Below are reasons 4 through 8 why 2018 was a great year!
4. Our Spacious New Office Location
In May, we moved our office from the quaint location in Newton to our new spacious location in Waltham. Our large, bright and airy office space is beneficial for a number of reasons. We have ample room to accommodate our staff for trainings, Caregiver Support Groups, Movie Nights, community education events, and so much more! Not to mention to comfortably accommodate our growing team.
5. Our Growing Office Team
It has only been 4 years since Seniors Helping Seniors opened its doors in the Greater Boston and Metrowest community, and it has been exhilarating to take part in the evolution and morphis of our organization.. In order to maintain the uniquely personalized quality of care for the growing number of clients, we have on-boarded several new additions to the full-time SHS office staff in 2018. Rachel Polcaro and Marie Long joined the team as Client Care Coordinators, Lisa Graffeo moved into her new role as Manager of Human Resources, and we welcomed Jan Klein as our Manager of Client Services. The new office staff members play a vital role in the delivery of our services.
6. Our Accolades at the Annual Map through the Maze conference
This was our second year where Kelly Hoag and Marge David from Seniors Helping Seniors presented at New England’s largest professional Alzheimer’s conference where over 700 senior care professionals convened from our region. Our breakout session focused on how to incorporate improvisation techniques when supporting individuals with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Incorporating evidence based research along with our unique approach of infusing strategic improv fundamentals in the work that we do, we landed as one of the highest ranked breakout sessions of the entire program!
7. Our Ongoing Support of Caregivers
We recognize that given the population we serve, the work our caregivers do can be challenging and emotionally taxing. The special bonds our caregivers form with their clients often come with loss, grief, and complex emotions as they navigate the inevitable decline and losses that their clients face. We’ve listened to our caregivers, and have provided a wide array of options for them to stay meaningfully connected to their peers. This year our focus has been on:
- Monthly support groups for our caregivers, facilitated by our Clinical Social Worker on staff
- Focus on self-care
- Book clubs and movie nights to explore and discuss timely topics and decisions that older adults face
- Interactive learning through Ageless Grace Brain Health exercise program, and a Virtual Dementia Tour
- Social gatherings to recognize the incredible work our caregiving community does each and every day
8. Our Professional Grade Promotional Video
Lights. Camera. Action! This summer we filmed and released a promotional video in order to illustrate the services we provide for older adults. Our very own SHS caregivers starred in the video, and we couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out! Great job, team.