COUNCIL ON AGING ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2003

To the Board of Selectmen:

East Longmeadow’s Council on Aging’s 5 town employees (with lots of help) served 1413 of the town’s 3245 elders in the following areas:  We furnished INFORMATION AND REFERRAL: 13,050 calls or counter visits.

RECREATION (8918 classes, down 709) includes Art, Bridge, Bridge Lesson, Informal Bridge, Chorus, Chess, French, Jewelry, Genealogy, Magic, Movie, Pool, Pinochle, Quilting, Rubber Stamp, Scrabble,  Trips, Trivia, Computer, Dominos & 5 cultural events & parties.  Club Attendance: Friendship Club: 2911(down1144), Deaf Seniors: 650, Veteran’s: 54.

FITNESS/WELLNESS (9647, up 268): Programs include Ballroom, Line, & Tap Dancing, Easy Exercise, Exercise, Walking,  & 29 participant entries in Massachusetts Senior Games (Racewalk, Track & Field, Bowling, Candlepin, Tennis, Swim, Shuffleboard, Golf, Ice Hockey, Softball,  & Volleyball).

SOCIAL SERVICES (1833 appointments) includes the following breakdown of units of services: Outreach: 526, Case management: 875, Client Support: 155, Health Insurance Counseling (SHINE): 115, Referrals: 162

FINANCIAL ADVOCACY (increased as need increased): includes 128 individuals (88 families) for Fuel Assistance Intake; 754 for Commodity Distribution; 353 Individual Advocacy; and 80 families who received Holiday Baskets & Gift Certificates, courtesy of the following:  VILLAGE GREEN, INWARD COMMONS, BROWNSTONE and QUARRY HILL Tenants, MORNING GLORY WALKERS, Knights of Columbus #4306, SENIOR FRIENDSHIP CLUB, students and faculty of MOUNTAINVIEW and EAST LONGMEADOW High School, Junior Class Officers (ELHS), St Luke’s Greek Orthodox Church, Deborah Group, First Congregational Church, Hampden Office of Monson Savings Bank, Daisy Troop #105, Brownie Troop #105, Boy Scout Pack #179,  a CHRISTMAS donation on behalf of COA Staff toward the fuel fund, Kim Wizbicki & Town Employees and several local families for a total of $3,674.49.

HEALTH SERVICES (2764, up 445): Flu Shots (511 for age 65+), Blood Pressure, Health Screen, Vision, Stress, Stroke Screen,  Blood Work, Hearing Tests, Foot Care & (174) Health Equipment Loans. We continue to fund raise for our HEALTH PROGRAM. After loss of Tobacco Grant, Town picked up additional Nurse service. We assumed responsibility for the Town Employee (employee funded in advanc ) Flu Clinic (187).

NUTRITION:  We served 13,335 (up 556) Meals on Wheels and 7666 (down 247) Congregate “In House” Meals: We offer WEEKEND HOME DELIVERED MEALS to 17 frailest residents in cooperation with Chestnut Hill Nursing Home and our weekend volunteer drivers. Our Nutrition Staff are trained to meet the “safe serve” laws, also choke training.

PVTA contracts with Hulmes for door to door Van TRANSPORTATION 5 days a week; this year’s rate increase from 50 cents per ride to $2. each way proved traumatic for many elders, who responded by curtailing their rides. We tried to encourage elders to “ride the big bus” when possible, organizing a free “sample” ride in December and special route including 3 housing stops. We also proposed and continue to sell “discount booklets”, $40 worth of tickets for $30.

In addition to the Town’s Appropriation of $149,807 to cover 5 staff plus expenses, Director wrote the following grants: State $ 16,002.   Federal  Title III-C Nutrition $20,000 for the meals program, additional III-C ($3023.56) for shelf-stable meals on wheels, chairs and meals deficit; III-E Caregivers: $1165 for series, III-B $629.90 for interpreters, & two 20 hour Senior Aides ($14,040). Two Elder Service Corps stipends: ($3120), ended June 30, ‘03.   Tobacco Money for Nurse ($3213) was cancelled. Town assumed both programs.  Meal Donations were $39336 (up$2838). Friendship Club paid $910 for Thursday Programs; Arts Lottery granted $500.

MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS of $2535.98 were received from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2003 in memory of:  Verna Anderson, Muriel Beattie, Ellen Blaisdell, Adolph Boudreau, Etta Cangro, Jennie Chiodo, Earl Craig, Walter Doran, Charles Dunphy,Jr, Frank Ferris, Robert Gour, Malcolm Hanson, Famie Healey, Richard Hickey, Mary Kamaros, Sara Mazza-Maynard, William McCurry, Rose Messer, Edwin Nichols, Charles Oswald,Jr, Henry Pawlowicz, Bertha Pernice, Carmella Salvon, Virginia Sample, Jeremy Tribula, Sophie Waterman, Estelle D.Winans, Corliss Wright, Marjorie Zebryk.  We also received “Holiday Spirit” Donations in memory of: Frank Ferris, Marjorie Kirkley, Jessie Peloquin and Paul Filiault.     Funds ($2,100.) were used to purchase a double wide reach in refrigerator, just as our old one gave out, and ($82) for our annual movie license.  $5,551 was donated to the Health Clinic and $4,726 to our Trust Fund, including United Way donations.

The Council on Aging sent $1959 to the Town’s General Fund for evening usage of Pleasant View from photography, deaf & hard of hearing, Miss East Longmeadow Pageant, Homebuyers, Momentum, Friends of Heritage Park, Chess Tournament, and square dance groups: Redstone, Swingles and  Quabbin Valley. No charge for town elections, health and sports groups.

Highlights of our accomplishments during the past year included 10 stations & Classes for our Senior Computer Lab where elders can netsurf and send email.    Volunteer Job Description Binder is in use.  We continue to publish our own newsletter & program book with the support of local businesses. We received grant funding for a new dishwasher, which we had hoped to save for a “new kitchen”; when our current washer failed, we had to install the new one- a great challenge with our maxed electrical service and grandfathered plumbing. The Senior Center Study Committee selected an architect to perform a feasibility study on Pleasantview to address our current and future needs for space and design concerns for our senior center.  We set up a Building Fund which received $2081.05 from Morning Glory Walkers’ Pleasantview Breakfast, Senior Chorus, Exercise Class, individual donations from the Minors, Gary DeLisle, Linda Fitzgerald, & Jack Coughlan in memory of Ed Nichols, Bill McCurry and Al Boudreau.

We thank the following organizations for donations of time, support and money: Friendship Club (our 501-C-3 & hall decorations), Chorus (entertainers), Baystate Deaf, Bridge, Morning Glory Walkers (flu clinic/scoopers), Exercise Class, Trivia Team (program), East Longmeadow Cultural Council, UNICO (dinners), JAYCEES, Lions Club, Womens’ Community Club,  Stop’n’Shop (baked goods), Big Y,  Baypath College (theatre), Burgess & Co., PC (tax filings), East Longmeadow Skilled Nursing Home (Christmas Dinner & Valentine Cheesecake), St. Vincent De Paul Society (sponsor meals on wheels), St. Paul’s (Holy Thursday), individuals who designate the COA to receive their United Fund donations, all CHURCHES, FLU & Clinic donations, Health Professionals: DOCTOR Michael Lemanski, David Miller, AUDIOLOGIST Sue Bankoski Chunyk, and NURSES: Peg Reilly, Edith Buckley, Bev Donovan,  Ann Griswald, Ann Haskell, Anna Haskins,  Barbara Matthews, , Janice McGowan, Sandy Moore, Marilyn Richards, Peg Reilly, Rena Tarnowski, and Joan Weisse, Baystate Medical Center and Springfield College students. Our 284 VOLUNTEERS donated a record 12,170 hours. Thank you all! Our Senior Volunteer of the year is Jennie Wood with 203 hours.

We are grateful to our fellow departments: DPW for loan of men and trucks for the commodities, CLERK-records lists, REC-joint programs, POLICE-keeping emergency phone numbers and TRIAD program, SCHOOLS & SCOUTS  -decorations and projects, COLLABORATIVE STUDENTS for weekly set up and cleaning, SELECTMEN, ACCOUNTING & BUILDING INSPECTOR for their support of our programs, PLANNING-help with Building Feasibility Study, our MIS DIRECTOR for our new Web Page and Senior Computer Lab. THANKS to the TOWNSPEOPLE whose support of our programs serve elders from  the frailer population with MEALS ON WHEELS to the more vigorous group with SENIOR OLYMPICS and VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES. Thanks to the BUSINESSES and individual Patrons who support our “Old Quarry town Elder” monthly Newsletter and our Annual Program Book.

Respectfully submitted:  Council on Aging Board Members:

Ex-Officio: Selectman Chair: Kim Wiezbicki (Leon Gaumond, Exec. Sec) & COA Executive Director Rosalind R. Clark