Governor Baker recently extended the emergency orders for nonessential businesses to stay closed till May 4th. Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and North Shore (Elder Services MV/NS) is considered an essential business, and remains open to address the needs of elders and disabled adults for assistance in 28 communities. Although our staff is working remotely, and we are all taking appropriate precautions to limit contact, we continue to provide and expand services in response to our community needs:
- Our case managers and providers continue to work with consumers to ensure their service needs are met, and they have adequate food and home care assistance. These services support health, nutritional needs, home sanitization and personal hygiene, as well as emotional support and comfort.
- We have consistent delivery of Meals on Wheels each day. We have already seen a 20% increase in referrals to our Meals on Wheels program; and have expanded our nutrition services to accommodate increasing number of elders as other nutritional programs have closed. We are also working with the food banks to deliver non-perishable goods to those in need. Each recipient receives at least one hot meal each day and has approximately 11 days’ worth of nonperishable meals in supply.
- We are hosting weekly calls with our 28 local councils on aging and senior centers to better understand local needs and how we might collaborate to meet those needs.
- Our Protective Service team is still connecting with those older adults in our community at risk, assuring they are safe, and working with them to take appropriate steps when they are not.
We are in close contact with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA), and the Department of Public Health, and we are following their guidance as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended best practices.
We understand that this is a fluid situation and information may change quickly so we are continuing to monitor what is happening and adjust our plans as needed.
Stay safe,
Joan Hatem-Roy
Chief Executive Officer
