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| The Franklin Meals on Wheels office could use some help. Maybe that can be you? |
"Where am I going to live when I retire?
And more important: Where can I afford to live when I retire?
As housing costs soar, these are among the top questions retirees and near-retirees grapple with as they transition out of paid work and into a life on a fixed income. It's a particularly tricky issue for the so-called "forgotten middle" of the senior housing market—those who make too much to qualify for Medicaid and those who can't afford traditional senior living. "
Read in Barron's: https://apple.news/ARezeUt4qSLi_Tkv3jKcM5w
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| Noracarol/Dreamstime |
Seniors are increasingly left to protect themselves as the rest of the country abandons precautions: “Americans do not agree about the duty to protect others.”
In early December, Aldo Caretti developed a cough and, despite all his precautions, came up positive for Covid on a home test. It took his family a couple of days to persuade Mr. Caretti, never fond of doctors, to go to the emergency room. There, he was sent directly to the intensive care unit.
Mr. Caretti and his wife, Consiglia, both 85, lived quietly in a condo in Plano, Texas. “He liked to read and learn, in English and Italian,” said his son Vic Caretti, 49. “He absolutely adored his three grandchildren.”
Aldo Caretti had encountered some health setbacks last year, including a mild stroke and a serious bout of shingles, but “he recuperated from all that.”
COVID was different. Even on a ventilator, Mr. Caretti struggled to breathe. After 10 days, “he wasn’t getting better,” said Vic Caretti, who flew in from Salt Lake City. “His organs were starting to break down. They said, ‘He’s not going to make it.’”
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| Eleanor Bravo of Corrales, N.M., lost her sister to Covid early in the pandemic, and two years passed before the family could gather for a memorial. “I had this inordinate fear that if I got Covid, I would die too,” she said.Adria Malcolm for The New York Times |
"SENIOR NIGHT DETAILS - lots of season highs and career highs. So proud of this team!! " https://t.co/jc5Pj9uRAt
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| SENIOR NIGHT DETAILS - lots of season highs and career highs |
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| Franklin Ridge senior housing expansion proposed for near Eaton Place (May 8, 2019) |
"The Baker-Polito administration today announced more than $143 million in grant awards for economic development projects made through the Community One Stop for Growth portal.
The grants, which will support 337 local projects in 169 communities statewide, were announced at an event in Pittsfield by Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Undersecretary of Community Development Ashley Stolba, and MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera, who were joined by local officials. "
$3.2M This grant will be used to support the Franklin Ridge Senior Housing project, a development that will increase affordable housing along Veterans Memorial Drive. Construction includes improvements to roadways, sidewalks, streetlights, utility connections, and the addition of a new water booster pumping station.
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| Franklin gains $3.2M grant for the Franklin Ridge Senior Housing project |
On Oct. 22, #MetroWest residents ages 55+ and their families can join at in #Framingham for workshops, exhibits, meals, prize drawings, and interactive activities and more!Learn more and register TODAY here: karenspilka.com/fair
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| The Senior Fair is back! - Oct 22 - Registration is open now |
The Massachusetts State Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to promote the wellbeing of senior citizens with disabilities by clarifying their right to create and access pooled trusts while also receiving MassHealth benefits. Pooled trusts can provide funding to help seniors with disabilities to pay for items and services which are not covered by MassHealth, such as home care services, uncovered medical, dental and pharmacy costs, transportation, clothing, and household items.
“MassHealth serves some of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable residents,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Senior citizens and people with disabilities deserve to be able to save and make smart financial decisions for their living expenses without having to worry about their eligibility for MassHealth. I want to thank Senator Jehlen for pushing for this legislation and Senator Rodrigues for his committee’s review.”
“The passage of this legislation today strengthens our support for our older disabled population by improving their quality of life and makes aging in Massachusetts a more caring experience for this population in need,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “I would like to thank the Senate President for her continued support, along with Senator Jehlen and others for their advocacy, ensuring we help to preserve funds for this vulnerable population, while protecting their eligibility for public benefits.”
"For decades, disabled people have been able to use special needs trusts to pay for important services not covered by MassHealth," said Senator Patricia B. Jehlen (D-Somerville), lead sponsor of the bill. "The trusts allow them to qualify for MassHealth while preserving enough assets to pay for items not allowed by Medicaid rules, such as home care, transportation, dental care, clothing, and personal care items. When the beneficiary of a special needs trust dies, any remaining assets are returned to the Commonwealth. Millions of dollars are recovered from these trusts each year."
Pooled trusts, which are managed by nonprofit organizations, combine the resources of many beneficiaries for the purposes of administrative cost-effectiveness and investment optimization. In Massachusetts, they have been used to give people with disabilities a way to access health care benefits, such as those offered by MassHealth, while depositing additional funds into the trust to pay for items and services not covered by those benefits.
Historically, disabled individuals of any age have been permitted to join pooled trusts without interfering with their MassHealth eligibility. In 2019 however, a federal court decision held that a Medicaid penalty may be imposed on a senior who creates a pooled trust account which is not regarded as a ‘fair-market value’. This makes it possible for MassHealth to penalize disabled individuals aged 65 and over who set up a pooled trust. This legislation would prevent this by requiring MassHealth to regard all pooled trusts as ‘fair-market value’.
Having passed the Senate this legislation now goes on to the House of Representatives for enactment.
Link to legislation -> https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H4792
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| MA Senate Passes Legislation Supporting Special Needs Trusts for Disabled Seniors |
"In this episode, the Franklin Senior Center writer's group share stories, poems, writings and more about the tragedy Uvalde, Cribbage and a String of Pearls, Revisiting old neighborhoods, Amazon deliveries and more!
This episode aired on Franklin Radio for June 2022."
Audio file -> https://senior-scribblers.captivate.fm/episode/episode-042-uvalde-cribbage-visiting-the-neighborhood-amazon-and-more
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| Senior Story Hour: Episode 042 |
Attention seniors (but anyone who wants to know really!)
"This free short course from MediaWise for Seniors will teach you how to tell what’s true and false on the internet. By looking at examples of political, health, travel and climate misinformation, you will learn techniques for identifying false information and how to seek out trustworthy sources.Christiane Amanpour, Joan Lunden, Lester Holt, Hari Sreenivasan and Dave Jorgenson — MediaWise Ambassadors — will also pop in to share their advice as experienced journalists to help you navigate information on platforms like Google, Facebook and more."
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| How to Spot Misinformation Online - Self-directed course, free, start anytime |
The FHS Senior Awards Night was broadcast via multiple channels Thursday evening and is available via YouTube for replay. Link -> https://youtu.be/soSP9PeOPKM
"For many older Americans and their families, the devastating COVID-19 outbreak — which caused more than 200,000 deaths in nursing homes nationally — was a persuasive argument for living at home as long as possible.
Now, as the pandemic grinds into its third year, a loose-knit band of tech gurus, gerontology researchers, and volunteer-powered elder support groups, called “villages,” is seeking to overcome the obstacles to aging in place. Among the toughest: a worsening shortage of home care workers, who can assist the oldest residents with walking, dressing, or showering.
Coronavirus sped up the deployment of “age-tech,” technology that helps older people age in place, by seven to 10 years, said Joe Coughlin, director of MIT AgeLab in Cambridge. "
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| Dale Orzalli, a Seaglass Village volunteer, arrived at Maureen Neumann's front door to take her to a doctors appointment at Lahey Medical Center in Peabody.MATTHEW J LEE/GLOBE STAFF |
"In this episode, the group is rejoined with Frank Falvey to discuss the current COVID climate and the effects it's had on senior citizens; what it's like being a senior during this time, the disproportionate negative effects it's had on seniors, what has been done to aid this group and what more still needs to happen."
Audio file -> https://more-perfect-union.captivate.fm/episode/042-covid-and-seniors
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| More Perfect Union - episode 042 |
Central Regional Office355 West Boylston Street, Route 110Clinton, MA 01510Attention: Senior Pass
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| Senior Parking Pass for MA Residents good for use at MA State Parks |
FM #646-647-648 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 646-647-648 in the series.
This session shares part of the Franklin, MA Town Council meeting held on Wednesday, October 20, 2021.
The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format: members of the Town Council and Town Administration personnel, the Police retirement and promotion individuals, along with their guest and family members were in the Council Chambers, some members of the public participated in person, some via the Zoom conference bridge, all to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.
I’ve split the just about two hours and forty minutes ( 2:40 total elapsed time) into three (3) logical segments:
The show notes contain links to the meeting agenda. Let’s listen to this segment of the Town Council meeting of Oct 20, 2021
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Agenda document -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/october_20_2021_town_council_agenda.pdf
Agenda folder -> https://www.franklinma.gov/town-council/agenda/october-20-town-council-agenda
My notes from the meeting ->
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/10/recap-town-council-approves-creation-of.html
Town Council Quarterbacking session (a short recap with Council Chair Tom Mercer) ->
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/10/town-council-quarterbacking-with-chair.html
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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
How can you help?
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
For additional information, please visit www.Franklinmatters.org or www.franklin.news
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
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| Town Council Meeting - 10/20/21 - three audio segments |
a. Resolution 21-59: Further Amending The Senior Citizen Property Tax Work-Off Abatement Program
b. Resolution 21-60: Further Amending The Veterans’ Property Tax Work-Off Abatement Program
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| Finance Committee - Meeting Agenda - Oct 13, 2021 |
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| Attention Franklin Senior Homeowners |
Franklin High School's Senior Awards Ceremony premieres tonight at 7:30!!
Watch it here: https://t.co/STms2Rh0EO via @YouTube
@FHSPantherbook @FranklinHS @FranklinPSNews @FranklinMatters
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| the FHS field is set for graduation, Senior Awards are broadcast tonight |
