June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month!
Did you know that June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month? Check out the special resources created by the Alzheimer’s Association!
The Benefits of Physical Activity for Older Adults
Osteofitness class participants at the Lexington Council on Aging
As we age, staying physically active is one of the best ways to maintain overall health, independence, and quality of life. Regular physical activity helps older adults stay strong, mobile, and mentally sharp. While aging naturally brings changes to the body, exercise can slow down many of these effects, making it an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. Whether it’s walking, swimming, yoga, or strength training, staying active provides numerous benefits that enhance both physical and mental well-being.
Improves Heart Health
One of the greatest benefits of regular physical activity is its positive impact on heart health. Exercise strengthens the heart, improves circulation, and helps regulate blood pressure. It also lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, and high cholesterol. Activities like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming can help older adults keep their cardiovascular system strong and efficient.
Maintains Strength and Mobility
Muscle mass and bone density naturally decrease with age, leading to weakness and an increased risk of falls. However, regular strength training and weight-bearing exercises help maintain muscle strength and bone health. Activities like resistance training, bodyweight exercises, and even gardening can improve mobility, balance, and coordination, reducing the likelihood of injuries.
Aids in Weight Management
Metabolism slows as we age, making weight management more challenging. Regular exercise helps burn calories, maintain a healthy weight, and prevent obesity-related conditions like diabetes and hypertension. Even moderate physical activity, such as daily walks or light aerobic exercises, can make a significant difference in maintaining a healthy body composition.
Boosts Mental and Cognitive Health
Physical activity isn’t just good for the body, it’s also essential for brain health. Exercise reduces stress, anxiety, and depression by releasing endorphins, which promote feelings of well-being. Staying active improves cognitive function and memory, helping to lower the risk of dementia. Simple activities like dancing, tai chi, or even playing sports keeps the brain sharp and engaged.
Enhances Flexibility and Balance
Falls are a major concern for older adults, often leading to injuries and hospitalizations. Activities that focus on flexibility, balance, and coordination, such as yoga, Pilates, and tai chi, can help reduce the risk of falls. These exercises improve posture, strengthen core muscles, and enhance body awareness, making daily movements safer and more controlled.
Encourages Social Interaction
Exercise provides an excellent opportunity for older adults to socialize, which is crucial for mental and emotional well-being. Joining a fitness class, walking with friends, or participating in community sports fosters social connections and helps combat feelings of loneliness and isolation. Staying socially engaged has been linked to a longer, healthier life.
Promotes Better Sleep
Regular physical activity contributes to better sleep quality by regulating the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Exercise helps reduce stress and anxiety, making it easier to fall and stay asleep. Engaging in light activities like stretching or an evening walk can promote relaxation and lead to deeper, more restful sleep.
Staying physically active is one of the best ways for older adults to maintain their independence, health, and happiness. Exercise helps prevent chronic diseases, strengthens the body, and supports mental well-being. No matter the activity, staying active contributes to a longer, healthier, and more fulfilling life.
Alzheimer’s Association Program: LGBTQIA+ Panel Discussion
Building an Age and Dementia Friendly Community: It Takes a Village (and a Region!)
A Conversation with James Fuccione of the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative
When it comes to creating communities where older adults can thrive, James Fuccione, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative, emphasizes one key ingredient: partnership. As he puts it, “It’s all about asking and listening and telling a story… getting the community to tell their story about what healthy aging means.” And a crucial part of that story is the concept of age-friendly.
This collaborative spirit lies at the heart of building age and dementia friendly communities. It’s about bringing together diverse voices – Councils on Aging (COAs), town officials, schools, businesses, healthcare providers, and older adults themselves – to create environments that support well-being and inclusivity. Because what constitutes “healthy aging” can vary significantly from one community to the next. What works in a bustling city might be very different from the needs of a rural town. That’s why understanding the specific context of each community is so vital.
A 500-Foot View of an Age-Friendly Community
An age and dementia friendly community is one that actively supports the health and well-being of its older residents. It recognizes that aging is a natural part of life and seeks to create environments where everyone can thrive, regardless of age. This often translates into improvements across several key domains that combines age friendly and dementia friendly principles so communities can be more inclusive. Based on feedback, communities may choose any combination of these focus areas and can even build or elevate other priorities. The “Salem for All Ages” initiative, for example, highlights volunteerism as a distinct priority.
- Access, Equity, and Cultural Inclusion: Ensuring that all older adults, regardless of background, identity, or ability, have equitable access to resources, opportunities, and services. This includes addressing disparities and promoting cultural sensitivity in all aspects of community life.
- Outdoor Spaces and Buildings: Safe, accessible, and welcoming public spaces that encourage social interaction and physical activity. Think well-maintained parks, accessible sidewalks, and community centers designed with the needs of older adults in mind.
- Housing: Diverse and adaptable choices allow older adults to age in place safely and comfortably. This could include home modification programs, accessible housing units, and supportive living communities.
- Social Inclusion and Participation: Encouraged and celebrated through opportunities for intergenerational connections, volunteerism, and lifelong learning. Community centers buzzing with activities, shared spaces in schools and libraries, and mentorship programs connecting older adults with younger generations are all hallmarks of age-friendly communities.
- Transportation: Accessible and affordable options connect older adults to social activities, healthcare, and essential services. Think ride-sharing programs, volunteer driver networks, and expanded public transportation options tailored to the needs of older adults.
- Civic Participation and Employment: Opportunities for older adults to remain active in their communities through volunteer work, civic engagement, and flexible employment options. Valuing the experience and knowledge of older adults and providing avenues for them to contribute.
- Communication and Technology: Accessible and user-friendly information channels keep older adults informed about community resources, programs, and events. Bridging the digital divide and ensuring older adults have the skills and access to technology they need to stay connected.
- Services (Business, Health, and Community): Access to a range of health and social services, as well as businesses catering to their needs, that are tailored to the needs of older adults, promoting both physical and mental well-being.
- Public Safety: Creating a safe and secure environment for older adults, addressing issues such as crime prevention, fall prevention, and emergency preparedness. Promoting a sense of security and well-being in the community.
Map of AF/DF current Communities
The Power of Regional Approaches
Fuccione highlights the importance of regional collaboration, particularly for smaller communities with limited resources. Often in Massachusetts, individual communities are left to pursue grants or address needs, but these regional efforts have proven that cities and small towns can support each other. By working together, neighboring communities can pool resources, share best practices, and create a broader impact. This could involve joint transportation initiatives, regional volunteer programs, or shared community spaces. This regional approach is especially valuable for creating age-friendly communities because it allows smaller towns to leverage the resources and expertise of larger partners.
Resources for Building Age-Friendly Communities:
- Statewide Network Meeting March 13 REGISTER (open to COAs and other AF/DF partners): Focus on regional work
- Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative: Provides support, resources, and guidance for communities and organizations working to become more age-friendly and dementia-friendly.
- Reimagine Aging podcast for more insights!
- Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative News & Updates: Stay informed about funding opportunities, updates, and research related to the age/dementia-friendly movement. Sign up for their newsletter here!
- AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities: Offers a framework, resources, and tools for communities to become more livable for people of all ages. Explore their tools and find a map of communities in their age-friendly network.
- MCOA Age-Friendly/Dementia-Friendly Webpage: Your central hub for information and resources on age-friendly and dementia-friendly initiatives in Massachusetts.
- Executive Office of Aging & Independence (EOA&I) Age-Friendly/Dementia-Friendly Tools: Access valuable tools, including the AF/DF integration toolkit and DF infrastructure guide, to support your community’s efforts.
- AARP Livable Communities: Explore tools and resources to help communities become more livable for residents of all ages.
By embracing a collaborative, community-driven approach, and by understanding the unique needs of each locality, we can create truly age-friendly environments where older adults are valued, supported, and empowered to live their best lives. As Fuccione reminds us, “It’s an investment in all of our futures.”
Living Well After the Diagnosis
Living Well After the Diagnosis
- Friday, January 31, 2025
- 9:30 am – 12:00 pm ET
- Live Virtual Program
Designed for individuals living with early stage dementia & their care partners
All are welcome to attend
The Alzheimer’s Association, New England Chapters, will offer a special half-day program, Living Well After the Diagnosis, for individuals living with early-stage dementia and their care partners. The program will feature a panel discussion of individuals living with memory loss. Panelists will discuss coping with a diagnosis and combating the stigma associated with the disease. They will also talk about the importance of disease education, social engagement, and having a voice in your own care. In addition, Dr. Julie Brody Magid will present Living Well with Cognitive Challenges: Tips and Strategies, featuring cognitive strategies to help manage common difficulties encountered in daily life to improve feelings of well-being and self-reliance.
This program is sponsored by Lorenzo’s House and Jewish Family & Children Services.
Learn more and REGISTER HERE
Tips for Navigating the Holidays
The Alzheimer’s Association MA/NH Chapter is offering two presentations designed to help caregivers through some of the stresses the holiday season can bring. Consider hosting a watch party and please share this opportunity with your participants!
DECEMBER 5, 2024
6:00 – 7:00 PM
Live Virtual
Click here to register
DECEMBER 11, 2024
12:00 – 1:00 PM
Live Virtual
Click here to register
Alzheimer’s Association’s Free, CEU-Earning Program
Person-Centered Dementia Care: Understanding Behaviors and Effective Communication
Thursday, December 12, 2024
12:00-1:30 PM
Zoom
As people living with dementia progress in their journey, their ability to communicate also changes. Professionals must discover new ways to communicate effectively for all stages of the disease. Behavior is a powerful form of communication and is one of the primary ways for people with dementia to communicate their needs and feelings as the ability to use verbal communication diminishes. Join us to learn how dementia affects communication, how person-centered approaches can improve communication, how to decode behavioral messages, identify common behavior triggers, and learn strategies to help intervene with some of the most common behavioral challenges of Alzheimer’s disease.
Free CEUs for social workers and nurses
Registration link
Grants for Dementia Friendly Work
The 2024 Dementia Friendly Massachusetts (DFM) survey results indicated a strong interest in learning about grant funding opportunities. Several responses also pointed to a lack of financial support being a barrier to growing DFM initiatives. Here are some grant programs and funders that might be a fit for your ideas (each title is a link):
Service Incentive Grants (SIG), EOEA grant funds administered by MCOA
Categories of SIG grants are subject to change, but the FY25 categories most relevant to DFM work were for Memory Cafés, Age-and Dementia-Friendly initiatives, and Caregiver Respite. The link takes you to an overview of the FY25 grant timeline (starting in spring 2024), which will be similar for FY26.
Point32 Health Foundation
Point32Health Foundation has an equity in aging focus. It supports programs that acknowledge and seek to remedy systemic barriers to better health. If your program idea would help meet needs of high-risk people within your community of older adults, it might be eligible for support. Inquiry forms are accepted at any time.
Massachusetts Community Foundations
Community Foundations in Massachusetts are regional nonprofits that span the state and have various means of doing philanthropic work in their communities, either by giving grants directly or directing donors to organizations and programs that they endorse. Find out about the one close to you: if they give grants, and if your program ideas might be eligible.
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
The Boston Foundation
Brookline Community Foundation
Cambridge Community Foundation
Cape Cod Foundation
Community Foundation of Nantucket
Community Foundation of North Central MA
Community Foundation of Western MA
Essex County Community Foundation
Foundation for MetroWest
Greater Lowell Community Foundation
Greater Worcester Community Foundation
Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation
South Coast Community Foundation
Watertown Community Foundation
Local Cultural Councils
LCC funds could support musicians and artists featured at Memory Cafés! Every municipality has an LCC that distributes MA Cultural Council money. Usually COAs partner with an artist who will write the grant and be the direct recipient of funds.
Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation
Providing small grants ($1,000-$20,000) to nonprofits and government entities for a broad array of programs or operating support. November 12 is the next deadline. Learn more on their FAQ page; they have not defined specific funding priorities.
We are keeping a growing list of these on the DFM website’s Resources page.
Unique Dementia Care Models to Expand Our Sense of Possibilities
We all know what it’s like to be mired in the day-to-day demands that make it increasingly hard to see the forest for the trees and to maintain the vitality of our connection to the meaning of our work.
But there are unique ideas and programs aiming to improve how we build a society that is livable for older adults that are brilliantly worthy of our attention. They encourage us to slow down and take the time to grow our compassion through the extraordinary experiences of others.
A couple programs of this nature came to my attention in the past week: Gold Coats and the living experiment that inspired the Human Forever documentary film (2024).
Gold Coats
The Gold Coat program, based at the California Men’s Colony State Prison in San Luis Obispo, trains inmates to provide a high standard of care for their fellow inmates who are living with dementia and other cognitive disorders. Testimony from the Gold Coats provides extremely moving insight about the power of caring for others in the most trying circumstances.
- Nine-minute documentary about the Gold Coats in a California prison
- Book: The Gold Coats: An Exceptional Standard of Care by Steven Berry, Terrance David, David Harvey, Shawn Henderson, Barry Hughes, Samuel Law, and Aileen Hongo
- TedMed talk about the program by clinical psychologist Cheryl Steed, who created the training at CA Men’s Colony
- Gold Coats website promoting the book
Human Forever
Teun Toebes, a 25-year-old Dutch nursing student and now an international spokesperson on dementia and healthcare innovation, lived in a closed ward memory care unit in a Dutch nursing home for three years. He wrote a book about that experience and then toured the world with independent filmmaker Jonathan de Jong to learn about international models of care and to create the film Human Forever (2024).
Teun Toebes’ book about his experiences: The Housemates: Everything One Young Student Learnt about Love, Care and Dementia from Living in a Nursing Home
Go ahead—give yourself permission to learn a little bit about creative and innovative ways to provide care and special experiences for people living with dementia.
The Home Modification Loan Program in MA
The mic-drop moment at the July 11 Outreach meeting was when the presenter, Tim O’Reilly, who manages building projects for Backyard ADUs, shared that Massachusetts’ Home Modification Loan Program (HMLP) will provide 0% interest loans of up to $50K to eligible households for the building of accessory dwelling units.
Older or disabled adults who are interested in making changes to their homes to increase their long-term, at-home independence, may apply to the program.
Additionally, household members who are not disabled or over 60 can submit applications for home modifications or the creation of accessory dwelling units (free-standing or in the existing home) that will aid older adults or people with disabilities in their households.
Distinct from a home repair program, HMLP provides loans that support projects that may include: ramp and lifts, bathroom and kitchen adaptations, sensory integration spaces, fencing, and, as noted, accessory dwelling units. It’s all about increasing accessibility.
The HMLP is administered for the state by the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC), which in turn has delegated the processing of applications to regional agencies. For a list of regional provider agencies and eligibility and application information, see the program brochure.
More general information on the program can be found on CEDAC’s HMLP webpage.
2023 Income Limits
| Household size | Maximum Annual Income |
| 1 | $207,800 |
| 2 | $237,600 |
| 3 | $267,200 |
| 4 | $296,800 |
| 5 | $320,600 |
| 6 | $344,400 |
| 7 | $368,200 |
| 8 | $391,800 |
