Apr 18

two happy Springwell volunteers

Volunteering leads to a surprising connection

Volunteering is well understood to have benefits to both the community and to the volunteer. Sometimes the benefits can be surprising. As the Springwell Volunteer Appreciation event last year an unexpected surprise came in the form of a reunion of two childhood friends. Sherry and Ed, long-time volunteers at different Springwell Community Dining sites, saw [...]

Mar 19

Neurologic Music Therapy

At their March meeting, the Ombudsman volunteers welcomed Kirsten Stockel, MT-BC, NMT, from MedRhythms Therapy for a presentation about the benefits of Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT). NMT is used in the rehabilitation of neurologic injury and disease and has been found to be especially helpful for traumatic brain injury, stroke and Parkinson’s disease.  Some Neurologic [...]

Jan 10

Smiling Woman with her Friendly Visitor volunteer

Thriving through social connection

Social isolation can challenge senior citizens who find it more difficult to get out of the house than when they were younger. A friendly visitor can make a valuable difference in their quality of life. Ruth, an energetic 90 year old artist, relocated to Waltham two years ago to be near medical care and her […]

Sep 27

Senior Isolation Is A Health Issue

September 28 is Good Neighbor Day 2018 and the AARP Foundation has invited us all to make it an opportunity to come together and celebrate our neighbors. According to AARP, “studies show that isolation and loneliness are as bad for your health as smoking or obesity – especially if you’re over 50. Isolation is more […]

Aug 23

Ombudsman Program – Representing the people

An Ombudsman is a trained volunteer who informs people living in rest homes and nursing homes about their rights, and works to improve the quality of care that residents receive. At Springwell, the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program supports each of the 23 long-term care facilities in our coverage towns of Belmont, Brookline, Needham, Newton, [...]