Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley Receives Nearly $28,000 Grant from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation to Support Caregiver Trainings in New Hampshire and Massachusetts
Savvy Caregiver Program will support family caregivers of adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or Related Dementia
Lawrence, Mass. – July 2018 – Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and the Healthy Living Center of Excellence in Lawrence, Mass., received a grant totaling $27,573 from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation. The grant will support Savvy Caregiver trainings throughout New Hampshire and existing Savvy Caregiver program activities in Massachusetts.
The grant will fund regional trainings starting on September 26, 2018, with the goal of more than 20 new leaders being trained to offer 20 workshops, reaching more than 200 caregivers in New Hampshire.
According to Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley, more than 40 million Americans provide 37 billion hours of unpaid care each year for adult family members and friends. The burden is particularly challenging for family caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia.
“As a direct result of the support of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, caregiver trainings will expand into New Hampshire, where these family caregivers will now have improved access to resources in their community. These caregivers will develop the skills needed to support them as they care both for their loved one and for themselves,” said Joan Hatem-Roy, Chief Executive Officer of Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley.
Topics in the training include:
* Acknowledging the Disease
* Understanding Emotional Tolerance
* Assessing the Care Recipient’s Capabilities
* Developing and Modifying Strategies
* Establishing Realistic Goals
* Problem Solving
* Self-Care
“By providing these educational programs, we hope to promote independence and empower caregivers to get the emotional support and encouragement they so desperately need as they care for their loved ones. Harvard Pilgrim is proud to partner with Elder Services of Merrimack Valley to bring these opportunities to New Hampshire residents,” said William Graham, Senior Vice President of Medicare Business for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.
To find a Savvy Caregiver program in New Hampshire, visit the Healthy Living Center of Excellence’s Workshop Schedule at: https://healthyliving4me.org/workshop-schedule/.
About the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation
Created in 1980, The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation supports Harvard Pilgrim’s mission to improve the quality and value of health care for the people and communities we serve. The Foundation provides the tools, training and leadership to help build healthy communities throughout Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. In 2017, the Harvard Pilgrim Foundation awarded nearly $2.3 million in grants to 900 not-for-profit organizations in the region. Since its inception, the Foundation has granted nearly $145 million in funds and resources throughout the four states. For more information visit www.harvardpilgrim.org/foundation
Press Release: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation Awards $49,000 Grant to Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley Towards the Healthy Living Center of Excellence
Healthy Eating for Successful Living program funds mark first Harvard Pilgrim Foundation grant to support new focus on healthy aging
Wellesley and Lawrence, Mass. – Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation today announced it has awarded $49,187 to Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and the Healthy Living Center of Excellence in Lawrence, Mass. This is the Foundation’s first grant awarded to support active living and healthy aging. The grant will support lay leader trainings and workshops throughout Massachusetts to train leaders to provide Healthy Eating Active Living workshops for seniors.
“Eating healthy food and staying active can enhance the quality of life for people of all ages, including those over 65,” said Karen Voci, president of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation. “These workshops provide critical information that will promote independence and well-being, and empower seniors to make healthy choices and help them live a long and enriched life.”
Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and Hebrew SeniorLife, through their Healthy Living Center of Excellence, will grow the Healthy Eating for Successful Living program within Massachusetts, as well as exploring opportunities to partner and introduce the program in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine. Through regional trainings, more than 60 new leaders will be deployed to offer 70 workshops, reaching 1,000 program participants.
The first two-day training took place in Lawrence earlier this month. Participating in the program were trainees who intend to deliver the program in English, Spanish and Chinese.
“As a direct result of the support of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, nutrition education programs are now available in communities not previously served,” said Rosanne DiStefano, Executive Director of Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley. “These participants will develop the skills needed to improve their health and lives.”
To find a Healthy Eating for Successful Living program near you, visit the Healthy Living Center of Excellence’s Workshop Schedule:
About The Healthy Living Center of Excellence: The Massachusetts Healthy Living Center of Excellence (HLCE) is a collaboration between Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley (an aging service access point in Lawrence) and Hebrew SeniorLife (a housing and health care provider for older adults). Over the last five years, the HLCE has grown from a collaborative of a dozen community based organizations simply implementing Chronic Disease Self-Management Education to a 90 member provider network, offering more than 14 wellness, prevention, and disease management programs all aimed at improved health outcomes and increased social engagement. The HLCE network includes a centralized infrastructure capable of acting as a single point of entry for adults of any age in need of nutrition education. This infrastructure is further supported by quality/fidelity monitoring, continuous quality assessment activities, statewide collation meetings, and seven (7) regional networks sharing best practices and maintaining local sensitivities. More information about the HLCE can be found at www.healthyliving4me.xzitostaging.com.
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