Media Release
March 23, 2023
A total of $3 million was awarded to AgeSpan and other Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) and acute care hospitals across Massachusetts through the Hospital to Home Partnership Program, which is designed to build partnerships between ASAPs and hospitals to strengthen communication and coordination with community providers.
AgeSpan, in partnership with Lawrence General Hospital, was awarded a grant for $300,000 for the next two years by the Healey-Driscoll Administration. AgeSpan has also partnered with Malden-based Mystic Valley Elder Services, who was awarded a grant for $300,000, in partnership with Tufts Medicine Melrose Wakefield and Lowell General Hospitals.
The money is intended for AgeSpan and other ASAPs to hire personnel who work with the hospital and other regional partners to connect patients and their families with resources and services that ensure appropriate supports are put into place in their homes upon discharge.
“This grant provides community-based organizations, such as AgeSpan, an opportunity to strengthen our relationships with hospital systems and assure patients receive a well-coordinated discharge plan that supports their needs in community-based settings”, said AgeSpan CEO Joan Hatem-Roy.
Improved discharge processes from hospitals help ease capacity constraints and support patients returning to their homes, which opens beds for patients who require an acute level of care.
“Our healthcare system remains under significant pressure, and this is a solution that can make a tremendous difference for care access, wait times, and the strain on caregivers,” said Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association president and CEO Steve Walsh.
Funding for the grant is provided by the American Rescue Plan Act.
AgeSpan, formerly known as Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and North Shore, is a private, nonprofit agency dedicated to helping people in northeast Massachusetts maintain the highest level of independence, health, and safety as they age. AgeSpan is a Massachusetts Aging Services Access Point and an Area Agency on Aging. For more, information about AgeSpan and its services, visit www.AgeSpan.org or call 800-892-0890.
