Mystic Valley Elder Services Celebrates 50 Years of Service
By Patrick DeVivo
"Flamingle" at the Cochrane House in Melrose
Photo From Mystic Valley Elder Services
Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) is celebrating its 50 years of service to older adults living in Massachusetts’ Mystic Valley region. MVES is a not-for-profit organization formed in 1975, and Melrose is one of the eleven communities that it serves.
The work of Mystic Valley Elder Services is guided by its mission to help ensure that older adults can live productive and satisfying lives in the manner they choose and in the place they choose. Its origin reaches back to the passage of the Older Americans Act in 1965, one of the signature pieces of legislation of the Great Society programs of the 1960s.
Mystic Valley Elder Home Care was founded as a partnership with Malden Action, an existing provider of transportation and nutrition services for the elderly living in Malden, Everett, and Medford. Soon, the combined organizations grew to support the needs of older adults and adults with disabilities in eight additional north shore cities and towns, including Melrose. In 1983, it was renamed Mystic Valley Elder Services to reflect its broader scope of services.
Today, MVES supports the north shore communities of Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Revere, Stoneham, Wakefield, and Winthrop. It employs over 300 people, provides volunteer opportunities for another 400 people, and, annually, serves over 20,000 older adults (defined as 60 years of age or older) and adults with disabilities. The federal government recognizes MVES as an Area Agency on Aging (AAA), and it is one of twenty-four Aging Services Access Points (ASAP) in Massachusetts.
Melrose also provides services focused on older adults through a local municipal organization, The Melrose Council on Aging. Although it is an entity distinct from MVES, the Council on Aging routinely collaborates with MVES to offer an array of services that meet the specific needs of Melrose residents, including transportation services, wellness counseling, educational and social programs, nutrition education, and health benefits counseling.
“The Melrose Council on Aging is a department of the city’s municipal government, funded by the city,” says Council on Aging Executive Director Erica Brown, “but we have a great relationship with Mystic Valley as a one-stop shopping resource to enhance the services we provide for many of our local needs.”
Photo From Mystic Valley Elder Services
MVES provides monthly on-site office hours at the Council on Aging’s Milano Center, where a clinical caseworker meets with residents who are struggling with physical or emotional challenges and are seeking referral options for therapy services. During these hours, MVES clinical caseworker staff are also providing information and referrals for long-term support and services.
“We are committed to supporting our clients through these difficult transitions in any way possible,” according to Lisa Jimenez, Director of Clinical Services at MVES. “Our clinical staff provides support to local organizations like the Melrose Council on Aging. We work with community-based organizations and hospitals to support aging and disabled adults in their setting of choice, their homes and communities.”
The collaborative relationship benefits both organizations: MVES can be assured that it is meeting the local needs of Melrose residents, while the Council on Aging can tap into the larger resources of MVES.
Class at SDM Foundation
Photo From Mystic Valley Elder Services
For example, MVES recently partnered with SDM Foundation, a Melrose-based non-profit that offers the general public technical support and individual training on electronic devices - desktop computers, laptops, iPads, iPhones, etc. In the past, SDM has provided individual one-on-one help sessions for older adults through the Council on Aging at the Milano Center in Melrose. The recent project involved providing group instruction to 20 older adult residents of Melrose in five 2-hour sessions.
The relationship also allows the Council on Aging access to creative programs offered by MVES, such as a program of equine therapy recently offered at Ironstone Farm in Andover.
The Council on Aging and MVES also work together during Medicare’s open enrollment period in November and December, a particularly challenging time for many older adults. The two organizations join with representatives of the Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone (SHINE) program, who are available on site at the Milano Center in Melrose to offer in-person individual assistance in choosing among their health insurance options and managing their way through the complexities of the Medicare program.
Another benefit to the Council on Aging is access to federal grant funds that MVES applies for each year. This year, MVES disbursed $10,380 to the Council to be directed toward enhancing outreach programs in Melrose.
For its 50th anniversary, MVES plans monthly celebrations in each of its member communities. In Melrose, the celebration will be included with the Council on Aging’s annual year-end holiday party in December.
“Mystic Valley Elder Services is fortunate to partner with communities like Melrose. We’ve worked together to build cities and towns that are more age-friendly,” explained Lisa Gurgone, CEO of MVES. “That’s why we’ve planned a special event in each community, to recognize the history we share and to celebrate our partnership.”
Photo From Mystic Valley Elder Services
This celebration of the MVES’s history and accomplishments is meant to be both a look back and a look forward. The organization’s initiatives and plans include:
- Expansion of the current Housing Wellness Program: Nurses visit housing sites to provide on-site care – checking vital signs, answering questions about health and medications, and following up with residents’ providers when needed. They also offer health education events with a focus on wellness.
- Innovative Caregiver Support: These programs include an art therapy course; virtual reality technology that enables care recipients to share special places with their caregiver, such as a childhood home or honeymoon destination; scholarships that provide respite opportunities for caregivers; and a comprehensive guide to innovative organizations, services, and products that support caregivers.
- Establishment of Two Successful Pilot Programs: A Hospital-to-Home program that involves enhanced partnerships with healthcare providers to reduce discharges to long-term care facilities. A Technology Access Program (TAP) that offers continued technical training and troubleshooting that empowers participants to take advantage of a variety of digital and electronic resources, such as telehealth, managing finances, applying for programs, and staying in touch with friends and family.
Lisa Jimenez looks forward to the anniversary celebrations. She is a passionate advocate for the public safety net that organizations like MVES and the Council on Aging provide in Massachusetts. When she started her career 20 years ago, most of the people she cared for were in their 90s and required constant care. Today, many members of that same age group are more independent and live longer lives. She speaks with pride about working for an organization that respects what older adults offer and challenges them to remain active and engaged in the opportunities offered by a longer life.
For more information about Mystic Valley Elder Services, please email info@mves.org or call 781-324-7705. For more information about The Melrose Council on Aging, please call 781-665-4304.