AARP’s Tax-Aide program provides older adults free tax help
Tax filing season is upon us, and AARP can help! Approaching its 50th year, Tax-Aide offers free tax filing help to anyone, especially those 50 and older, who can’t afford a tax preparation service.
Remembering Miss Grout
By: Janice Lindsay
In my family, “to grout” a plate or kitchen utensil means you removed it from its storage space but didn’t use it,...
Don’t ‘fall’ for misconceptions on falls and aging
By Dr. David Rideout, M.D.
Falling is one of the major factors that impedes the independence of seniors as we age. Complications from falls are...
An apple a day may not keep the doctor away
Apple eaters had more education and were less likely to smoke than apple shunners. Apple eaters were slightly less likely to use prescription drugs, but the study lacks information on use of over-the-counter medication and alternative medicine.
How can I get rid of my glasses? Part 1
By Dr. Jean Keamy
As a refractive surgeon, many people come to me to find out how they can be glasses-free. Refractive surgery, a subspecialty...
Brains and potatoes
One day in a bookshop, I overheard a six-year-old girl and her four-year-old brother discussing which is better, movies or books. He said movies. She said books. “Movies,” she explained, “turned your brain into a potato.”
Seniors and disabled must enroll in managed care plans
By Al Norman
Beginning next January, the state of Massachusetts will require 105,000 low-income people to enroll in a managed care plan. If they do...
Avoid holiday scams this season with the AARP Fraud Watch Network
By Mike Festa
State Director, AARP Massachusetts
Did you know that someone’s identity gets stolen every two seconds? The AARP Fraud Watch Network provides you with...
Elders to MBTA: ‘Don’t create more shut-ins’
On Dec. 14 2015, elder rights groups, including Mass Home Care, testified at an MBTA hearing in Boston against a plan to cut The RIDE services for the elderly and disabled.
For these riders, transportation is the key service that connects them to all the other services in the community: doctors’ offices, clinics, professional services, lawyers, grocery stores, basic shopping, etc. Transportation is the lifeline service in the community.
When will home care workers get ‘enough pay to stay?’
Picture a widowed elderly woman in her mid-80s. She needs help daily with bathing, dressing and toileting. But she has one more problem. She has been told that there are no workers available to come into her home to fill all the hours of care she needs.
This scenario is happening more and more across the commonwealth. The recruitment and retention of home care aides, home health aides, and care managers poses a real threat to the independence of many of our older neighbors. The image of a low-wage/high-turnover job makes it hard to find and keep home care workers. We must do better if we are to keep up with our fastest growing demographic - those over age of 60. We must give these workers "enough pay to stay."
