October 05, 2009

Dear Residents:

As you may have read, a statewide waiting list for home care programs recently began--a change that could affect several thousand senior citizens--as a total of $6.4 million has been cut from the home care budtget this fiscal year.  Home care helps keep seniors living safely and indepedently in their own homes, providing important services such as homemakers, meals, and home health aides to help with issues like bathing, dressing or other activities of daily living.  Currently, GLSS has more than 1,200 home care clients in Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Saugus, and Swampscott, and averages 50 new cases each month.

While these are clearly challenging times for agencies like GLSS seeking to deliver critical social services, the message I want to convey is that we will continue to serve our current clients and respond fully to the needs of vulnerable elders in our communities.  Thanks to the early response and action of our consumer services team, I am able to report that our current waiting list numbers remain low and that a fair process is in place whereby all consumers will be assessed for frailty and given a priority level to receive services as they become available.  Of course, services will continue to be provided to elders with critical unmet needs--such as situations involving abuse and neglect or discharge from the hospital--and to those in hospice care.

While this is a frustrating situation, I want to reassure residents that GLSS is committed to ensuring that as many seniors as possible have access to needed supports, despite the wait list.  GLSS is activiely encouraging hospitals, families, visiting nurse agencies, and other community organizations to continue to make referrals for home care services, because our worst fear is many who would qualify for immediate help and resources might go unserved.

Sincerely,

Paul T. Crowley, Executive Director