Spring 2024 Newsletter

An age- and dementia-friendly community is a place that makes it easy for older people to stay connected to people that are important to them. And it helps people stay healthy and active even at the oldest ages and provides appropriate support to those who can no longer look after themselves.  The Action Plan, released last fall is the culmination of three years and hundreds of hours of work by residents and staff to create a roadmap of how our community can be the best place possible to age.

Selectboard Meetings to Discuss the Action Plan Continue

by Lynne Feldman, Director of Community Services

The next step on the Action Plan has been to meet with select boards to engage them in a conversation about what steps they would like to take. We sent copies of the plan and a letter suggesting this as a topic for an upcoming meeting. LifePath and FRCOG staff have visited seven communities with two more scheduled:

• Athol
• Bernardston
• Charlemont
• Conway
• Gill
• Orange
• Shelburne
• Shutesbury
• Wendell



Thank you to these communities for your age-friendly commitments! If your community would like to have us at a select board meeting, please have your town scheduler reach out to Lynne Feldman at lfeldman@lifepathma.org.

Age-friendly in Action: Walk Colrain

A group of residents came together to create a map of the more walking-friendly roads in Colrain. They have also organized daily walking groups. You can pick up a copy of the map and schedule at the Griswold Memorial Library in Colrain!

Partner of the Month

Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative sends periodic updates on funding, trends, and other important news in aging in the Commonwealth. Click here to sign up for this local resource.

News from Beyond Our Area

• Age- and Dementia-Friendly Massachusetts Action Plan Refresh

Trainings and Resources

LifePath partnered with Greenfield Community College recently to offer a series of programs on Aging in Place. Here are the links to the recorded versions of the workshops. (To view, click on the YouTube image on the lower left side of the screen.)

• NOW’S THE TIME: MAKE YOUR OWN PLAN – with Ellen DiPaola & Thomas Hulley

• AGING IN PLACE: MINOR HOME MODIFICATION – with Mark Devlin, LifePath

• AGING IN PLACE: HOW THE INTERNET OF THINGS SUPPORTS INDEPENDENCE – with Lili Dwight & Kate MacGregor

Your Voice Matters

The Executive Office of Elder Affairs has kicked off a process to refresh the state’s Age- and Dementia Friendly Action Plan. This involves an online survey and a series of listening sessions. Please save the date of Monday, July 29 9:30-11:30 AM at the Olver Center's Allen Room in Greenfield. We will host a listening session so our residents have an opportunity to have their voices heard.

We offer thanks for the continued dedication from the Age-Friendly Franklin County & North Quabbin project steering committee members:

• Michael Archbald - Foothills Health District
• Jeanne Dodge - LifePath's Rainbow Elders
• Lynne Feldman - LifePath
• Mary Giannetti - Heywood Healthcare
• Cathy Savoy - Athol Council on Aging
• Denise Schwartz - OASIS council at Greenfield Community College
• Meg Ryan - FRCOG
• Rachel Stoler - FRCOG
• Phoebe Walker - FRCOG