News

Region – One of the most daunting events that can rock a family is when it is apparent that a beloved elder is in need of help due to a medical, physical or emotional change. Compounding this problem is that one often does not know where to look for support, especially if the elder lives alone or far from family. For anyone facing this situation there is one nonprofit organization, Baypath Elder Care Services, Inc., that can help guide and offer information, resources, and references in a compassionate, supportive way.

Boston – Governor Charlie Baker delivered his State of the Commonwealth speech in January, and the next day filed his annual budget with the Legislature. Both actions contained good news for older people in Massachusetts.

Within 24 hours of being admitted, Miller suffered a seizure and was brought to a hospital. When the hospital called the nursing home to report Miller was ready to return, the facility said it wouldn’t accept her back.

Worcester - Every Tuesday morning from 7:30-9 a.m. at the Worcester Jewish Community Center (JCC), a group of senior men meet for breakfast, to catch up on the current events, and maybe solve a trivia puzzle. Then at 9 a.m. sharp, it’s time for Mantalk, facilitated by Nancy Greenberg, the JCC’s senior adult/cultural arts director.

No one was more surprised than Diane Thaler of Stoughton when she suffered a massive heart attack. She had no heart disease risk factors, so some people might speculate that its occurrence was due to the ill-fated date: Friday, Dec. 13, 2013. “Everybody was totally shocked because I ate well, exercised, wasn’t overweight, wasn’t diabetic and didn’t have high blood pressure,” said Thaler, now age 68. “It was quite a surprise to everyone – most of all, to me.”

The Massachusetts Association of Older Americans (MAOA) and the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health are once again partnering for two aging and mental health conferences to be held in Westport and Worcester. It has been a longtime, successful partnership between the organizations as they continue to present four conferences annually, noted MAOA Executive Director Chet Jakubiak.

Northborough – Karen Brewster of Northborough got quite a surprise on her birthday Aug. 5. She was presented the Presidential Volunteer Service Award by the Family Readiness Group (FRG) at the Massachusetts National Guard unit where her daughter, Spc. Alysia Brewster, is stationed. Also, her son, Spc. Nicholas Brewster, is serving in the Army and currently deployed in the Middle East. Brewster volunteers as the unit’s FRG chair.

Tax filing season will soon be upon us, and AARP can help! Retirement or other life changes may mean your taxes are a little more complicated now. The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program offers free tax preparation and filing help to those in need, especially adults 50 and older, during tax season. You do not have to be an AARP member nor be retired to use this free service. With the help of our team of IRS-certified volunteers, Tax-Aide makes it easier for you. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers receive complete tax preparation training and IRS certification prior to working with taxpayers. Last year, 675 AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers helped more than 44,865 Massachusetts residents file their federal and state tax returns.

Cam Sowa Photo/Ed Karvoski Jr. By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer Grafton/Westborough – While working a 25-year banking career, Cam Sowa also spent periods of time...

Modeled after the highly successful AMBER Alert program run by the Massachusetts State Police, Silver Alert will ensure that the critical communications infrastructure is utilized to coordinate and focus search efforts of numerous state and local agencies, as well as civilian organizations, when responding to an incident involving an adult with serious memory impairment.