We want elders, caregivers and the community to know that we serve any elder who has a
 need,” declared Robert P. Dean, Executive Director of Elder Services.  “Many of the services we
 provide are free. Some services have fees based on financial eligibility, and may involve
co-payments, others are Medicaid-supported.”

  Elder Services’ programs are available to individuals age 60 and over, and many are also 

offered to adults under 60 with a chronic disability.   A person’s need can be as simple requiring 

help with grocery shopping or with the installation of a shower grab bar, or as great as a request 

for daily help with bathing and dressing. For many, regular visits from a personal care aide is the answer; 

for others, the solution is becoming part of a family in a foster home.

  The list of services offering opportunities for independent living is long and growing through the efforts

 of an Elder Services staff of 110 full- and part-time employees and 450 volunteers.  They reach out to 

every community in the county to respond to any elder who asks for help or who has been referred by 

a relative, friend or any other interested person.

  “We have programs that can help people stay independent for many years,” Lisa Lungo, 

Director of Client Services, said. “People want to stay at home. People want to stay in the community 

as their first choice, and all of our different services strive to meet that goal.”

  Home Care, Elder Services’ first program, started 30 years ago, is managed by Diane Sheridan, 

who has found that her department is likely to receive the first call from an elder asking for help in 

remaining at home. A case worker determines that the elder may need help with meal preparation,

 bathing, cleaning, laundry, shopping or transportation.  Sometimes all that is needed to maintain 

an elder’s independence is a shower seat, a grab bar or a rolling walker.

   “Home Care is where people often start receiving our services,” Sheridan said. “They may just 

need a little bit of help now but they might need more later.  Approximately 1,000 Berkshire residents 

a month receive in-home services, which are monitored by Elder Services case workers. One client 

has been receiving help in her home for 20 years, and  her services have increased along with her 

expanding needs.

  For people who need more help than Home Care can offer, supportive services are available

 through the housing programs overseen by Maureen Tuggey, Housing Programs  Manager.  

Among them are alternative housing options, such as Supportive Housing at Providence Court 

which offers subsidized senior appartments in Pittsfield with enhanced services.  Here, residents enjoy 

the benefits of a Residential Coordinator who can arrange and monitor in-home services, an on-site 

dining room, a personal emergency response system, and staff to respond to emergency personal care 
needs.                           

  Congregate Housing, a shared living option,  is offered in three sites across Berkshire County: 

Pittsfield, Stockbridge and Lenox.  In a Congregate apartment, residents have their own bedrooms 
and share living rooms and kitchens.  “It’s a nice option for people who don’t want to live alone,” 
Tuggey said.  

  Other alternatives for community living are provided through Medicaid-supported programs such as 

Group Adult Foster Care, which offers daily in-home assistance with personal care.  Another program 

allows low income elders and disabled adults to live in Assisted Living Facilities and take advantage 

of the services offered in that setting. 

  Adult Family Care matches elders and disabled adults in the community who need care with people
who welcome them into their homes and provide supervision and hands-on assistance with the basic
activities of daily living.   “Our participants really become part of the family.” said Tuggey, “and their
care needs get met.”

  The newest opportunity for community long-term care is the Personal Care Assistance program, 

introduced in 2002, which is a Medicaid-supported service for elders and chronically disabled adults 

who need hands-on assistance with activities such as toileting, bathing, dressing and mobility.  

This program allows people to hire, train, schedule and supervise their own workers. 

  “This is another independent living option for people who need this kind of help,”  Tuggey said. “It helps
keep people in the community”.   Elder Services is dedicated to providing a variety of programs and
services that help older people to live more independent lives.  For more information about community
long term care, or to make a referral, call Elder Services, 413-499-0524 or 1-800-544-5242.