The Franklin Senior Center is located at 10 Daniel McCahill Street and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM.
The Senior Center provides programs, services, and activities along with outreach, information and referral to serve the needs of older adults, people with disabilities and their families. Social services assistance is available to all adult residents in Franklin.
The Senior Center offers health and wellness, nutrition, social service coordination and resources, socialization, recreation and fitness, assistance with transportation, support groups, educational and cultural programs, a supportive day program, volunteerism, intergenerational opportunities, and a variety of other amenities.
The Center's mission is to enhance the independence and quality of life for Franklin's older adults by:
■ Identifying the needs of this population and creating programs that meet those needs.■ Offering the knowledge, tools and opportunities to promote mental, social and physical well-being.■ Advocating for relevant programs and services in our community.■ Serving as a community focal point for aging issues and as a liaison to local, state, and Federal resources for older adults.
FY 2023 Highlights
This fiscal year, the vibrant Franklin Senior Center has continued to expand not only in numbers, welcoming 600 new members throughout the 2022 calendar year, but increasing the number of programs and opportunities available to members, and even adding two new line cooks, Marilyn Howe and Lauretta Taddeo. We also had some change in staffing, as we said goodbye and best wishes to staff, Sue Barbour, Program & Volunteer Coordinator, and Maggie Gundersen, Social Services Coordinator, in November, previous Deputy Director, Christina LaRose, in February, and Supportive Day Coordinator, Donna Haynes, in June. In March, we welcomed Sarah Amaral as the next Deputy Director, Raeleen Gallivan as the new Social Services Coordinator, Ariel Doggett became the new Program & Volunteer Coordinator, and Kathleen Laughran became the Supportive Programming Coordinator.
Unfortunately, in February the Senior Center was temporarily closed due to a pipe break and water damage. The innovative Senior Center staff, town, and members came together to reinvent and relocate programs to make the best out of the situation. Thank you to the Facilities Dept. for leading the restoration efforts.
New programs and events were added to our active and engaging calendar, most notably Eat Around the World, 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony, Winter Wonderland, Movie and Pizza Nights, Mobile Food Pantry, monthly technology clinics, Bereavement Support Group, and a partnership with Dean College providing classes for seniors.
Director Danielle Hopkins, and previous Deputy Director Christina LaRose were tasked with developing a multi-year strategic plan for the Franklin Senior Center. With assistance, surveys, and S.W.O.T. analysis from the COA Board, FOFE, the community, and the staff, they presented the vision to the Town Council in January and it was received with many accolades. For more information, view this presentation on the town website.
Health and Wellness Programs
Our Wellness Program promotes Healthy and Active Aging through programs and services with assistance from our Health & Wellness Nurse as well as collaborating with the Town's Public Health Nurse and Epidemiologist.
■ Health Clinics: Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, Pulse Ox readings, Podiatry, Flu Vaccinations, and bi-weekly hearing clinics.
■ Fall Prevention: Our Wellness Nurse continuously offers multiple Safety & Balance clinics to evaluate and address balance and muscle strength, while offering tips and techniques to enhance safety.
■ Grab Bar Program and Home Safety: We are able to provide Home Safety Assessments to evaluate elders' homes to determine if the risk for dangerous falls can be reduced. If needed, we have a volunteer that is able to install grab bars and or adaptive devices free of charge. We have successfully been able to install grab bars in two homes every month. The Grab Bars are graciously purchased by F.O.F.E. (Friends of Franklin Elders) for continued success of this program.
■ Fitness: We offer a multitude of classes and fitness opportunities tailored to older adults including Cardio Strength, & Balance, Zumba, Chair Yoga, Tai Chi, Chair Exercise, Walking Club, Bocce, Pickleball, Chair Volleyball, Pound Fitness, Reversing the Aging Series, Line Dancing, and Meditation. This year we added to this roster a Vinyasa Yoga class, a dance class, and a self defense class tailored specifically for seniors. We were able to provide some of these classes virtually. The Senior Center's Fitness Room offers free use of equipment, including treadmills, an elliptical bike, and stationary bikes.
■ Support: Support Groups offered include Low Vision, Hearing Loss, Autoimmune and Mobility Disorder, and Caregivers Support. This year, we started a monthly Bereavement group.
■ Weight Loss: Many struggle with weight loss, so we decided to have fun while empowering our members in healthy 6-week weight loss competitions: "Don't Be a Butterball" (fall) and "Don't Be a BeachBall" (spring). Each week, our Health and Wellness Nurse and Head Chef offered weekly classes for support covering topics such as food journaling, meal prepping, information on fad diets, portion control, and accountability/ consistency. Every Friday, we also have T.O.P.S. (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) who meet weekly to help members support their weight loss journey.
■ Mental Health Counseling: The Senior Center is part of a consortium of local Senior Centers, which provides access to timely, flexible mental health services with a licensed clinician. This enables elders who experience mental health challenges to get effective, appropriate treatment.
■ Health Education: Monthly informational and educational presentations were offered by our Health & Wellness Nurse and our Public Health nurse and Epidemiologist: Five Wishes, Stop the Bleed, Hands Only CPR, Anatomy of the Brain, Neuropathy, Cellulitis, Arthritis, Basic First Aid, and more.
Dementia Friendly
The Town of Franklin and The Senior Center continue to be a Dementia Friendly Community. The Senior Center provides the following programs to support caregivers and their loved ones:
■ Supportive Day Program: The Sunshine Club provides a structured, supervised, and stimulating day program for seniors with mild to moderate dementia or cognitive decline, chronic illness, or those who are socially isolated. In turn, it provides a respite opportunity for their loved ones/caregivers. Members enjoy activities that encourage independence, social interaction, fitness and gentle exercises, intellectual stimulation, music, crafts, games, and friendship.
■ Caregivers Support Group offers support to caregivers caring for their loved ones with Alzheimer's or Dementia, and is led by two facilitators who have completed a training program with the Alzheimer's Association.
■ Memory Cafe - a monthly gathering where those living with dementia and their care partners can enjoy a social event without stress and anxiety. It's an hour of music, socialization, and engagement and is supported in part by a generous grant from the Franklin Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
■ Education. Partnering with local resources such as the Alzheimer's Association and various Memory Care Operations, we provided educational opportunities such as Compassion Fatigue and Burnout, 10 Warning Signs, Normal Aging vs. Memory Loss, Various Forms of Dementia, and more.
Outreach/Social Service Coordination
The Senior Center provides assistance in obtaining housing, employment, home care services, tax abatements, long-term care placement, transportation, evictions, legal referrals, prescription drug programs, SNAP, fuel assistance, COVID-19 vaccine appointments, Mass Health, mental health, elder dental services, Disability and Supplemental Security Insurance, as well as assistance with low income and financial hardship referrals. Our Social Service Coordinators can assist Franklin's adult and disabled residents regardless of age, and can provide home visits to homebound residents.
The Senior Center's Vision and Hearing Support programs have been recognized at both state and national level. These programs provide support, information, referral, and training. Our vision program grant continues to allow our Senior Center to house a regional office for the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI), where residents can meet with a MABVI professional for individual vision consultations. Weekly, the Senior Center provides both in-person and telephone programs for blind, low-vision, and homebound seniors. We, in collaboration with MABVI, provide a monthly adaptive technology class, support group, and low vision adjustment counseling.
The Community Intervention Team (CIT), partnering with the Franklin Fire Dept., continues to create greater coordination of community resources and services to assist Franklin residents who are high- risk. Currently 20 vital service groups throughout the town of Franklin are involved.
The Senior Center also offers a monthly legal clinic and the SHINE (Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone) program, which provides assistance for Medicare/Medicaid and other health insurance needs. AARP was also able to provide free income tax preparation at the Center for 179 individuals this year, and Self Help Inc., processed over 460 applications for fuel assistance from residents, many of which were prepared by the Senior Center staff.
Nutrition and the Common Grounds Cafe
The Common Grounds Cafe, which is located inside the Center and offers breakfast and lunch daily, continues to have much success. The Cafe offers freshly prepared, nutritious, and affordable meals. Along with our Full-Time Head Chef and Kitchen Manager, we also hired two part-time line cooks. The Cafe is open to all, and is a great way for newcomers to get acquainted with the Senior Center. Last year, we served over 11,180 meals at the Cafe. Monthly Parties. The Senior Center hosts monthly social events with live entertainment and a delicious 3-course meal. Themes have included: Luau, Tailgate, Illusions, Friendsgiving, April Showers. We are also extremely appreciative of the Franklin Police Department who provided and served a delicious Turkey Dinner in January, and the Franklin Fire Department, who cooked and served a fantastic Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner.
So much going on, this is not the complete report. The full Senior Center report can be found in one PDF ->
The full Town of Franklin FY 2023 Annual Report can be found online
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| Annual Report Franklin Senior Center (COA): FY 2023 Report |
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