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Greetings,
Spring, at least according to the calendar, is here!
Soon temperatures will rise and leaves will fill the trees.
A change is apparent.
In keeping with change, we've added a new feature to
The Beacon. You'll find a short book
recommendation in each issue. The books are
recommended by MVES staff. We'll recommend books
that are more entertaining than they are educational-
we all need to have fun! However, each book will relate
to elders or caregivers in some way. We hope you'll
enjoy this new article series. Please let us know if you
have any books that you think we should recommend!
| Show Off Your Art Skills! |
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If you have artistic talent, enjoy painting or just have a
love for art, we'd like to see your work!
Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) will be hosting it's
sixth annual Senior Fine Art Show on Wednesday, May
4, 2005 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Traditionally held
in the fall, this year's event will take place during the
spring. The Senior Fine Art Show displays the talents
of amateur and professional senior artists, who are age
60 and over and who are from the towns of Everett,
Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading,
Stoneham, and Wakefield.
Read more... »
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| For Your Reading Pleasure... |
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Have you ever sat with a friend and discussed what
your perfect day would be like? Have you ever talked
with a family member about youth, marriage, or aging?
If you've ever wondered about these issues, you might
enjoy our staff recommended book Tuesdays with
Morrie. The book takes an interesting look at one
man's views on the different emotions and stages that
make up our lives.
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story, written by
Mitch Albom, that brings to life the final days of Mitch's
most influential college professor, Morrie Schwartz.
Tied up with life's complexities, Mitch loses touch with
his mentor after graduation. Years later, Mitch
discovers that Morrie is suffering from ALS, also known
as Lou Gherig's disease. Saddened by the news, Mitch
looks to reunite with Morrie and catch up on lost time.
Read more... »
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| Getting The Meals Out |
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It's a March morning in New England. Of course there's
snow on the ground, snow falling, snow everywhere.
It's bitterly cold too. While most MVES staff work
indoors where it's warm, the Nutrition Department at
MVES has other plans. Actually, 1,100 plans. That's the
number of home-delivered meals that need to be
delivered over the
next three hours.
Shivering from the cold, the nutrition coordinator
hustles into MVES at 7:30 a.m. As she stomps the ice
from her boots, she hears the department's phone
ringing and ringing. She finds the voicemail overflowing
with messages--22 to be exact. Seventeen
clients have made late cancellations of meals. Two
home-delivered meals drivers are stuck in the snow,
one has a flat tire, another has a dead battery, and
still another is at home with his six-year-old son who
has a snow day. Still listening to the messages, the
coordinator scans street maps on the wall to see what
routes will need to be covered by a fill-in driver.
Read more... »
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| Stay On Top Of Your Finances |
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Question: I recently visited my elderly mother to
help her gather information for her taxes. I was
shocked that she had unpaid bills and her checkbook
wasn't reconciled. I am only able to visit every few
months. Is there any help available to assist seniors
with keeping track of their finances?
Answer: People of all ages are forced to deal with
endless paperwork these days. It's easy to confuse
important documents with junk mail. Some elders,
overwhelmed with the volume of correspondence,
simply stop reading all of their mail. Clearly, this is a
problem because bank statements and bills are
overlooked.
Read more... »
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| The Importance Of "Equal Choice" |
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I am hesitant to say it, but I think that spring is finally
upon us! I am eagerly looking forward to the warmer,
longer days after a trying winter of inclement weather.
Each year, spring brings more than higher
temperatures. It also is the season for rigorous debate
in the state legislature. Because programs at Mystic
Valley Elder Services (MVES) are funded by state and
federal funds, we have a particular interest in the
debate and its outcome. We want to be able to
continue to offer elders and caregivers the quality
services that they deserve. To do this, we look to the
legislature-and to you-for help in supporting several
efforts.
MVES believes strongly in offering choice to clients.
Elders should be able to choose to live in a setting of
their own choice. No one should be forced into a
nursing home. Long-term care facilities should be an
option, but not the only answer. To this end, I ask that
you support an outside section of the budget
called "Equal Choice," along with a companion piece of
legislation that would make equal choice the letter of
the law. The proposed stand-alone bill and outside
section ask that institutional bias be eliminated,
allowing an elder who is eligible for nursing home
placement to be able to choose equivalent care in a
community-based setting. By supporting these
initiatives, which are sponsored by Representative Mike
Festa, the legislature will ensure that elders have the
choice to live where they want next year and in years
to come.
Read more...
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