Your Care, Your Home, Your Neighbors
SENIOR B E R K S H I R E
Physically Distant, Socially Connected
The challenge of staying socially connected
The challenge of staying socially connected
Volunteers
Make a Di erence
We highlight the ongoing contributions of our volunteers
We highlight the ongoing contributions of our volunteers
...At Ho me Keeping Seniors Safe...
Mission Statement
The mission of Elder Services of Berkshire County, Inc. is to provide Berkshire elders, care givers, and individuals with disabilities the oppor tunity to live with dignity, inde pendence, and self-deter mination, and to achieve the highest possible quality of life.
Statement of Inclusivity
E l d e r S e r v i c e s p r a c t i c e s n o n - d i s c r i m i n a t i o n i n e m p l o y m e n t
practices and service delivery. Embracing diversity, our in-home and community-based services are available to all without re g ard to race, ethnicity, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or lifestyle
Happy Mother’s Day!
y Distant, Sociall y Connected
By Christopher McLaughlin, Executi v e Director of Elder Services
Instagram: berkshiresenior
B erkshire S enior
Editorial Board: Deb Aldrich, Bonny DiTomasso, Laura Feakes, Christopher McLaughlin, and John-Ar thur M iller
Adver tising: To place an adver tisement in Berkshire Senior, please contac t K ate Teutsch at (413) 496-6324 or e -mail adver tising@ berkshireeagle com
Berkshire Senior is published bi-monthly by Elder Ser vices of Berkshire County, Inc , 877 South Street, Suite 4E, Pitts eld, MA 01201, 499-0524 or 1-800-544-5242, e -mail: esbc@esbci org or on the internet at w w w esbci.org
NOTICE
Elder Ser vices sells adver tising to defray costs. Inclusion of adver tisers in no way implies that Elder Ser vices endorses any produc t or ser vice
Signed columns are the opinion of the writers and not necessarily the opinion of Elder Ser vices. For medical, nancial or other advice, seek a quali ed professional in the appropriate eld
Elder Ser vices and its programs are funded, in par t, by the Massachusetts Executive O ce of Elder A airs.
State and federal funds provided to Elder Ser vices are limited. Elder Ser vices welcomes charitable donations to help meet the growing needs of Berkshire seniors, and gratefully ack nowledges all donations.
Hoping all is well with you and yours.
First I’d like to star t out by wishing all of our mothers a very Happy Mother’s Day!
They say there’s no love like a mother’s love and I can’t argue the point. A mother’s love is unconditional and that love, nur turing and guidance play an immeasurable role in helping us to develop into the people we become. This Mother’s Day will be most dif ficult as we’re still dealing with the ef fects of COVID-19, the most painful of which is the need to practice social distancing….even from those we love most and to whom we owe so much. There is a very good reason why you may not be able to spend Mother’s Day with Mom this year but perhaps a war m phone call and a card, flowers or other gift will do until it’s safe to tell her in person how special she is.
Elder Services’ Behavioral Health Clinician, Will Tur ner, has a sign on his of fice door that simply reads Physically Distant, Socially Connected. The ter m Physically Distant, Socially Connected is also the title of one of the ar ticles Will provided for this issue of Berkshire Senior I’m bor rowing Will’s ter minolo g y here because in only four words it nicely encapsulates the way Elder Services has responded to the challenging circumstances we now find ourselves in. The cur rent pandemic requires us to maintain our distance from our consumers but we’re still as eng aged, concer ned and compassionate as we’ve ever been.
T r uth be told, since the be ginning of this unprecedented health crisis the staf f and volunteers of Elder Services, have been committed to ensuring that the services we provide continue as seamlessly as possible. In many cases the manner in which we deliver them has chang ed (tele phonic visits vs. f ace to f ace visits) but services to the people who rely on us have continued, mostly without inter ruption Kitchen Staf f and volunteers continue to make more than 850 meals each weekday, Drivers continue delivering meals to seniors’ homes t h ro u
Geriatric Service Suppor t Coordinators continue doing assessments, coordinating services and making wellness calls to our consumers Infor mation and Refer ral Specialists provide more infor mation about Elder Services and other Berkshire resources to more people than ever and Ombudsmen provide needed suppor t to nursing home residents and their families SHINE, Money Management, Options, Care giver and Elder Mental Health staf f and volunteers continue to provide counseling services and our Home Of fice Staf f provide administrative
Physic ally D istant, S ocially Connec ted!
A pandemic adds the challenge of being able to k ee p socially connected which we all need.
By Will Tur ner, LICSW
I j u s t f i n i s h e d my we l l - b e i n g
check phone calls with the proud m e n a n d wo m e n o f B e rk s h i r e
C o u n t y, c o n s u m e r s o f E l d e r
Services The coronavirus impact was the cause of our concer n for o u r e l d e r f r i e n d s T h e p h o n e c a l l s t u r n e d o u t t o b e t h e m o s t
e n j o y a b l e p a r t o f m y w e e k /
month The consumers I spoke to were so g rateful for the call and fun to talk with. T he wise elders
I s p o k e w i t h a r e s u c c e s s f u l l y
ke e p i n g a d i s t a n c e f ro m o t h e r s, with their f amilies suppor t. Not only were they smar t about it, but t h e y a l s o s h owe d a n i n c re d i bl e spirit of strength.
W h a t t h e y n e e d e d w a s a n
i n c r e a s e i n c o n t a c t We e l d e r s (myself included) can experience a time of increased loneliness as we r e t i r e a n d o u r l i f e m a r c h e s
o n O u r f e e l i n g s o f i s o l a t i o n ,
a re f u r t h e r c o m p l i c at e d by t h e pro g ressive loss of others in our lives for many dif ferent reasons (leaving work friends, empty nest, a n d n ow t h e p a n d e m i c i m p a c t ) .
A p a n d e m i c a d d s t h e ch a l l e n g e
o f b e i n g a b l e t o k e e p s o c i a l l y connected which we all need.
Last week I attended my 5 yearold g reat niece’s bir thday par ty via the electronic platfor m Zoom.
T h e wh o l e f a m i ly d i d O u r w i s e niece found a fun and easy way to include us. I have come to realize that now is the time to be willing to find and lear n any way to stay connected that is of fered whether new (electronic platfor ms Skype, Zoom, Goo gle Hangouts, etc ) or o l d s ch o o l ( p h o n e c a l l s, l e t t e r s, etc.).
What my elder friends taught me in talking to them is that it is not about being “Socially distant!” but being physically distant (for s a f e t y ) wh i l e c o n t i nu i n g t o fi n d ways to be socially connected.
COVID 19 related changes to Medicare
There have been several changes to Medicare policies and benef its due to COVID-19 Pandemic These changes were developed to address c ove
well as ensuring ongoing medical care for all Medicare beneficiaries
COVID-19 Speci c measures:
covered by either Par t B or Par
beneficiary.
• Covid-19 testing will be covered i n f u l l by e i t h
ordered by a physician.
• Covid-19 related hospitalizations
i t a l l eve l o f c a re w i l l b e c ove r e d u n d e r P a r t A , with applicable deductibles.
Prescription Drugs:
• P a r t D p l a n s a n d M e d i c a r e A dva n t a g e p l a n s wh i ch i n cl u d e
d r u g c ove r a g e m u s t p rov i d e 9 0
d ay s u p p l i e s f o r p r e s c r i p t i o n medications upon request.
• Requests for extended supplies
o f P a r t B m e d i c a t i o n s w i l l b e evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Medical Care:
• Medicare will cover expanded
t e l e h e a l t h s e r v i c e s d u r i n g t h e
S t at e o f E m e r g e n cy ( b e g i n n i n g March 6th 2020).
• M e d i c a r e w i l l n o w c o v e r
‘ v i r t u a l c h e c k - i n s ’ - b r i e f c o nv e r s a t i o n s w i t h p r o v i d e r s outside of an appointment.
T h e s e u n c e r t a i n t i m e s h av e
c r e a t e d n e w o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r scammers As always, guard your M e d i c a r e C l a i m N u m b e r a s yo u would your Social Security number Rev i ew yo u r M e d i c a re S u m m a r y N o t i c e f o r e r r o r s . A n d , m o s t importantly make sure that you are i n t e r a c t i n g w i t h k n ow n e n t i t i e s, such as your physician’s of fice or the Department of Public Health.
Happy Mother ’s Day
continued from page 3
suppor t and assistance
To say these are challenging t i m e s i s a n u n d e r s t at e m e n t .
D e s p i t e t h e u n c e r t a i n t y a n d a n x i e t y t h e c u r r e n t h e a l t h
c r i s i s c r e a t e s, o u r s t a f f a n d vo l u n t e e r s c
n u e t o s t e p u p, m a k i n g s u re p e o p l e wh o need them now more than ever have the resources they need to remain safe and healthy.
Our new way of serving our c o n s u m e r s i s wo rk i n g we l l , not only because of our staf f a n d vo l u n t e e r s ’ w i l l i n g n e s s to interact with them in new w a y s b u t b e c a u s e o f o u r c o n s u m e r s ’ r e s i l i e n c e a n d w i l l i n g n e s s t o a d a p t t o n e w for ms of communication and suppor t.
I a m i n c r e d i b l y p r o u d o f o u r c o n s u m e r s , s t a f f a n d vo l u
t h e g o i n g g e t s t o u g h we wo rk t o g e t h e r t o f i n d n e w ways t o r e m a i n socially connected even when w e ’ r e p h y s i c a l l y d i s t a n t
Sincerest thanks to all of you! Until next time be good, be kind and be careful.
Massachusetts Nursing Home Family Resource Line
I am pleased to announce that the Executive Of fice of Health and Human Services is launching a Nursing Home Family Resource Line - a dedicated phone line to connect family members of nursing home and rest home residents with the information and resources they need T his new phone line provides one central contact for families and community members who have questions about the nursing home or rest home care their loved one is receiving during the COVID-19 outbreak
The Nursing Home Family Resource Line is staf fed from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, seven days a week. Staf f will field questions on a range of topics and coordinate across state agencies to help provide answers.
These are unprecedented times and, understandably, families and community members have questions We remain committed to providing relevant and timely infor mation, and the Nursing Home Family Resource Line is another impor tant resource Massachusetts Nursing Home Family Resource Line: 617-660-5399
Open Every Day - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
If there are any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to our of fice at (617) 727-7750. We are all in this to gether.
Thank you,
Elizabeth C. Chen, PhD, MBA, MPH Secretary, Executi v e Office of Elder Affairs
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Hoarding Disorder Awareness
Between three and fi v e percent of the population hav e it, which equals roughl y six thousand people in Berkshire County.
By Lee Shuer ( Mutual Support
C o n s u l t i n g , L L C ) a n d W i l l
T ur ner, LICSW ( Elder Ser vices of Berkshire County)
I n 1 9 9 3 , a s t u d e n t a s ke d D r
R a n dy F ro s t , o f S m i t h C o l l e g e, about people who overcollect and ove rke e p m at e r i a l p o s s e s s i o n s.
T h e y d e l ve d i n t o t h e t o p i c by placing an ad in the local paper
t o s e e i f t h e y c o u l d fi n d p e o p l e
wh o h a d t h e s e t e n d e n c i e s a n d
wo u l d b e w i l l i n g t o t a l k a b o u t
i t T h e y r e c e i v e d o v e r o n e hundred responses! T hat be g an
t h e s t u dy o f wh a t we n ow c a l l hoarding disorder (HD) and the d e v e l o p m e n t o f w ay s t o h e l p people struggling with it.
I f yo u o r s o m e o n e yo u k n ow
h a s H D, y o u a r e n o t a l o n e
B e t we e n t h re e a n d five p e rc e n t of the population have it, which e q u a l s r o u g h l y s i x t h o u s a n d people in Berkshire County Because this is such a common, but misunderstood mental health
ch a l l e n g e, G ove r n o r B a ke r h a s p r o c l a i m e d M a y 2 5 t h - M a y 2 9 t h , 2 0 2 0 M a s s a c h u s e t t s ’ f i r s t
H o a r d i n g D i s o r d e r Awa r e n e s s
Week
How do I know if someone’s clutter is related to hoarding disorder?
A c c o r d i n g t o t h e D S M - 5 , t h e b o o k t h a t c l i n i c i a n s u s e t o d i a g n o s e m e n t a l h e a l t h challenges, the symptoms of HD include:
• Inability to let go of possessions re g ardless of value.
• Severe anxiety when attempting to org anize or discard items
• Par ts of their home become too cluttered to use
• The clutter isn’t due to another mental health or physical health challenge.
Additionally, people with HD m ay o r m ay n o t b e a c t ive ly
a c q u i r i n g n e w t h i n g s , a n d they may or may not realiz e that they have a problem
On T V shows, they just get rid of ever ything. Doesn’t that help?
F o r c e d c l e a n o u t s , l i k e t h e ones on TV shows like Hoarders, are not g enerally helpful. T hey
l e a d t o f u r t h e r u p s e t
har m fra gile relationships T he g
help people recover when they’re re
be provided by clinicians, peers who have clutter, and/or human s
community members who receive t
B u r i e d i n T
a s u re s Wo rk s h
( B I T , ) T h e F i n d e r / K e e p e r Workshop, Co gnitive Behavioral
T h e r a p y , a n d C l u t t e r e r s Anonymous.
What can we do to help ourselves or others?
• P l e a s e s t o p c a l l i n g p e o p l e hoarders. Instead use langua g e like collectors or finder/keepers, p e o p l e w i t h H D, o r e v e n b y their actual name If you know someone who is str ug gling, ask what language they use so you can use it too, no matter what it is
• T h e re i s a B e rk s h i re C o u n t y H o a rd i n g D i s o rd e r Ta s k Fo rc e
h a t
t o e d u c a t i n g a n d a dvo c a t i n g fo r s u p p o r t a n d re c ove r y f ro m
H o a r d i n g D i s o r d e r C o n t a c t their leader Will Tur ner (413-4990542, x 156) to lear n more about w h a t t h e y o f f e r a n d h ow yo u might get involved
• L e a r n m o re ab o u t h ow t o h e l p yourself or others by reading the book, “Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving
a n d H o a r d i n g ” by D av i d To l i n , Randy O Frost and Gail Steketee
It is helpful for those wanting to understand how HD develops, why it’s hard to overcome, and recovery
s t r at e g i e s t o h e l p I t i s a l s o t h e source material for the evidencebased self-help g roup, The Buried in Treasures Workshop (BIT )
• M u t u a l S u p p o r t C o n s
c o m p a n y r u n by p a r t n e r s L e e Shuer and Becca Belofsky They of fer training and peer mentoring f o r a g e n c i e s , i n d iv i d u a l s a n d families struggling with HD. Lee, h i m s e l f a p e e r, c o - a u t h o re d t h e BIT Workshop Facilitator’s Guide with Dr. Frost.
• T h e r e a r e l i n k s t o s e v e r a l helpful books, ar ticles, and videos on the Mutual Suppor t website, www.mutual-suppor t.com.
• You can search for local clinical h e l p o n t h e I n t e r n at i o n a l O C D F o u n d a t i o n w e b s i t e : w w w ocfoundation.org
• A s s u m e t h a t a l l i t e m s i n a
p e r s o n ’ s h o m e a r e p o t e n t i a l l y meaningful and valuable. T reat the person and their possessions w i t h r e s p e c t w h e n d i s c u s s i n g your concer ns
• Realize that using force does not resolve the problem. People don’t get better until they’re ready
• Find suppor t and take care of yo
limits and communicating your n e e d s a n d wa n t s a
relationship
• People with HD are a “protected c l a s s ” u n d e r t h
F a i r H o u s
improve their home if they’re at t h re at
mass.gov to lear n more
• Realize there are no “hoarders.” T
exhibits hoarding behavior, that d
T h
used to hur t and insult and that’s no way to welcome people to help and g rowth
BC AC Spreads Springtime Cheer to Older Adults in Berkshire County
Leonczyk join Elder Services’ Maureen Tuggey, Christine Thomson and Christopher McLaughlin with bags of Springtime Cheer BCAC donated for Elder Services’ consumers.
T he Berkshire Community Action Council donated ba gs of shelf stable food, cof fee, and toilet paper along with special cookies and other treats to Elder Services of Berkshire County, Inc. Also included with each bag was a g rocery store gift card. These bags were delivered i n Ap r i l by E
county T his g enerous g esture made an impor tant impact on our c o n s u m e r
concer ned about their well-being at this very dif ficult time
Thank you, BCAC!
These sites are currently c losed due to COVID-19. Please call ahead as some are providing Grab n Go meals.
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• Full range of services focused on managing pain and improving quality of life Call today to see how hospice can help your family.
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E l d e r S e r v i c e s ’ B e r k s h i r e S e n i o r, M a y -
Volunteers Make a Di erence
It is important that we highlight the ongoing cont ribution of our volunteers.
By Bonny DiTomasso, Home and Community Based Programs Supervisor
April was National Volunteer Reco gnition
M o n t h a n d h i s t o r i c a l ly, E l d e r S e r v i c e s o f
B e rk s h i r e C o u n t y wo u l d h ave h o s t e d a
Vo l u n t e e r Re c o g n i t i o n eve n t t o re c o g n i z e the contribution of our wonderful and caring volunteers. However, due to these uniquely d i f f i c u l t t i m e s , w h i c h r e q u i r e s p e c i a l precautions for the safety of all involved, we had to postpone our celebration.
T h at b e i n g s a i d , i t i s i m p o r t a n t t h at we
h i g h l i g h t t h e o n g o i n g c o n t r i bu t i o n o f o u r
vo l u n t e e r s, w i t h o u t wh o m o u r nu m e ro u s pro g rams could not function as ef fectively.
H ave yo u o r yo u r f a m i l y m e m b e r s b e e n
t r a n s p o r t e d t o a m e d i c a l ap p o i n t m e n t o r
fo r g ro c e r y s h o p p i n g , re c e ive d i n s u r a n c e
c o u n s e l i n g o r a s s i s t a n c e w i t h a n u r s i n g home issue? If so, all of these services and more are provided by our team of trained volunteers who donate hours of their time to help others.
O u r v o l u n t e e r s a s s i s t c o n s u m e r s throughout Berkshire County Many of our
vo l u n t e e r s h ave s e r ve d c o n t i n u o u s l y f o r s eve r a l ye a r s i n m u l t i p l e p ro g r a m s. T h e ave r a g e l e n g t h o f s e r v i c e fo r o u r ove r 2 6 0 volunteers is four years, although several volunteers have served in excess of ten years. In addition, our volunteers have contributed a n ave r a g e o f 6 1 9 l i f e t i m e h o u r s a s s i s t i n g others Our volunteers come from all walks of life and many are seniors themselves.
T h o s e s e r ve d by vo l u n t e e r s h ave o f t e n commented on how valuable our Volunteer P r o g r a m i s t o E l d e r S e r v i c e s ’ g o a l o f kee ping seniors in their own homes as long a s p o s s i b l e Wo r d s c a n n o t e x p r e s s o u r g ratitude to the hundreds of volunteers who faithfully donate their own time to help those in their communities who need assistance to remain inde pendent
To t h o s e u n s u n g h e ro e s, we s ay T h a n k You, Thank You, Thank You!
Volunteers
Board of Direc tors
Randy Burdick
Teresa Caldwell
Jacob Dabrowski, Treasurer
Dawn Dellea
Deborah Delaney
Sandy Driscoll
Frank Engels
Diana (Toni) Fontana
Rober ta Gale
John Graziano
Christopher King, Finance Committee
Georgette Kinney
Kathleen Luczynski
Kimberly Mathews, Clerk
Mary K. O’Brien
David O’Neill
John Philpott, President
Ste phen Radin
Karen Reilly
Mary Sho g ry-Hayer, Vice President
Mary Strout
Paula Walczyk
AAA Advisor y Committee
Quentin Chin
James Clark
Maria Craft
Lisa F letcher-Udel, Chair
June Green, Vice Chair
Sandra Lussier
Vincent Marinaro
Meri Ellen Morg ans
Irwin (Tom) Renak
Mary Sho g ry- Hayer
Berkshire Senior T V
Dave Bubriski
Connie Bullard
Diane Chicoine
Alexis Jones
Jef f Tur ner
Home & Community
Based Programs
Nancy Apkin
Yvette Bastow
Deena Ber man
Mrs. Marina
Bobrovsky
Connie Bullard
Carolyn M. Coco
Carol Couture
Ella Deane
Fay Dimanche F lavio Fer nandes
Sheila Gibeau
Alexandra Huber
Pamela Kight
Monica Lapin
Nicolas LaPointe
Nancy Leren
Mary Ellen Levin
Clif f Love
Helena Matthews
Paula Morey
John Morse
Karen Newman
Karen D. Oak
Edward Oshinsky
Jenifer Picard
Colleen Powers
Raymond Ranzoni
Teresa-Cristena
Rober ts
Laurie Schwar tz
Naomi Schwar tz
Ber nice Turetsky
Gary Turetsky
Mark Vadnais
Thomas Wood
Money Management Advisor y Council
Tanya Haas
Money Management Program
Bet Azar
May 1, 2019 – March 31, 2020
Sharon Bar tels
Yvette Bastow
Joyce Boivin
Carol Boucher
Beverly Clarke
Nor ma D’Oliveira
Judith Douville
Tanya Haas
Susan Holland
Kristina Kelly
Heather King
Steven Mestman
Paula Morey
Karen D. Oak
John Philpott
Alice Rodrigue z
Victor Roy
Patricia Salvi
Jane Tant
Ronald Ter ry
Jose ph Tir rell
Gini Titter ton
Donald Usher
Nutrition Program
Sandra Aasen
Daniel Aleshevich
Rose Alessio
Bonnie Andrews
Maureen Avery
Zenfiza Baghirova
Rober t Balawender
Anna Beining
Paula Bergeron
John Bianchi
Angela Burke
Louise Char ron
Ruth Clair mont
Eileen Clarke
Frank Clarke
Carol Colabatista
Deborah Coody
Holly Coon
Judith Corbett
Linda Cox
Kristie Cullison
Rosemary Cummings
Lor raine Dean
Barbara Delmolino
Veronica Deome
Dennis DeVergilio
Elizabeth DiGrigoli
Har riet Jane Diaz
Michael Ende
Joy Engels
Janice Fisher
Rose Fitzgerald-
Casey
Joanne F lynn
Louise Frankenberg
Gordine Galusha
JoAnn Garzone
Andrea Gaylord
Eugene Gebarowski
Patricia Gebarowski
Elsie Gillig an John Gillig an Celine Godbout
Paulette Graber
Sharon Graybeal
Eric Paul Greenberg
Marie Grull
Marg aret Gwodz
Thomas Hardy
Michelle Harwood
Rick Hawes
Nadine Hawver
Gillian Hettinger
Carole Hilderbrand
Jeanne Holcomb
Rosemary Houghtlin
Thelma Hover
Charles Joch
Julia Kaplan
Pamela Kight
Elizabeth King
Rose Ann King
William L Kor manik
Patricia LaBagh
Er na Lampman
Marg aret Lavalette
Jeanette Lupiani
Nancy Macy
Rosanne Marsh
Claudia Mar tin
Volunteers
Christina McCar thy
Barbara Messina
Alan Metzger
Marcia Mitchell
Michael Jose ph Molleur
William Moreau
Susan Mor ris
Joan Moylan
John Moynahan
Car rie Mulcahy
Kristin Nee p
Gail Nelson
Sonny Nelson
Karen Newman
Virginia Niewinski
Nancy O’Brien
Ter ry O’Brien
George Oleen
Marianna Pacheco
Wesley Petersen
Jenifer Picard
Paul Polastri
Colleen Powers
Joan Powers
Donald Pulver
Marcel Rajotte
Teresa-Cristena Rober ts
War ren Rober tson
Eleanor Rosier
Jane Ro zak
Richard Ro zak
Dennis Sears
Naomi Shafirof f
Betty She pard
Elaine Shindler
Adele Siter
Dan Skorcz
Rober ta Smith
Rober t St Peter
Kathy Staropoli
Barbara Steele
Joanne Ste gner
Sharon Stevens
Ron Stewar t
Arlene Stockley
Julie Taylor
Gail Tighe
David Vacheron
Charles Webster
Grace (Beth) Wiggers
Barbara Ziemba
Shirley Zur rin
Ombudsman Program
Virginia Bosco
Conlin Bradley
Christine Byr ne
Michael Evans
Eileen Gabriel
Georgette Kinney
Virginia Lafond
Carolyn Palmucci
Ruth Richardson
Bonnie Saunders
Deborah Wehry
SHINE (Ser ving the Health Information Needs of Ever yone)
Teresa Bragdon
Janice Brindisi
Hedy Burbank
Patricia Carlino
Pe gg y Clary
Ter rill Douglas
Frank Engels
Michele Gillig an
Carol Gramm
Judith Hyde
Sue Kucharski
Nancy Leren
Paula Morey
Pattie Pero
Juan Ramos
Steven Rosenthal
Lar ry Shea
Catherine Spinney
William Tar mey
Gini Titter ton
Winnie Veretto
Par tnership Volunteers
Berkshire County ARC
BFAIR
Riverbrook Residence Servicenet
Guardian Employees
Elder Services of Berkshire County, Inc. Essential Functions Continue
By Christopher McLaughlin, Executi
v e
Director of Elder Services
County, Inc (Elder Services) continues to monitor the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
s
being of our consumers, volunteers and employees are most impor tant to us. With guidance from the Massachusetts De par tment of Public Health (DPH) and the federal Centers for Disease Control
is working to ensure that the essential
c h e a l t h challenge.
What we are committed to:
• Continuing to acce pt new refer rals for meals, in home services and other pro g rams
• P r o v i d i n g h o m e d e l iv e r e d m e a
ava
l abl e t o m a ke h o m e deliveries
• Suppor ting our home care providers w h o p r o v i d e p e r s o n a l c a r e , h o m e m a k i n g a n d h o m e
appropriate precautions
• Providing Infor mation and Refer ral
v i c e s pro g rams and services and those of other Berkshire County aging service providers
• M a k i n g S H I N E c o n t a c t s v i a tele phone and mailing documents to consumers
• M a k i
wh i
i t
e e n s u r i n g s e r i o u s i s s u e s a r e prioritized
• Ensuring that Money Mana g ement consumers have their cash allotments and, if necessary, establishing online banking or auto pay options to be able to pay consumer bills remotely
• Serving as a source of infor mation and suppor t to our consumers, their care givers and f amilies during this dif ficult time.
What may be di erent:
A s o u r g o a l i s t o d e l ive r t h e c a r e our consumers need in a safe, ef fective manner, our staf f will ask consumers the following questions:
• D o yo u h ave a f e ve r o r c o u g h o r a re yo u e x p e r i e n c i n g s h o r t n e s s o f breath that is not related to a chronic condition, i.e., COPD, asthma?
• H a v e y o u o r a n y o n e i n y o u r household traveled in the last 14 days and, if so, to where?
• H a v e y o u o r a n y o n e i n y o u r household had contact with anyone w h o h a s o r w a s e x p o s e d t o t h e Coronavirus?
I n i n s t a n c e s i n w h i c h c o n s u m e r s a n swe r ye s, we w i l l r e c o m m e n d t h e y call their doctor immediately T hough our policy re g arding meal delivery has been to hand the meal to our consumers and do a face to face well-being check, in most circumstances we will now leave the meal in a safe location outside the door with our driver conducting a verbal wellness check.
We will kee p you up to date about new d eve l o p m e n t s a n d a d d i t i o n a l s t e p s we w i l l b e t a k i n g t o ke e p o u r c o n s u m e r s h e a l t hy A s a lways, p l e a s e c a l l E l d e r Services at (413) 499-0524 if you have any questions
Some impor tant resources for you to lear n more about the Coronavirus:
• Massachusetts De par tment of Health www.mass.gov/2019coronavirus
• B e r k s h i r e H e a l t h S y s t e m s C o r o n av i r u s I n f o r m a t i o n H o t l i n e 1-855-262-5465
• Mass211has set up a line to suppor t r e s i d e n t s d u r i n g t h e o n g o i n g response to COVID-19 Massachusetts re s i d e n t s c a n d i a l 2 - 1 - 1 at a ny t i m e for real-time COVID-19 infor mation, resources and refer rals in multiple languages.
E l d e r S e r v i c e s ’ B e r k s h i r e S e n i o r, M a yJ u n e 2 0 2 0
The 2020 Berkshire SuperGenarian Forum Season
By Mary Jane Incorvia Mattina and Francine Weinberg
Once you read be yond this first
p a ra g ra p h , i t w i l l b e a p p a re n t that this article w as written at a
d i f fe re n t t i m e a n d i n a d i f fe re n t
p l a c e f o r o u r c o u n t y, o u r s t a t e ,
o u r c o u n t r y a n d o u r w o rl d
Yo u w i l l re a d a b o u t t h e p l a n s
B e rk s h i re S u p e r G e n a ri a n s h a d
f o r 2 0 2 0 L i k e s o m u c h e l s e i n
t h e s e s t ra n ge t i m e s, t h o s e p l a n s had to be modified to accommodate
t h e C OV I D - 1 9 p a n d e m i c . I t
w a s n e c e s s a r y t o p o s t p o n e t h e
Fo ru m w e p l a n n e d f o r M a y 1 7
i n P i t t s f i e l d . We a r e h o p e f u l
t h a t t h e Ju l y 8 Fo ru m i n G re a t
B a r r i n g t o n a n d t h e O c t o b e r 9
Forum in North Adams will tak e
p l a c e a s s ch e d u l e d . We a re al s o
h o p e f u l t h a t w e c a n re s c h e d u l e
t h e P i t t s f i e l d Fo ru m fo r a l a t e r
d a t e i n 2 0 2 0 . P l e a s e c h e c k o u r
F a c e b o o k p a g e a t f a c e b o o k .
c o m / b e rk s u p e rg f o r u p d a t e s i n
t h e c o m i n g w e e k s o r e m a i l u s
a t b e rk s u p e rg @ g m a i l . c o m f o r
updates as the y become available, all of which will be consistent with health guidelines But whate v er
t h e o u t c o m e s f o r t h e 2 0 2 0 B S G
Fo r u m s , o n e t h i n g i s c e r t a i n .
T h e re i s o n e s e g m e n t a n d o n e
s e g m e n t o n l y o f o u r p o p u l a t i o n that is blessed with life experience
a n d t h e w i s d o m t h a t c a n c o m e
f r o m t h a t l i f e e x p e r i e n c e n o amount of intelligence and youth can substitute for the experience
t h a t c o m e s w i t h l o n g e v i t y
S u p e r G e n a r i a n s a r e m a d e
st rong and stay st rong. We will
e m e rg e f r o m t h e c h al l e n g e s o f this pandemic into a new nor mal st ronger and more resilient than we were before. Now please read what we wrote at the be ginning of March 2020
Ye s , yo u r e a d t h a t h e a d l i n e
c o r r e c t l y I n 2 0 2 0 B e rk s h i r e
SuperGenarians will present not one, not two, but three Forums o n e i n t h e s p r i n g , o n e i n t h e
summer and one in the fall a full season of Forums!
F o r t h o s e o f y o u w h o a r e n o t f a m i l i a r w i t h B e r k s h i r e
SuperGenarians, let’s star t with a b r i e f s u m m a r y A f ew ye a r s
a g o M a r y Ja n e a n d F r a n fo u n d themselves frequently discussing the lack of local resources for upt o - d a t e i n f o r m a t i o n o n h e
o l d e r a d u l t , s p e c i f i c a l ly f i t a n d active older adults who want to achieve or maintain a stimulating lifestyle. Such a lifestyle should
l e a d t o l o n g ev i t y ch a r a c t e r i z e d by a high quality HEALTHSPAN
r a t h e r t h a n a d i s m a l l i f e s p a n I n s t e a d o f wa i t i n g fo r s o m e o n e
e l s e t o p r o v i d e a r e s o u r c e f o r this infor mation, we established
B e rk s h i r e S u p e r G e n a r i a n s t o
b e t h a t m u c h n e e d e d r e s o u r c e
i n we s t e r n m o s t M a s s a ch u s e t t s.
T h i s i s o u r h i s t o r y a n d o u r mission in a nutshell.
T o f u l f i l l o u r m i s s i o n w e
decided that the most impactful
o u t re a ch we c o u l d o f f e r wo u l d
b e a F o r u m f o r o u r f e l l o w
SuperGenarians. We would invite dy n a m i c a n d e xc e l l e n t m e d i c a l
p r ov i d e r s t o i n t e r p r e t c u r r e n t
m e d i c a l re s e a rch i n t e r m s t h at
o f f e r t h e a t t e n d e e s a c t i o n a b l e
s t e p s t o s e l f - c a re a n d a q u a l i t y healthspan. In both 2018 and 2019 we of fered a free, half-day Forum
t o t h e B e rk s h i r e c o m m u n i t y
T he two speakers at each of the Fo r u m s , D r. M a rk P e t t u s a n d
D r. D e b r a Po l l a c k i n 2 0 1 8 a n d
D r M a rk Pe t t u s a n d D r M a r y
O ’ M a l l e y i n 2 0 1 9 , t h o r o u g h l y eng aged the attendees with their presentations. The question and a n swe r p e r i o d s f o l l ow i n g e a c h
t a l k we re l ive ly a n d c o u l d h ave continued well beyond the time
a l l o t t e d f o r e a c h Fo r u m . We
l e a r n e d f ro m t h e 2 0 0 at t e n d e e s
a t e a c h o f t h e F o r u m s t h a t
B e rk s h i re S u p e r G e n a r i a n s wa s indeed providing a much needed
r e s o u r c e w i t h i t s i n f o r m a t ive
a n d s o c i a l ly e n g a g i n g Fo r u m s. The responses to the surveys we
distributed both years included comments such as “both speakers
f a n t a s t i c ” a n d “ c o n t i nu e t o d o what you do.” We realized that we were on to something helpful and needed within Berkshire County
A l t h o u g h t h e 2 0 1 8 a n d 2 0 1 9
Forums were very well attended and centrally located in Pittsfield,
t r a n s p o r t a t i o n t o P i t t s f i e l d i s
a b a r r i e r f o r m a n y r e s i d e n t s
t h r o u g h o u t t h e 9 5 0 s q u a r e
m i l e s o f B e r k s h i r e C o u n t y
F r o m t h e s t a r t o f B e rk s h i r e
SuperGenarians we have tried to make a sincere ef for t to overcome
r a c i a l , e c o n o m i c , g e n d e r , religious and ethnic bar riers to o u r o u t re a ch a n d c e r t a i n ly t h e
t r a n s p o r t a t i o n b a r r i e r n e e d s to be addressed We are scaling t h i s b a r r i e r i n 2 0 2 0 by o f f e r i n g
t h r e e Fo r u m s , o n e i n c e n t r a l
c o u n t y, o n e i n s o u t h c o u n t y and one in nor th county F rom feedback on our Forum surveys, we have chosen two topics with substantial relevance and interest to our audience: The Application of Mind-Body Science to Health; and Coping with Loss and Stress. D r M a rk P e t t u s w i l l g iv e u s insights on the for mer topic at all three Forums and Dr. Alex Sabo will speak on the latter topic at the Pittsfield and Nor th Adams For ums and Dr Maria Sirois at t h e G r e a t B a r r i n g t o n Fo r u m . Here are the details on the dates, times and locations of the three 2 0 2 0 B e rk s h i r e S u p e r G e n a r i a n Fo r u m s. P l e a s e n o t e t h a t t h e For ums remain free and no prere gistration is required but that seating is limited at each venue as described below.
Sunday, May 17, 1:30 to 5:00 p m , Z i o n L u t h e r a n C o m m o n Room, 74 First Street, Pittsfield, M A O p e n t o t h e f i r s t 1 0 0 guests.
We d n e s d a y, Ju l y 8 , 8 : 3 0 t o n o o n , B e r k s h i r e S o u t h Re g i o n a l C o m m u n i t y C e n t e r, 1 5 C r i s s e y R o a d , G r e a t
Bar rington, MA. Open to the first 125 guests
F r i d ay, O c t o b e r 9 , 8 : 3 0 t o n o o n , T h e G r e e n , 8 5 M a i n
S t r e e t , s u i t e 1 0 5 , N o r t h A d a m s , M A O p e n t o t h e
fi r s t 1 0 0 g u e s t s. P re s e n t e d i n
p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h N o r t h e r n
B e r k s h i r e C o m m u n i t y Coalition.
E x p a n d i n g f r o m t h e o n e a n nu a l Fo r u m t o t h re e Fo r u m s i s b u t t h e f i r s t o f o u r 2 0 2 0 i n n o va t i o n s . T h e r e a r e m o r e sur prises planned for you at our
Fo r u m s t h i s ye a r We a r e a l l f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r p h y s i c a l a c t i v i t y m a d e p o s s i b l e by o u r e x t r a o r d i n a r y B e r k s h i r e l a n d s c a p e B u t o u r c u l t u r a l l a n d s c a p e o f f e r s u s e q u a l l y e x t r a o r d i n a r y o p p o r t u n i t i e s i n m u s i c , a r t , d a n c e, t h e at e r a n d m u ch m o re. With a nod to the demonstrated positive impact of music on the brain, at each For um there will
b e w o n d e r f u l e n t e r t a i n m e n t b y l o c a l m u s i c i a n s . A t t h e Pittsfield Forum we are delighted t o h av e t h e yo u n g m u s i c i a n s f r o m K i d s 4 H a r m o n y p e r f o r m . I f yo u h ave n eve r h e a r d t h e m b e f o r e, yo u w i l l b e a m a z e d a t how accomplished these “Kids” a r e. I n G r e a t B a r r i n g t o n t h e mellifluous sounds of The Eagles
T r o m b o n e E n s e m b l e w i l l ke e p yo u t a p p i n g yo u r t o e s o r eve n d a n c i n g i n t h e a i s l e s. A n d i n Nor th Adams our par tners at the Nor ther n Berkshire Community Coalition (nbCC) have pre pared s p e c i a l m u s i c a l e n t e r t a i n m e n t for us
A n d t h e s u r p r i s e s k e e p o n coming in 2020! We have always wa n t e d t o p r ov i d e o u r g u e s t s a t t h e Fo r u m w i t h l i g h t b u t h e a l t hy r e f r e s h m e n t s . T h i s y e a r e x c e p t i o n a l f o o d w i l l b e d o n a t e d by G u i d o ’ s F r e s h M a rke t p l a c e f o r t h e P i t t s fi e l d a n d G re at B a r r i n g t o n Fo r u m s a n d e q u a l l y h e a l t h f u l c h o i c e s
(
Gershenson, T he Natural Cook
C T
Pittsfield and Great Bar rington
Fo
Nor th Adams, we will meet that goal for sure
You can stay up-to-date on all Fo
Fa
l
additional infor mation you would like us to post for the benefit of all SuperGenarians.
And don’t forget the Berkshire S u p e r G e n a r
n s H a l l Wa l k i
activity, in its second season in the Lenox Public Schools. Ask us how to bring it to your local schools at berksuperg@gmail com
Join us in 2020 for an exciting year of expansion for Berkshire SuperGenarians. Save the Date
We
books, urls, local org anizations, podcasts on our Facebook page as well Give us sug g estions for
•
Mondays at 5 p.m., Tuesdays at 3 p.m., Thursdays at 11 a.m. & Saturday 11:30 a.m.
Or watch online, ON DEMAND on pitts eldtv.org.
Thank you to our friends at PCT V for all their help in making Berkshire Senior T V accessible to our communit y
Age -Proof Gardening
n n i n g
s e n i o r s c a n c o n t i n u e t o e n j o y
t h e b e n e f i t s o f f r e s h a i r a n d
s u n s h i n e w h i l e p u r s u i n g a
f a v o r i t e p a s t i m e i n a s a f e ,
a c c e s s i bl e a n d p l e a s a n t s p a c e.
C o n s i d e r a r a i s e d g a r d e n
b e d . R a i s e d b e d s c a n b e t h e
a n s w e r t o t h e d i g g i n g a n d
b e n d i n g re q u i re d by t r a d i t i o n a l
g a rd e n i n g Yo u c a n c re at e yo u r
o w n by b u i l d i n g a f r a m e f r o m
w o o d , s t o n e s , b r i c k s o r e v e n
r u b b e r t i r e s a n d f i l l i n g i t w i t h
s o i l T h e f i r s t c o n s i d e r at i o n i s t o
u s e m at e r i a l s t h at a re s a f e Fo r
e x a m p l e, avo i d h e av y d u t y wo o d p r e s
t i e t
plastic wood); just add compost/ s
Home De pot, or BJs, or on online g a r d e n i n g s i t e s. T r o u g h s a r
g h t a n d m a d e o f wood, metal or plastic.
Fo r m o s t a g i n g g a r d e n e r s, a bed that is approximately 2 feet h i g h a n d 3 t o 4 f e e t w i d e w i l l
d o t h e j o b. B u t t h e re a re o t h e r
factors to consider. Do you use a wheelchair or a walker? Do you s t a n d t o g a rd e n o r d o yo u n e e d to sit? If possible, get raised beds made to “fit” you and your needs. If you need to sit most of the time, add a sitting ledge onto the top of the raised bed or create access to the bed so you can sit on a stool or a chair as you g arden
Be sure that there is safe and
a m p l e s p a c e f o r yo u t o w a l k
a n d t u r n a r o u n d . I f yo u u s e
a w h e e l c h a i r o r a wa l ke r, t h e pathway should be at least four
f e e t w i d e. T h e s u r f a c e s h o u l d
b e l eve l , s m o o t h a n d h ave g o o d draina g e Well-placed pavers or fl at fi e l d s t o n e s o n t h e p r i m a r y
p a t h s t o t h e g a r d e n b e d s a r e
b e t t e r ch o i c e s t h a n wo o d ch i p s or pine needles, which can break down, causing wheels to sink into t h i s s p o n g y m a t e r i a l . C r u s h e d
g r a n i t e t h a t i s p o u n d e d w e l l creates a safe and usable pathway
G e t p o t t e d ! I f yo u l ive i n a n
ap a r t m e n t o r c o n d o a n d h ave a
small patio or balcony switch the in-g round or raised bed g ardens to containers Container g ardens a re m o re m a n a g e abl e fo r t h o
who have limited time and space, and require less strenuous work
Po
door for easy access and harvest. When shopping for container g ardening supplies it is impor tant
t
boxes, hanging baskets and large flower pots
Container g ardening is
major
planter boxes come with casters for mobility and others have selfwatering reservoirs. Potato g row bags are very popular and allow
p
back and knees, but they are also g re at s p
c
- s ave r s o
e ck s o r porches. If you have an existing wall or fence, this can be the star t of your ver tical g arden
Ve r t i c a l s t r u c t u r e s a r e
v e r s a t i l e a n d c o m e i n m a n y
m a t e r i a l s a n d s h a p e s f o r a
w i d e va r i e t y o f p l a n t s T re l l i s
o r l a t t i c e s t r u c t u r e s c a n b e
a t t a c h e d t o w a l l s o r f e n c e s
o r c a n b e f r e e - s t a n d i n g . T h e
ve r t i c a l h e i g h t c a n va r y b u t should not be much taller than the comfor t of your ar m’s reach, e s p e c i a l l y i f yo u a r e g r ow i n g ve getables or fruit that will need harvesting. Tall branches allow creative g ardeners to for m their ow n a t t r a c t ive a n d f u n c t i o n a l ver tical structure
U s e t h e r i g h t t o o l s ! T h e
r a n g e o f g a r d e n i n g t o o l s a n d new designs to choose from can b e o v e r w h e l m i n g T h e t e r m “ergonomic” is often associated
w i t h s p e c i a l ly d e s i g n e d t o o l s t o
m e e t t h e n e e d s f o r t h o s e w i t h
a r t h r i t i s W h e n i nv e s t i n g i n n ew t o o l s, b e s u re t h at yo u c a n t a ke t h e m b a ck i f t h e y d o n ’ t fi t your needs What may work for someone else’s ar thritis may not suit yours.
B u y l i g h t w e i g h t t o o l s w i t h comfor table non slip g rips Many tools like rakes, trowels and forks c o m e w i t h h a n d l e s t h a n c a n b e adjusted to fit the length you need
Ra i se d b e d s ca n b e t h e a n swe r to t h e d i g g i n g a n d b e n d i n g
re q u i re d by t ra d i t i o n a l ga rd e n i n g .
for the job. “Scoots’, basically a
s e a t w i t h wh e e l s, a l l ow yo u t o
g a r d e n f r o m a s e a t e d p o s i t i o n
a n d t o s w i v e l a n d r o l l T h i s
m i n i m i z e s s t r a i n o n yo u r b a ck
a n d k n e e s a n d re d u c e s f at i g u e.
S e e d s a r e c h e a p a n d t h e r e a r e methods of easy sowing such as seed syringes, seed tape and seed with the soil mixed in.
P a i n t t o o l h a n d l e s i n b r i g h t
c o l o r s o r w r a p t h e m i n n e o n
c o l o re d t ap e s o t h e y ’ re e a sy t o
f i n d i f d r o p p e d Ke e p i n g yo u r pruners shar p reduces the stress
o n yo u r h a n d s a n d w r i s t s . I f
g a r d e n i n g t o o l s a r e b e c o m i n g more dif ficult to g rip and wield,
t r y w r a p p i n g f o a m a r o u n d t h e
h a n d l e s o r s l i d i n g fo a m t u b i n g
o n t h e m t o m a ke t h e m t h i cke r and easier to control. Use manual
s h e a r s i n s t e a d o f p owe r h e d g e clippers to avoid accidents.
R e m e m b e r, i n a d d i t i o n t o
l o c a l n u r s e r i e s , B e r k s h i r e
C o u n t y F a r m e r s M a r k e t s
a r e a g r e a t p l a c e t o p i c k u p seedlings and they usually star t
o p e n i n g u p M i d - M a y ! C h e c k
o u t B e rk s h i re G row n ’ s we b s i t e
( h t t p s : / / b e rk s h i r e g r o w n . o r g /
s h o p - l o c a l - n o w ) f o r u p - t o -
d a t e i n f o r m a t i o n o n w h a t ’ s happening with local f ar ms.
Angels of the Berkshires
RICHARD J MESSER, DIRECTOR/OWNER
197 South Street, Bldg. A, Pitts eld, MA 01201 Of ce: 413-344-9281 • Cell: 413-822-4788
rmesser@VisitingAngels.com www.VisitingAngels.com/Pitts eld Contact us so you and/or loved ones can stay living at home!
Thank You To Our Donors:
The following donations were received during the period of Februar y 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020. Donations received on or after April 1, 2020 will appear in the nex t publication of Berkshire Senior.
General Donations
Mr. & Mrs. Gilber t d’Oliveira
Ms. Caron Hobin
MountainOne Bank
Net work For Good
Mr & Mrs William M Reid
Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Spatz
Thursday Morning Club
Elder Independence Donations
American Legion Post 152
Mr. Hayden Bradley
Ms. Pam Capeless
Mr. & Mrs. Terr y F. Cardin
Mr Keith M Davis
Mr & Mrs James Dobber t
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Murphy
Nor th Adams Elks #487
Mr. & Mrs. Steven Pullen
Mrs Mar y Rathbun
Mr & Mrs Matt Ravlich
In Honor of Donations
In Honor of : Larr y and the SHINE Program
Mr Bruce To as
Mr & Mrs Marc Buratto
Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Kilmer
Mr. & Mrs. Scott LeProvost
Mr. & Mrs. Tim Minkler
Lt Col Gregor T Young
In Memor y of : James Har te
Mr. & Mrs. Rober t Balawender
Mr & Mrs John Blaisdell
Mr & Mrs A Bruce Clapper
Ms. Margaret T Donovan
Ms. Shar yn Fresia
Ms. Amber Gutherie
Mr & Mrs Richard Har te
Mr & Mrs Andrew Kopach
Mr. & Mrs. Rober t LeBlanc
Ms. Mar y Masiero
Ms. Jeanne Mosca
Ms Christine Thomson
Mr & Mrs Heath Thomson
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Tournier
Ms. Barbara Vienneau
In Memor y of : Thomas Horn
Ms. Lisa Fournier
In Memor y of : Bernard Houle
Meals on Wheels Donations
Dr. Eugene Talbot
Memorial Donation
In Memor y of : John Anderson
Ms. Christine Maher
In Memor y of : Irene Baczek
Ms. Amy Baczek
Ms. Rose Kubica & Ms. Jean Kubica
Ms. Lori O’Brien
The Billing Team from Har tford
HealthCare Rehab Net work
In Memor y of : Louise Barrett
Ms Frances Rysz
Mr & Mrs John Sadlo
In Memor y of : Mar tha Bressette
Mr. & Mrs. John T. Allen
In Memor y of : John P Buratto
Ms. Marjorie Baldwin
Mr. Peter A. Buratto
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Valentine
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Van Roekens
Mr. & Mrs. David Wallace
In Memor y of : JoAnn Maselli
Mr. & Mrs. John Bergeron
In Memor y of : Glenn Rist
Mr. & Mrs. Gar y Salvadori
In Memor y of : George Shogr y, Sr.
Mr. & Mrs. John Bissell
Mr David Cooke
Greylock Federal Credit Union
Ms. Jodi Rathbun-Briggs
In Memor y of : Phyllis Watroba
Mr. & Mrs. James Canino
Mr. Brian Davine
In Memor y of : Raymond Wells
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Schneider
What is a Successful SHINE Counselor?
John Ar thur Miller, Options Counselor
i n s u r a n c
c o m p a n i e s , d r u g s (le g al ones, that is), phar macies, p u b l i c b e n e f i t s , c l a r i f y i n g
s u g g e s t i o n s a n d r u m o r s f r o m
f r i e n d s , a n d c o u n t l e s s o t h e r variables for yet another year.
I , m y s e l f , a m a S H I N E
c o u n s e l o r, a l t h o u g h I g e n e r a l ly just “help out” during this time,
t r y i n g t o k e e p m y c o l l e a g u e s
a b o v e w a t e r a s t h e y b e c o m e
i n u n d a t e d w i t h o t h e r s ’ n e e d s
But I do reco gnize and have some wonderful and perhaps insightful thoughts to share.
First of all, this crew of giving fo l k a re s m a r t T h e a m o u n t o f
Pe r h a p s m o s t
i m p o r t a n t , t h e s e
u n d a u n t e d
v o l u n t e e rs m u s t
b e a c c e p t i n g.
t r a i n i n g a n d c o n s t a n t u p d at i n g
o f i n f o r m a t i o n r e q u i r e d t o d o
t h e i r j o b we l l i s u n b e l i eva b l e.
E ve r y ye a r t h i n g s ch a n g e. T h e good news is that this frater nity ( s o r o r i t y ? ) o f c o u n s e l o r s i s member suppor tive. If one feels t h e y a r e n o t q u i t e s u r e o f a n a n swe r, a n o t h e r b ro t h e r / s i s t e r, p e r h a p s m o r e e x p e r i e n c e d , i s available and happy to help. They lear n from each other And our leadership within the ranks and
at the top are so very suppor tive Thank you Shauna!!
T h i s c rew i s a l s o p at i e n t a n d
i nve n t ive W h o a m o n g s t u s h a s not come across dr ugs of which we h ave n eve r h e a r d o r wh i c h we cannot spell? Or, who has not met with a consumer without a d r u g l i s t , o r wh o h a s l o s t t h e i r M e d i c a r e c a r d , o r w h o h a s moved from another state where t h e r u l e s m ay b e c o m p l e t e l y dif ferent?
Perhaps most impor tant, these u n d a u n t e d v o l u n t e e r s m u s t b e a c c e p t i n g O u r c o n s u m e r s a r e a l l i n d i v i d u a l s , h a v e individual circumstances, needs, understanding, and capacities to l e a r n a n d r e m e m b e r We m u s t
b e abl e t o wo rk w i t h a l l k i n d s, a n d a c c e p t t h e re a l i t y t h at t h e w i s h e s o f m a n y a r e d i f f e r e n t from what we might think of as “the best idea for them.” We must present and explain the options, bu t t h e n a l l ow e a ch i n d iv i d u a l
t o m a ke h e r / h i s ow n d e c i s i o n s
and choices It brings to mind a consumer of mine, for example, w h o d e c i d e d n o t t o m a k e a n y
c h a n g e s , e v e n t h o u g h t w o ch a n g e s wo u l d h ave s ave d h i m about $1,000! He is in his nineties, h a s h a d t h e s a m e p l a n t h at h a s worked well; money was not the i s s u e, h e d i d n o t wa n t t o r o c k the boat. “If it ain’t broke, don’t f i x i t ! ” S e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n a n d respect are very impor tant Our SHINE folks know and practice that.
T h e y h a v e a g a i n b e e n
s u c c e s s f u l i n p r e p a r i n g f o l k s f o r 2 0 2 0 . T h e y a r e t i r e d , b u t
a
t h ro u g h
ways
t h e ye a r, u n t i l , ye t a g ain, October comes with new r ules, new “deals”, new and old M e d i c a re c o n s u m e r s rev i ew i n g t h e i r p l a n s , w i t h a l i t t l e h e l p f ro m t h e i r S H I N E f r i e n d s A L L HAIL TO THEE, SHINE friends, O WISE ONES, O SUCCESSFUL O N E S , O PAT I E N T O N E S ! Yo u are a blessing to our race!
