Volunteer Spotlight for Residents’ Rights Month
October is Residents Rights Month. Springwell’s volunteer ombudsmen make a difference in the lives of residents of long term care facilities. Ombudsmen are highly trained and supervised volunteers who visit a residential facility at least weekly and are available to hear concerns in confidence, advocate to protect residents’ rights, and provide information and referrals. As […]
Anticipatory Grief: What It Is & How to Cope with It
Join us on Tuesday, September 14, 2021 from 3:00- 4:00 PM for a free virtual workshop for family caregivers from the comfort of your home on the topic of Anticipatory Grief: What It Is & How to Cope with It. The facilitated discussion will be presented by Catherine LeClerc, LICSW of Good Shepherd Community Care […]
Public Hearing Announced: 2022 – 2025 Area Plan on Aging
As a federally-designated Area Agency on Aging, Springwell is charged with creating an Area Plan every four years for the towns of Belmont, Brookline, Needham, Newton, Waltham, Watertown, Wellesley, and Weston. Springwell will be holding a public hearing about services for older adults and family caregivers. The purpose of the hearing is to gather feedback [...]Springwell Transportation Grant Program Completed
Springwell received a $90,000 grant from MassDevelopment in April aimed at expanding transportation service capacity through contracts with licensed taxi or livery businesses. After providing over 1,000 rides, 3 months later, the program is ending, having depleted all the funds. Springwell’s mission to provide comprehensive services to seniors, individuals with disabilities and those who provide […]
The Art of Conversation with Older Adults
Humans are social beings. Even if one is considered an introvert, we all need and crave interaction and connection. “Conversations are supposed to be fun. They involve personal interactions between two or more people about something of interest. But many people worry about having conversations. They are concerned that they won’t be able to keep […]
The Marshall Home Fund Focuses on Building an Age Friendly Community
Marshall Home, originally known as the Watertown Home for Old Folks, was founded in 1908 as Watertown’s first “rest home”. It provided a caring residential environment with support services for its residents for 94 years until it closed in 2002. Today its spirit lives on in the Marshall Home Fund, a non–profit charitable foundation that […]
Understanding and Responding to Dementia Related Behaviors- Part 2
In Part 1 of this blog, we shared general techniques for understanding and responding to all types of dementia related behaviors as presented by Lisa Sobhian, LICSW and Certified Dementia Practitioner from the Alzheimer’s Association. In Part 2, we are discussing responding to specific common dementia behaviors and some likely causes. Behaviors include anxiety or […]
Springwell/Alternatives Transportation Partnership Very Popular
Seniors in Belmont, Brookline, Needham, Newton, Waltham, Watertown, Wellesley, Weston are ready to get out and about Sringwell announced in April a $90,000 grant from MassDevelopment aimed at expanding transportation service capacity through contracts with licensed taxi or livery businesses. Springwell's mission to provide comprehensive services to seniors, individuals with disabilities and those who provide [...]
Understanding and Responding to Dementia Related Behaviors – Part 1
As part of ongoing education, Springwell employees recently attended a training titled, “Understanding and Responding to Dementia Related Behaviors,” presented by Lisa Sobhian, LICSW and Certified Dementia Practitioner from the Alzheimer’s Association. The training will help Case Managers in their interaction with individuals with dementia and will help them advise family caregivers. Behavior changes most […]