Council on Aging, December 14, 2017
HOLDEN COUNCIL ON AGING
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Conference Room – Senior Center
Present: Susan Sullivan, Rick Mansfield, Faye Ellis, Maureen Locke, Wayne Howard,
Eric Johansen, Jim Robinson, Louise Charbonneau, Maureen Buffone.
The Meeting was called to order by Sue Sullivan at 8:00 a.m.
The Minutes from the October 5, 2017 and November 2, 2017 meetings were approved and
accepted.
F.H.C.O.A. REPORT
Faye reported the account balances as follows:
Commerce Bank $19,581.44
Leominster Credit Union (furnishings acct.) $2,851.67
Leominster Credit Union C.D. $24,206.46
LCU Trip Account $6,602.15
Faye reported that the Friends approved a battery collection program where the senior center will be a collection site for hearing aid batteries. They will receive monies from the company.
Helen Holmes, Friends Treasurer, reported the comparison between last year’s fair receipts with this year’s receipts. The receipts for 2017 totaled $3,519.00, and the receipts for 2016 totaled $3,581.00. There were 30 volunteers that put in 200 hours of service on the day of the Fair. There were $1,250.00 in donations from merchants. The one change this year from previous years is the Friends did not call members for donations to the bake table. Robo calls are a possibility in the future, but some people do not like Robo calls. The follow up committee for the Friends Fair will be meeting on December 29th at 9:00 a.m.
The Friends donated $1,000.00 to Help at H.O.M.E. and $1,000.00 to the Food Pantry.
The Friends will be meeting again on Monday, January 8 at 9:00 a.m.
HELP AT H.O.M.E. REPORT - Jim Robinson
Jim reported that $10,700.00 was received during the months of November and December, and there were six (6) disbursements totaling $3,372.00. The combined account (Help at H.O.M.E. fund and Welcome Aldrich Relief Fund) balances are currently $65,924.72. The word is getting out via many avenues, including the town sign and front page of the town’s website. People are being encouraged to bring to the staff’s attention, people that may need assistance. The staff has been a little more flexible with calls they get, and they continue to advise people of what other help is available to them, encouraging to have a sense of ownership.
BOARD OF ELDER SERVICES REPORT - Richard Mansfield
Rick did not attend the November Elder Services meeting, but submitted a copy of the minutes from that meeting, highlighting the following:
Kathie Hudson, Director of Programs, provided an overview of the Home Care Basic Program.
The Case Manager rates the consumer’s ability to perform tasks of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), including housework, laundry, shopping, money management, medication management, phone use and transportation.
Protective reports are down with 42 less reports this October than last. The year to date average monthly reports is 192. Last year at this time, the number was 227. Meals on Wheels and Dining Center daily averages remain steady.
Mary Parenteau, Protective Services Program Manager, reported that on July 1, 2017, EOEA implemented a centralized intake for all Protective Services reports. Statewide meetings have been held to discuss the challenges of centralized intake. The number of reports is down 150 from the previous year. There was question about the drop in Protective Services reports and Mary attributes it to centralized intake and the more difficult reporting process.
Jean Knight, Director of Planning and Marketing, updated the Committee on HUD-Colony Apartments Supportive Services Demonstration Project (IWISH). Consolidated Appropriations Act provides the authority to develop a housing-with-services demonstration for low-income elderly to test models that demonstrate the potential to delay or avoid the need to nursing home care and expected to produce evidence about the impact of housing with services model on aging in place. The Resident Wellness Directors have been relationship building, assisting with public benefits, initiating walking clubs, staffing health fairs, and participating in webinar trainings.
The QA Specialist works with management and the supervisory staff to set priorities, identify areas that are in need of improvements, and recommend the most effective manner in which improvement can be achieved. This year, 1,068 consumers received surveys and 459 were returned with a satisfaction rate of 95%. Staff surveys had an 80% satisfaction rate. The combined consumer and staff satisfaction rate was 88%.
The Congregate Housing, Home Care Case Management, ECOP Case Management Protective Services, and Money Management Programs will increase January 1, 2018. This will result in approximately $85,000.00 more in state funding for FY 2018. This will result in approximately $70,000 less transportation expenses each month.
Without notice, the Nutrition Program received a $57,000 decrease in the Federal Nutrition Services Incentive Program, or NSIP. Because of a miscommunication from the state, ESWA was awarded a contract and billed for the NSIP cash. The agency was notified that this was in error and will need to be corrected, meaning a reduction in an already recognized revenue. Efforts continue to work on the Nutrition Program and budget.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT - Louise Charbonneau
DECEMBER EVENTS
Wednesday, December 6 … 1:00 p.m. … Holiday Concert with Emma Riffelmacher.
Saturday, December 9 … 8:30 a.m. … Rotary Club Annual Breakfast … The Wachusett Area Rotary Club held their Annual Christmas Breakfast at the Manor Restaurant in West Boylston. A delicious breakfast was served by the Rotary Club members. Musical entertainment was provided by the Wachusett Singers from Wachusett Regional High School. There were 287 Seniors registered to attend from the towns of Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, Sterling, Boylston and West Boylston.
Monday, December 11 … 1:00 p.m. … Music is in the Air … We were fortunate to have the Wachusett Community Band here to entertain us with festive holiday music. The performance was free and open to all.
Wednesday, December 13 …10:15 a.m. … A Little Something to Decorate Your Home … Tina Bemis from Bemis Farms Nursery conducted a boxwood tree workshop yesterday. The cost of the workshop was $15.00 per person – the remaining amount was subsidized by the senior center.
Wednesday, December 13 … 12:00 p.m. … Senior Center Christmas Party … The Annual Senior Center Christmas Party was held yesterday at Val’s Restaurant. We enjoyed a delicious luncheon buffet of Fresh Garden Salad, Rolls and Butter, Chicken Marsala, Baked Haddock, Beef Stir Fry, Rice Pilaf, Butternut Squash, Ice Cream Sundaes, coffee or tea. A cash bar was available for those who wished to partake. Also, we were all treated to a visit from the jolly old elf himself! Cost of the luncheon was $13.99/person. Tickets for the party were reduced by $5.00/person via a grant from the Holden Senior Center Fund at the Worcester Foundation. We sincerely thank the Sjostedt Family for their generosity.
Thursday, December 14 … 9:00 a.m. … Mountview School Annual Christmas Breakfast …The Student Council and Staff of Mountview Middle School invited HOLDEN ELDERS to their Annual Christmas Breakfast being held this morning. The elders will be offered a delicious breakfast prepared by Mountview’s kitchen staff and entertained by the school’s chorus.
Monday, December 18 … 1:00 p.m. … Everyone Loves Holiday Music … Local singer and guitarist Rusty Guertin will present his musical program on Old St. Nick. The presentation is free and open to all. Holiday refreshments will be served following the performance.
Wednesday, December 20 … 12:30 p.m. … Fall Prevention and Smoke Detectors … We welcome members of the Holden Fire Department who will be here to give a presentation about preventing falls. They will also offer a smoke detector trade-in program. If you have a smoke detector in your home that is more than 10 years old, it no longer meets current fire code. Bring it to this program and trade in your old detector for a new one. One detector per household. Moneys for this program are from a S.A.F.E. for Seniors grant received through the Massachusetts Department of Fire Safety. Please call 508-210-5570 to register for this interesting and important program.
Thursday, December 21 … Book Discussion Group … 10:00 a.m. … Our Book Discussion Group will be reading Alibi by Joseph Kanan. Wednesday, December 27 … 1:00 p.m. … New Year’s Party … Join us for wonderful refreshments and music to help ring in the New Year. Our featured guest is Tony Funches of the popular group THE PLATTERS. You will not want to miss this show!!! Call 508-210-5570 to reserve a space. The show is free and open to all. (If you wish to come for lunch beforehand, call Sue at 508-210-5578 before 12:30 p.m. on Friday, December 22.)
FY19 BUDGET
The Capital and Operating Budgets for the next year have been prepared and submitted. Louise met with Peter yesterday about the budgets, etc. There was no problem from his perspective. Now on to the next phase, which Louise believes will be budget hearings with the Finance Committee, which usually take place in March. The roof repair will be addressed, as well.
A BIG THANK YOU …
… to the Members of the Wachusett Area Rotary Club for their generous donations of 30 turkeys for us to distribute at Thanksgiving to those less fortunate and 30 hams in December for the same purpose.
NUMBERS FROM NOVEMBER
Medicare Information - 22
Scams - 23
Ghost Stories – 32
Corset Factory Program – 53
On behalf of the staff, we wish you all be very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
OLD BUSINESS
None.
NEW BUSINESS
None.
CITIZENS ADDRESS
None.
ADJOURNMENT
It was unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting at 8:40 a.m. Sue wished the board members a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. She also said the seniors are an important part of our community and she is glad to be able to be a part of it too.
Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, January 4, 2018 at 8:00 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Maureen Buffone