Senior Solutions 2023 Annual Meeting was held on November 29th with the attendance of staff, volunteers and community partners. Beth Stern brought us a message from Sen. Bernie Sanders, and our Keynote Speaker, Renee Pepin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the Dartmouth Centers for Health and Aging inspired us to keep finding new ways to help us all become and remain connected so we can age successfully. The American Legion in Chester hosted a delicious light breakfast. Our Executive Director, Mark Boutwell, started the meeting off on a celebratory note, reminding us all about the activities, programs and projects we have initiated this year to serve our aging population.
Walter Stover is one of three winners of the Successful Aging Award
Read about Walter Stove here.
Read the Message from the Executive Director, Mark Boutwell
Welcome friends, colleagues, board members, advisory council members, staff, state and federal officials and community partners.
We are very excited to be convening the Senior Solutions 50th annual meeting. When we think about the changes in the world over the past fifty years, it’s easy to imagine the changes that Senior Solutions has made to continue to meet the needs of older Vermonters. Over the years, the numbers of older Vermonters needing assistance has grown, their needs have changed and the way we provide services has evolved. That demographic is projected to grow even more over the coming years. Senior Solutions is working right now to strengthen and expand our core services to meet their needs.
As I look out at those of you gathered here today, I see the rich history of Senior Solutions and I see the future, with many opportunities on the horizon that we are preparing to meet.
Allow me to share a brief glimpse of where we have been and what lies ahead.
Since 1973 we have FIFTY YEARS of:
- Promoting the well-being and dignity of older Vermonters in southeastern Vermont.
- Collaborating with community partners within the 46 towns we serve.
- Supporting home delivered and congregate meals throughout the villages and scenic backroads of southeastern Vermont.
- Answering HelpLine calls with questions ranging from benefit program eligibility to home repair needs, to concerns about abuse, neglect or financial exploitation, to medical concerns.
- Care coordination and case management for older Vermonters in need, particularly those on long-term Choices for Care Medicaid and those experiencing the challenges of self-neglect.
- Advocating locally and at the state level for the needs of older Vermonters.
- Providing volunteer companionship to reduce social isolation.
- Boards of directors who have provided many, many unpaid hours of support and guidance.
You can find specific metrics for these services in the annual report found here.
That’s half a century of work. Half a century!
Now we are looking ahead to the next fifty years!
We are looking ahead at:
- Providing more care coordination and case management to older Vermonters in need, by expanding our case management programs.
- Enhancing our HelpLine to be more proactive by initiating calls to older adults identified by our outreach staff as in need of assistance.
- Expanding our collaboration with the local hospitals by working closely with their care teams to support successful discharges.
- Taking action through our participation in local and State initiatives such as the Windham Aging Collaborative and the Age Strong Vermont aging plan, to improve the regional and statewide infrastructure that will enable older Vermonters to thrive in their communities for years to come.
- Developing more opportunities for social connectedness through an expanded network of congregate meal sites, locally supported wellness programs, senior center opportunities, more options for rural transportation and further developing our volunteer programs such as our Memory Cafes.
- A stronger alignment with the four other area agencies on aging in Vermont and a stronger advocacy voice at the legislature.
- Greater visibility and awareness of our services across the region.
Recently, the leadership team was working on a new version of our mission statement. During the discussion, Thom Simmons drew this analogy. When you do a Google search, the most frequently visited site shows up on the top of the list. Thom said, “we want Senior Solutions to be at the top of folks’ internal search list for aging related services and supports.”
That is where we are headed in the next 50 years.
