Oct 30

Maura Donohue, Julie Arias, Carolyn Fenn, and Mary Brooks

Assisted Living Ombudsman Program Profile

Moving into an assisted living facility is a major life change. Residents leave behind the comfort of home and step into a new environment where it can be difficult to have their voices heard. Springwell’s Assisted Living (AL) Ombudsman Program ensures those voices are heard by offering residents support, guidance, and advocacy. This work builds […]

Oct 10

Martha Connors

For Residents’ Rights Month: Ombudsman Martha Connors

Springwell volunteer Martha Connors brings empathy, compassion, and extensive experience with caregiving to her role in our Ombudsman program. In fact, she began helping people who are old or ill when she was in middle school. But her comfortability with helping others became personal during her twenties when her father was diagnosed with cancer. She […]

May 26

Woman checking her monitoring bracelet to help manage chronic illness

Managing Chronic Illness

As we age, chronic illnesses seem to take hold and can have a way of taking over our lives. Is your chronic illness managing you or can you manage it better to improve your quality of life? We hope the ideas below help you and your family or caregivers manage your chronic illness. Gain a [...]

Jul 25

older woman eating ice cream

Summer Pleasures for Caregivers

Caregiving responsibilities don't take a break - not even for the beautiful days of summer when they arrive. In fact, caregiving can make it challenging for both a caregiver and their care recipient to find time and energy to appreciate the opportunities presented by warmer weather. Here we are re-sharing some some ideas with a [...]

Jan 23

"Extra COVID SNAP ending 3/2/2023" Learn more at mass.gov/extracovidsnap

Important Information on End of SNAP Emergency Allotment

Throughout the COVID-19, some Massachusetts households have been getting additional Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at the beginning of each month to purchase food. Due to federal action, the last COVID-19 SNAP Emergency Allotment payment will be on March 2, 2023. Starting in April, SNAP recipients will get only one (1) normal monthly payment. […]

Dec 21

Mass Relay "Let's Talk" logo

Struggling with Phone Calls Due to Difficulty Hearing, Speaking or Seeing?

Are you or a loved one frustrated because you have difficulty hearing or speaking during phone calls or perhaps because you have difficulty hearing and seeing? MassRelay makes telephone conversations possible for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking on the phone. The service is available 24 hours a day […]

Nov 01

Julie, and older woman in a walker, standing with her aide, Agnes

In-Home Care and a Stay Home Advisory

COVID19 changed what felt safe for many seniors in need of care. Springwell has been available and flexible, working with families to plan services that help. Julie and her husband Anthony have called Waltham home for the past 42 years. Julie had a fulfilling career, helping many people both as a social worker and as [...]

Feb 06

Census 2020 logo

Springwell Supports the 2020 Census

Once a decade, the US does a census and everyone living in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories is required by law to be counted. Why is it important for me to participate? Participation helps ensure your community receives services, support and representation. Aside from the fact that it is required [...]

Jan 02

montage image of volunteers and older adults

Help Others – Volunteering is more than a New Year’s Resolution!

It’s that time of year for the big question, “What are your New Year’s Resolutions?” Many of us make resolutions but within a couple of months they tend to fall by the wayside. Sometimes that happens because the resolution is too vague or we haven’t figured out a workable plan to keep the commitment. Have [...]

Apr 20

wife and husband, Debbie and Robert at home supported by Elder Independence fund

Elder Independence Fund: Filling in the Gaps

Robert and Debbie were enjoying their careers, their hobby of swing dancing, and long walks together, when Robert suffered a stroke in 2012. For months, Debbie worried because she had no idea how she would take care of him when he came home from the hospital. Debbie’s first contact with Springwell was with our Caregiver […]