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Greetings,
Many of us want to live in our homes for as long as
possible. Much of what MVES does helps people do
this--remain in their community. It's important, as you'll
see in our featured article, to support initiatives that
offer community care as a "first choice" option. We
hope you'll join us as we work to help people live in
their homes.
Have a good fall!
| The Holiday Sale At MVES |
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Get ready for a holiday sale that is a gift itself--all
proceeds benefit the Elder-At-Risk fund! You'll find
great things at great prices. What could be better?
On November 3, MVES will host the annual Holiday Sale.
The sale will feature items donated by a local company
and will include wrapping paper, Christmas and
Chanukah cards, stationery, note cards, invitations,
and other gift items. Shoppers will welcome the
exceptionally low prices.
"Each year, the Holiday Sale brings smiles to shoppers
and staff," said Dan O'Leary, the executive director of
MVES. "The sale is a wonderful place to start your
holiday shopping--and help elders in the community."
Read more... »
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| Coming To A Television Near You |
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Starting this fall, MVES will air its first television
program, A Community of Elders.The program,
hosted
by Christine Falzarano, is designed to inform both elders
and caregivers of the different services and resources
available at Mystic Valley Elder Services and in local
communities.
In the first episode, MVES Executive Director Dan
O'Leary is featured discussing how MVES serves the
public and how residents in our eight communities--
Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading,
Reading, Stoneham, and Wakefield--can benefit from
Mystic Valley Elder Services. The program highlights the
Reading Partners program, a unique effort that pairs
elders with children to help improve the students'
reading skills. Also discussed are caregivers, the
responsibilities of caregivers, and MVES services that
can help caregivers and their challenges.
Read more... »
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| Behind The Scenes With The Nurse Manager |
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Our popular Behind the Scenes series continues this
month with a focus on MVES' Nurse Manager Roza
Budilovsky. Roza plays a large role in coordinating our
nurses and case managers and developing new
programs to better meet the needs of our clients. Read
all about Roza's responsibilities and experiences as
nurse manager at MVES.
Editor: What are your main responsibilities as Nurse
Manager?
R. Budilovsky: As nurse manager, I'm responsible for a
number of tasks. Currently, I coordinate seven different
nurses on our staff. This includes training the nurses
over a six-month span and monitoring them to ensure
their duties are carried out in a timely and appropriate
fashion. Another important part of my job is screening
clients. We continually screen the paperwork of
MassHealth clients to determine whether clients can be
approved for nursing homes, adult day care, personal
emergency response systems, or home health aid
services. I also am working with Health Services
Supervisor Joe Miglorie on developing and enhancing
our current programs such as Community Choices,
Medicaid Waiver, and Group Adult Foster Care.
Read more... »
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| Aging Bodies |
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Question: I recently celebrated my 50th birthday.
After seeing the doctor for my annual check-up, I'm
now wondering if this is the age when a woman's body
starts falling apart. Several tests I've never had before
were scheduled because of my age even though I have
no symptoms. Next week I will be having a bone
density test. What should I expect?
Answer: Several years ago, if a person was asked to
draw a picture of someone with osteoporosis, the
drawing most likely would have been a hunched-over,
tiny old woman. Today the drawing would include that
woman along with her younger, healthier looking
daughter, and surprisingly, her son.
Read more... »
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| First Choice: Home |
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It is not surprising that most elders would like to remain
in their community--in their homes--for as long as
possible. Home is a place of comfort. Familiar
surroundings foster well being and a positive outlook.
As a part of the community, an elder maintains dignity,
independence, and freedom.
Receiving help while remaining in the community should
be the first option that elders can access. Effective
home care usually delivers the greatest benefit to
elders, the disabled, and their respective caregivers.
Thankfully, the "community first" approach is being
supported by many branches of government. In
his "New Freedom Initiative," President Bush has
promised to increase community access to disabled
residents and strongly support the Olmstead decision.
Issued by the Supreme Court in 1999, the Olmstead
decision instructed states to provide the least
restrictive care for disabled Americans. At the state
level, Governor Romney, via the Executive Office of
Elder Affairs, has issued the "Community First" policy
that is intended to ensure that elders can remain in the
community for as long as possible. The Massachusetts
Home Care Association, of which MVES is a charter
member, has pushed the legislature to enact laws that
guarantee elders have equal access to community-
based care and nursing facility care--whichever best
meets their needs and lifestyle choices.
Read more...
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