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| Calling all Baby Boomers |
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Thinking of retirement? Already retired and want to get
more out of it? Life coach Meg Newhouse will present a
workshop called Passion and Purpose: Making the Most
of the Rest of Your Life on June 3. An educator and
career consultant for 30 years, Newhouse will speak at
the Reading Library at 6:30 p.m. Local residents 50
years and older are invited to the event that is
sponsored by Mystic Valley Elder Services and Reading
Elder Services.
Newhouse will discuss the "3rd age," the period of
extended middle age and active elderhood that starts
at age 50. A former assistant director for Harvard
University's Office of Career Services, Newhouse will
help audience members to rethink the term "retirement"
and its connotations of withdrawal from life and work.
She will address the challenges and opportunities of
the "3rd age," and invite the audience to do exercises
that get people thinking about their passion and
purpose. A discussion will follow and refreshments will
be served.
Read on... »
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| Behind the Scenes with an MVES Nurse |
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As we continue our series that explores what various
individuals do at Mystic Valley Elder Services, we spoke
with Registered Nurse Dorothy Buccieri. Nurses play an
important role for clients and the general community
through their work at MVES.
Editor: What is your primary responsibility?
D. Buccieri: Our main responsibility is to make medical
insight available to numerous people--both inside and
outside the agency. We continually confer with case
managers when medical issues arise, we make home
visits, and we conduct screenings.
Read more... »
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| Vietnamese Elders Become Citizens |
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For the past two years, Mystic Valley Elder Services
(MVES) and the Malden Council on Aging have
collaborated on a program to reach out to Vietnamese
elders in the Tri-City area. As a direct result of this
effort, 20 Vietnamese elders have become US citizens--
a long-held dream for many of them.
Under a grant from MVES, the Vietnamese American
Civic Association provides a bilingual outreach worker
who spends every Friday in the Malden area. The
Malden Council on Aging makes space available where
the outreach worker can meet with the elders. Mr. An
Tran helps the elders access needed services and
resources like housing, health care, Medicaid, and
pursuing citizenship. The elders he works with range in
age from 60 - 85, and most came to this country in the
early 1990s. Many spent time in refugee camps before
coming to the US, and some had been interned in
prison camps following the Vietnam War. Others came
as immigrants under the sponsorship of their children.
Read more... »
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| Can You Help? |
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Mystic Valley Elder Services asks companies and
individuals to make donations to help us continue our
work in the community. The Spring Appeal was recently
sent out to various members of the community. This
appeal specifically focuses on ensuring elders have
necessary transportation to medical appointments.
Many of us have relatives or friends who have had
difficulty arranging transportation to medical
appointments. Sometimes the need is urgent. Please
read the Spring Appeal and see if you can help. If you
have any questions, please contact Jenny Vanasse,
MVES' director of development.
Read more... »
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| Wording that Counts |
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This past week, the State Senate has looked carefully
at long-term care while determining budget proposals.
Dedicated members have recognized the importance of
maintaining existing programs that help elders stay in
the setting of their choice--programs that also cost
taxpayers less than simply placing individuals in nursing
homes. The Senate has also proposed reestablishing full
funding for the much-needed Prescription Advantage
program.
As home care advocates, we must applaud our
senators for the careful work they have done. And, we
must continue to let our state senators and
representatives know that we support their measures
to fund home care initiatives as the budget is passed
back to Governor Romney.
However, wording can sometimes be as important as
numbers at the end of the day. For 30 years, elders
and home care workers have looked to the Executive
Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) for support and
advocacy. In the current reorganization plan, this
office, while maintaining a Secretary-level position,
becomes an office within the massive Executive Office
of Health and Human Services.
Is this restructuring a problem for elders? Not
necessarily. But it is a move that needs to be made
carefully. Elders deserve a high profile and dedicated
advocate to manage crucial programs. Elders,
caregivers, and all advocates must make sure that this
repositioning of EOEA does not dilute the strength of
the office. We must encourage our legislators to
strengthen the language--the wording--in the current
proposal to guarantee the continued strength of elder
representation.
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