by Marcia Parnell
Many Becket seniors want to live out their days in their own home, or in other words, age in place. The short answer to whether that is a viable option is it depends.
Massachusetts and Berkshire County have a robust structure and range of services for our elderly and disabled population. Yet delivery of those services in Becket — a rural community on the eastern edge of the county — is where the greatest challenge lies, making a strong support system of family and friends key for folks that want to age in place here.
According to updated 2021-22 US Census figures, 19% or about 400 of Becket’s citizens are aged 65 years or older. That’s close to the state’s 18% and significantly less than Berkshire County’s, which at 25% has the 3rd oldest population in the state. In a small community like ours, 400 sounds like a big number, and it is. It probably means that you, someone in your family or a nearby neighbor is considered a “senior citizen.” Many of our residents grew up here or have retired here and also likely have strong ties to the community. So, what are their options as they age? If they’d like to age in place, can they?
Perhaps not surprisingly, Massachusetts is actually a good state in which to grow old. It is one of only nine states in the country that has a dedicated board or commission aimed at addressing the needs of its aging population. The Office of Elder Affairs was established in 1971 and administers federal and state funds to designated Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs), Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and Councils on Aging (COAs) throughout the state. Massachusetts is also among the 41 states that have expanded Medicaid. Income-eligible residents are able to enroll in MassHealth, which provides health care benefits and subsidies to qualifying seniors, children, families and people with disabilities.
Elder Services of Berkshire County, Inc. is both the local ASAP and AAA and its stated goal is to keep eligible seniors and disabled individuals “safe and independent at home for as long as possible.” Elder Services does this by providing and coordinating a long list of in-home health, nutrition, counseling and community services. To get the word out, they use a number of outreach mechanisms (TV shows, newspaper inserts, community events) and employ a COA liaison who is the first point of service contact for all the COAs in the county. (COAs exist in 350 municipalities throughout the state, including Becket, and serve as a “boots-on-the-ground” resource for seniors by providing social engagement, meals, group activities and information sessions.)
According to Elder Services Client Services Director Maureen Tuggey, “We always think it’s better to know us before you need us, so we try to be where people are and make it easy for them to come up and ask about our services, whether it’s for them, their parents or a neighbor.”
Once a senior reaches out, Elder Services begins by learning about an individual’s unique situation and providing a referral to a case manager if there’s interest in accessing services. The case manager contacts the senior/their designee and schedules an assessment at the senior’s home. During the assessment the case manager explains eligibility requirements (age, residency, income and degree of impairment). Once eligibility is established, the case manager develops a service plan. There is no charge for an assessment, however, prices for various services are income-based on a sliding scale. Some MassHealth enrollees pay nothing. With an agreed-upon service plan in place, the case manager coordinates its implementation with the various county service providers and the individual senior.
Sounds well thought out and comprehensive, but does it work in Becket? Look for the answer to that question in our next edition, where we’ll share what we learned about the local reality.
