cityofboston.gov - Official Web Site of the City of Boston - Thomas M. Menino, Mayor

Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) were established under the Older Americans Act (OAA) in 1973 to respond to the needs of American aged 60 and over in every local community. AAAs make it possible for older adults to remain in their homes and communities as long as possible by providing a range of options that allow older adults to choose the home and community-based services and living arrangements that suit them best. The Elderly Commission serves as the Area Agency on Aging for the City of Boston. The Elderly Commission also serves as the Council on Aging (COA) for the City of Boston. Funds from the Massachusetts Council on Aging are channeled through the Elderly Commission and help fund direct services and new initiatives. The Commission, as Boston's Area Agency on Aging and Council On Aging, promotes the active involvement of seniors in the life and health of their neighborhoods in conjunction with Mayors Advisory Council.

Our priority remains to promote optimal functioning and to prevent premature or inappropriate institutionalization of elders in Boston. Older American Act funding, distributed by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, assists the City of Boston in our efforts to better serve the needs of our citizens. Through planning and development, allocation of Title III funds and advocacy we are able to provide quality services to seniors in Boston. Our role as the Area Agency on Aging is to monitor and evaluate these services to ensure both the quality and necessity of such services.

Older American Act funding enables the Commission to provide financial and programmatic support to non-profit agencies in the following areas of service:

• Ombudsman Program

• Title III-B Support Services

• Title III-C Nutrition Services

• Title III-D Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

• Title III-E Caregiver Support Services

Title III Grantee Programs for FY 2010 (Arranged by Type)

Ombudsman

1. Ethos

555 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Program Name: Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
Contact: Marietta McCarthy (617) 522-6700

Provides advocacy for long-term care residents through one-on-one or group visits in long-term care facilities in Boston.

Title III-B Support Services

1. ABCD Mattapan Family Service Center

535 River Street
Mattapan, MA 02126
Program Name: Mattapan Elderly Services Project

This is a senior center providing utility assistance, exercise and health maintenance, day trips, senior outreach, monthly brown bag grocery distribution to low-income seniors, informational meetings, workshops and community forums.

2. ABCD North End/West End Neighborhood Service Center

1 Michelangelo Street

Boston, MA 02113
Program Name: Elder Services
Contact: Karin Gertsch (617) 263-4650
www.bostonabcd.org

This program's Drop-In-Center provides recreation, information and assistance, and benefits assistance to residents of the North End, West End, Beacon Hill and surrounding communities. Staff and volunteers help seniors access fuel assistance, food stamps, and utility assistance.

3. Boston Medical Center

1 Boston Medical Center Plaza
Boston, MA 02118
Program Name: Elders Living at Home
Contact: Eileen O'Brien (617) 638-6148
www.bmc.org/eldersathome.htm

This program services homeless and at-risk seniors by providing outreach and information and referral. It offers comprehensive geriatric assessment services and emergency, temporary and transitional housing placement.

4. Caritas Good Samaritan Hospice

310 Allston Street
Brighton, MA 02135
Program Name: Hospice and Bereavement Services for Elders
Contact: Michelle Cibotti (617) 566-6242
www.caritaschristi.org/Caritas_Hospice/Home_Page/Caritas_Hospice_Home_Page

This program provides outreach to and counseling, support groups and health education for terminally ill seniors and their caregivers.

5. Chinese Golden Age Center

75 Kneeland Street, Suite 204
Boston, MA 02111
Program Name: Asian Drop-In
Contact: Megan Cheung (617) 357-0226
www.gbcgac.org

This program serves economically and linguistically disadvantaged Chinese-speaking elders. It provides information, and referral, letter writing, outreach, telephone reassurance and translation services.

6. Developmental Evaluation and Adjustment Facilities (DEAF), Inc.

215 Brighton Avenue
Allston, MA 02134
Program Name: Senior Independent Living
Contact: Carol Hilbinger (617) 254-4041 TTY/V
www.deafinconline.org

This program services deaf, deaf and blind, hard of hearing, and late deafened seniors in Boston. It provides material aid, outreach, and information and assistance.

7. East Boston Social Center

68 Central Square
East Boston, MA 02128
Program Name: Senior Place
Contact: Gloria Devine (617) 569-3221
www.ebsoc.org

Services include: exercise, health education and screenings, advocacy, wellness, computer classes, and telephone reassurance.

8. ESAC (Ecumenical Social Action Committee, Inc.)

3313 Washington Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Program Name: Senior Home Repair
Contact: Thomas P. Lynch (617) 524-4820
www.esacboston.org

This program provides home repair assistance and referral services to seniors in Boston.

9. Ethos

555 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Program Name: Volunteer Services
Contact: Rachel Burlingame (617) 477-6623
www.ethocare.org

Volunteers are recruited to provide companionship, medical escorts, telephone reassurance, home repair, and shopping assistance for people who would not otherwise have access to home care services.

10. Fenway Community Development Corporation

73 Hemenway Street
Boston, MA 02115
Program Name: Peterborough Senior Center
Contact: Penina Adelman (617) 536-7154
www.fenwaycdc.org

The Peterborough Senior Center is located at 42 Peterborough Street in the Fenway. It provides a broad range of services designed to help seniors strengthen knowledge, decrease isolation, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. They include: recreation, exercise & wellness, education, tax preparation assistance, and information & referral.

11. Greater Boston Legal Services

197 Friend Street
Boston, MA 02114
Program Name: Greater Boston Elderly Legal Services
Contact: Wynn Gerhard (617) 371-1234
www.gbls.org

This program provides legal assistance, outreach and information & assistance to elders in Boston.

12. HEARTH, Inc.

1640 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02118
Program Name: Housing Stabilization through Recreation and Socialization
Contact: Edward Bordas (617) 450-0335
www.hearth-home.org

The program aims to provide recreation to seniors living in transitional housing.

13. Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion (IBA)

100 W. Dedham Street
Boston, MA 02118
Program Name: Villa Victoria Elder Support
Contact: Anita Mercado (617) 535-1791
www.iba-etc.org

The Elder Program provides advocacy, recreation, exercise, and translation & interpretation for low-income Latinos living in Villa Victoria and surrounding communities.

14. John F. Kennedy Family Service Center, Inc.

10 City Square
Charlestown, MA 02129
Program Name: Senior Support Services
Contact: Katherine McDonough (617) 241-8866
www.kennedycenter.org

Services include: transportation for food shopping, banking, doctor visits and some other purposes as needed; translation services, recreation, exercise classes and outreach to isolated seniors. Some services are provided at 100 Ferrin Street.

15. Kit Clark Senior Services Inc.

1500 Dorchester Avenue
Dorchester, MA 02122
Program Name: Minority Outreach
Contact: Anita Nasra (617) 825-5000
www.kitclark.org

The Minority Outreach Program provides counseling, outreach, interpretation and support groups for Haitian, Cape Verdean, and Vietnamese seniors.

16. La Alianza Hispana

63 Parker Hill Avenue
Boston, MA 02120
Program Name: Aliancianos Unidos-Senior Center
Contact: Marisol Amaya (617) 232-0634
www.laalianza.org

Aliancianos Unidos provides assisted transportation, exercise and physical fitness, health education, information and assistance, interpreting, recreation, support group, translation, and outreach to low-income Latinos.

17. MAB Community Services, Inc.

200 Ivy Street
Brookline, MA 02446
Program Name: Boston Visually Impaired Elders Program
Contact: Fran Weisse (617) 926-4312
www.mabcommunity.org/site

This program serves visually impaired seniors who are not legally blind, but who are experiencing sight loss that jeopardizes their safety and emotional well-being. It offers one-on-one in-home assistance as well as outreach and support groups.

18. Massachusetts Association of Older Americans

19 Temple Place, 4th Floor
Boston, MA 02111
Program Name: Advocacy Works
Contact: (617) 426-0804
www.maoamass.org

This program provides advocacy, outreach, newsletter distribution, and information& assistance for elders in Boston, particularly low-income and minority elders.

19. Friendship Works

105 Chauncy Street
Boston, MA 02111
Program Name: Visiting Services & Medical Escort/Short-Term Assistance
Contact: Janet Seckel-Cerrotti (617) 482-1510
www.fw4elders.org

This program provides assisted transportation, companionship, friendly visiting, and outreach to elders in Boston.

20. Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation

56 Warren Street, Suite 200
Roxbury, MA 02119
Program Name: Housing Stabilization
Contact: Stephanie Chacker (617) 989-0894
www.nuestracdc.org

This program provides outreach, information and assistance, advocacy and placement services to homeless elders, at-risk elders and grandparents raising grandchildren.

21. South Boston Neighborhood House

136 H Street
South Boston, MA 02127
Program Name: Senior Center
Contact: Carole Sullivan (617) 269-2310
www.sbnh.org

The Senior Center provides education, recreation, telephone reassurance, shopping assistance outreach, and information & assistance.

22. United South End Settlements

566 Columbus Avenue
Boston, MA 02118
Program Name: Senior Services
Contact: Kyle Johnson (617) 375-8146
www.uses.org

This program provides outreach, exercise, recreation, and information & assistance to elders in Boston.

23. Upham's Corner Health Center

636 Columbia Road
Dorchester, MA 02125
Program Name: Boston Coalition for Adult Immunization
Contact: Elaine Rowe (617) 825-9839
www.uphamscornerhealthctr.com

This program provides immunizations, including flu and pneumonia shots, to at-risk elders in Boston.

Title III-C Nutrition

1. Ethos

555 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Program Name: Title III-C Nutrition Project Area A
Contact: Jayne Davis (617) 522-6700
www.ethocare.org

Provides home delivered meals and congregate meal sites for elders in Allston-Brighton, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Roslindale and West Roxbury.

2. Greater Chinese Golden Age Center

75 Kneeland Street, Suite 204
Boston, MA 02111
Contact: Raymond Giang (617) 423-7560
www.gbcgac.org

Provides home delivered Chinese meals and congregate meals for Chinese elders in Boston.

3. Kit Clark Senior Services

1500 Dorchester Avenue
Dorchester, MA 02122
Program Name: Federal Elderly Nutrition Program
Contact: Joanne Gunnard (617) 825-5000
www.kitclark.org

Provides home delivered meals and congregate meals sites for elders in Back Bay-Beacon Hill-Fenway, Charlestown, Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, North End, Roxbury, South Boston, and South End.

Title III-D Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

1. Chinese Golden Age Center

75 Kneeland Street, Suite 204
Boston, MA 02111
Program Name: Asian Health Focus
Contact: Megan Cheung (617) 357-0226
www.gbcgac.org

The program provides exercise, health education, outreach and wellness to Chinese-speaking Asian elders.

2. Ethos

555 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Program Name: Nutrition Risk Assessment
Contact: Margery Gann (617) 522-6700
www.ethocare.org

This program provides nutrition screening, nutrition counseling, nutrition education to homemakers, nutrition education to elders, and outreach.

3. Kit Clark Senior Services

1500 Dorchester Avenue
Dorchester, MA 02122
Program Name: Memory Loss
Contact: Donna Allen (617) 825-5000
www.kitclark.org

Program educates people about Alzheimer's Disease, counsels people with Alzheimer's Disease and their caregivers and leads monthly support groups.

4. Upham’s Corner Health Center

500 Columbia Road
Dorchester, MA 02125
Program Name: In Home Health and Social Services
Contact: Nancy Bifano (617) 825-9206
www.uphamscornerhealthctr.com
 
This program provides culturally competent, comprehensive health and social services to homebound individuals and their families with economic and/or social needs. Services include counseling, skilled nurse visits, and information & assistance.

Title III-E Caregiver Support Services

1. Boston Senior Home Care

89 South Street, Suite 501
Boston, MA 02111
Program Name: Family Caregiver
Contact: Damon Syphers (617) 443-4370
www.bostonseniorhomecare.org 
 
This program provides counseling, support groups, and training to caregivers.

2. Central Boston Elder Services

2315 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02119
Program Name: Family Caregiver
Contact: Marion Eisenberg (617) 277-7416
www.centralboston.org 
 
This program provides counseling, support groups, respite care, and education to caregivers.

3. Ethos

555 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Program Name: Family Caregiver
Contact: Leslie Ahern (617) 522-6700
www.ethocare.org 
 
This program provides counseling, support groups, and training to caregivers.

4. LGBT Aging Project

555 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Contact: (617) 522-6700
www.lgbtagingproject.org 
 
LGBT Aging Project is an organization working to guarantee equal services for LGBT elders and caregivers.

5. Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

99 Summer Street, 6th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
Program Name: KINnections
Contact: Charity Bell (617) 983-5800
www.mspcc.org 
 
The KINnections Program provides support groups, respite services, information and referral, and workshops for grandparents raising grandchildren.