SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS

Your involvement is essential to our success! Help HESSCO make a difference for consumers in South Norfolk County. We are a vital link for area elders, individuals living  with a disability and their caregivers in support of safe and independent living at home.

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HESSCO SERVICES

HESSCO provides support for elders and those who care for them. Services include but are not limited to: home care services, caregiver support, nutrition and nutrition counseling, information and referral, money management and more.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Sign up for our newsletter to stay abreast of the latest events at HESSCO and in the South Norfolk County region. Visit our blog page where an updated calendar will be posted - offering details of important dates to remember.

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Call Us Today! (781) 784-4944 |info@hessco.org

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Connect, Create and Contribute…A Way of Life at Every Age

By |May 29th, 2019|

*Every May, the Administration for Community Living leads our nation’s observance of Older Americans Month. The 2019 theme, Connect, Create, Contribute encourages older adults and their communities to:

  • Connect with friends, family, and services that support participation.
  • Create by engaging in activities that promote learning, health, and personal enrichment.
  • Contribute time, talent, and life experience to benefit others.

A community is made up of individuals, their experiences, connections and shared mores.  Equally, a community is only as strong and vibrant as individual members.  When you make connections in your community, you are not only making the community stronger, you are helping yourself.  Being engaged, especially in something you enjoy, helps to decrease isolation and loneliness which can in fact improve your own health.  This is true at any age.  Still, as an individual ages, they not only may find themselves with more free time, they may also have more experiences to share.  Older adults play a key role in the vitality of our neighborhoods, networks, and lives. Everyone benefits when everyone can participate. We encourage you to connect, create, and contribute for stronger and more diverse communities this May, and throughout the year.

 

*excerpts taken from acl.gov

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April is Health Care Decisions Month

By |April 30th, 2019|

National Healthcare Decisions Month exists to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning. For everyone.

Honoring Choices of Massachusetts’ Who’s Your Agent?® Program makes it easy to create and update your health care plan. One simple question- “Who’s Your Agent?” can open the door to early and meaningful health care planning discussions to get good care all through your life. Download Getting Started Tool Kit This do-it-yourself tool kit helps you to:

1. Choose a trusted person to be your Health Care Agent (Agent). Appoint your Agent in a Health Care Proxy. * Not sure who to choose yet? “No Agent – No Problem!” Just start with Step 2.

2. Talk with your family about your care choices. Write down your choices in a Personal Directive (Living Will);

3. Talk with your care providers to match care to your choices. Use the 5 Things to Talk About with Your Care Providers discussion guide to put your plan into action.

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Federal Trade Commission Scam Warning

By |February 15th, 2019|

Federal Trade Commission Scam Warning

The Federal Trade Commission is getting reports about people pretending to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) who are trying to get your Social Security number and even your money.

In one version of the scam, the caller says your Social Security number has been linked to a crime (often, he says it happened in Texas) involving drugs or sending money out of the country illegally. He then says your Social Security number is blocked – but he might ask you for a fee to reactivate it, or to get a new number. He will ask you to confirm your Social Security number.

In other variations, he says that somebody used your Social Security number to apply for credit cards, and you could lose your benefits. He also might warn you that your bank account is about to be seized, that you need to withdraw your money, and that he’ll tell you how to keep it safe.

All of these are scams. Here’s what you need to know:

  • The SSA will never call and ask for your Social Security number. It will not ask you to pay anything. It won’t call to threaten your benefits.
  • Your caller ID might show the SSA’s real phone number (1-800-772-1213), but that’s not the real SSA calling. Computers make it easy to show any number on caller ID. You cannot trust what you see there.
  • Never give your Social Security number to anyone who contacts you in this way. Do not confirm the last 4 digits. Do not give a bank account or credit card number – ever – to anybody who contacts you by phone asking for it.
  • Remember that anyone who tells you to wire money, pay with a gift card, or send cash is always a scammer no matter who they say they are.

If you’re worried about a call from someone who claims to be from the Social Security Administration, get off the phone. Then call the real SSA at 1-800-772-1213.

If you have spotted a scam, then tell the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

To learn more, you can go to Fake Calls about your SSN.

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Sharing the News…Suburu Share the Love Event

By |December 10th, 2018|

At HESSCO, we are well aware that Meals on Wheels is so much more than just a meal. Local Meals on Wheels programs not only provide daily nutritious meals, but also nourishing companionship and critical safety checks to America’s homebound seniors.

Meals on Wheels has participated in the Subaru Share the Love Event since its inception in 2008. Through Meals on Wheels America, the Subaru Share the Love Event has helped deliver nearly two million meals to America’s seniors.
Subaru and its retailers support Meals on Wheels because it’s part of their commitment — to leaving the world a better place than they found it through the core values of trust and love.

Help share the news! Suburu Share the Love Event runs from November 15, 2018 to January 2, 2019. Through this year-end sales event, Suburu of America will donate $250 to the buyer’s selected charity – and we hope you’ll choose Meals on Wheels. Each donation to Meals on Wheels programs enable seniors to age with independence and dignity in their own homes, where they want to be.

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30 Days of Gratitude/Family Caregivers

By |November 6th, 2018|

Thank you to all of the caregivers who work tirelessly to do the best they can in one of the toughest jobs there is. November is #NationalFamilyCaregivers Month; a time to recognize and honor family caregivers across the country. The Family Caregiver Support Program at HESSCO has been created to assist these informal caregivers who are caring for a loved one and looking for resources, answers, direction, or emotional support.

There is no charge for services from the Family Caregiver Support Program, and there are no income eligibility requirements for this program.

#GivingTuesday is three weeks away.  Held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the holiday giving season and inspires people to give back in impactful ways to the nonprofits and causes they support. Among many things, your donation will help us to serve more family caregivers through our Family Caregiver Support Program.

This year’s #NationalFamilyCaregivers Month theme is “Supercharge Your Caregiving.” Below are 10 techniques from the Caregiver Action Network (CAN) you can employ to support yourself in your journey.

 

  1. Seek support from other caregivers. You are not alone!
  2. Take care of your own healthso that you can be strong enough to take care of your loved one.
  3. Accept offers of helpand suggest specific things people can do to help you.
  4. Learn how to communicate effectivelywith doctors.
  5. Caregiving is hard work so take respite breaks
  6. Watch out for signs of depressionand don’t delay getting professional help when you need it.
  7. Be open to new technologiesthat can help you care for your loved one.
  8. Organize medical informationso it’s up to date and easy to find.
  9. Make sure legal documents are in order.
  10. Give yourself credit for doing the best you can in one of the toughest jobs there is!
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Gratitude

By |October 31st, 2018|

What are you grateful for?

gratitude picture
Welcome November! As we look ahead to the upcoming holiday season, we pause to reflect on the past year. We have so much to be grateful for. The support we receive throughout the year enables us to deliver the level of service we have so proudly provided to the South Norfolk County community for the past 40 years. It is along this vein that we are launching a month-long Gratitude Campaign.
We invite staff, volunteers, partner organizations and all of our HESSCO supporters to join us on Facebook/Twitter and follow our #30Daysof Gratitude. Please post what you are thankful for! We will be sharing our followers’ sentiments throughout the month. If we select your gratitude to feature in one of our posts, you will win a prize!
At the end of the month, HESSCO will be participating in #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to gratitude and giving. #GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, following the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This kicks off the holiday giving season and inspires people to give back in impactful ways to the nonprofits and causes they support.
Thank you for joining us in this journey – We are grateful for YOU!
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Are You Prepared?

By |October 3rd, 2018|

We’ve become conditioned to changing the batteries in our smoke and CO2 detectors twice a year when we change the clocks for Daylight Savings Time. Perhaps we could also get in the habit of refreshing our “Emergency Kits” at the same time? Everyone should have such a kit to be prepared in the face of an emergency. New England is in the midst of peak hurricane season, and winter is right around the corner. Below is a helpful Emergency Kit Checklist:

1. Three days of nonperishable/ non-cook food, water (1 gallon per day per person), and medication.

2. Flashlight, battery operated radio, extra batteries

3. First aid kit, cash, cell phone and charger

4. ID cards, information (Dr., meds, allergies), family/friends contacts, Health Care Proxy, toothbrush/toothpaste, blanket and washcloth

5. Clothes and baby or pet supplies if you need them

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HESSCO Awarded $10,000 Prize For Participation in GIVE65 Event

By |August 15th, 2018|

HESSCO Elder Services is thrilled to announce that it received a $10,000 financial reward for its outstanding participation during the third-annual GIVE65 Event, a program of Home Instead Senior Care Foundation. The GIVE65 Event, which took place July 10 – July 12, is a one-of-a-kind, 65-hour, crowd-fundraising platform exclusively devoted to helping nonprofits raise money online for programs and services that create hope for seniors. Home Instead Senior Care Foundation provided $125,000 in matching grants, and all approved, participating organizations were eligible for one of two $10,000 financial rewards recognizing outstanding small-, medium- and large-sized participating nonprofits based on operating budget.

In addition to the $10,000 reward, HESSCO donors gave over $5,100 which earned the agency $2,500 in matching dollars. HESSCO’s campaign raised funds to help pay for Emergency and Holiday meals for the seniors it serves in South Norfolk County.

HESSCO has approximately 500 seniors over age 60 who receive Meals on Wheels through its nutrition program. For many of these seniors, HESSCO is the primary source of their nutrition on each day they receive the meal. When there is a weather emergency, the program sometimes cannot deliver meals. To prepare for these weather events, HESSCO purchases shelf-stable emergency meals which are distributed to each senior who receives Meals on Wheels. HESSCO also provides local police and fire departments with a supply of emergency meals. The expense of the emergency meals is not funded through any federal or state program and thus, HESSCO incurs the full cost because of our commitment to serve the nutrition needs of seniors.

On Thanksgiving and Christmas, HESSCO staff, Town of Walpole School Department staff, and congregants from Temple Sinai Sharon volunteer their time to deliver a free, hot meal to any senior in our community who is alone for the holiday. In 2017, HESSCO delivered over 150 meals on Thanksgiving and another 150 on Christmas. The seniors who receive these meals express their gratitude through tears, hugs, smiles and holiday well-wishes. HESSCO never has difficulty finding staff and other groups to donate their time because all involved know they have made a senior a little less lonely; however, donations are relied upon to cover the cost of the meals.

Thanks to its success during the GIVE65 Event, HESSCO will have ample “back up,” shelf stable meals available to consumers in the event of an emergency, and our neediest consumers will receive a visit and a nicely prepared meal on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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Help Staying Cool

By |July 3rd, 2018|

We’re Having a Heat Wave!

Hot weather can be dangerous, and seniors are particularly prone to its threat. To protect seniors, the standard advice is to get them into an air-conditioned building; have them dress lightly; and keep themselves hydrated.

Please take the time to check on elderly relatives, friends and neighbors.  If someone is in need of an air conditioned environment, please see this link for a listing of local  cooling centers for the Summer of 2018.

 

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Going Purple

By |June 27th, 2018|

HESSCO Goes Purple for Alzheimer’s

Throughout the month of June, HESSCO has joined the Alzheimer’s Association to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias.

  • We’re walking – Team HESSCO is up! Join or donate to our team – for the Neponset Valley Walk to End Alzheimer’s September 22, 2018. The money we have raised this month will be pledged to our team to help us reach our team goal.
  • We’re recognizing The Longest Day – June 21st is the summer solstice and the Alzheimer’s Association’s The Longest Day®, an event that asks people worldwide to select any activity they love to raise funds and awareness to help end Alzheimer’s. The longest day of the year is symbolic recognition of the challenge caregivers face.
  • We’re “Weathering the Storm” – A bulletin board has been designed with an umbrella and raindrops, each entitled with a different weather related song.
  • We’re planting “Seeds of Hope” – As a symbol of our support, “Seeds of Hope” have been planted and cared for.
  • We’re “Quilting” – Each staff member has contributed his/her own personalized “Square of Inspiration” to be incorporated into our company quilt which will showcase each other’s individuality.
  • We’re “Going Purple” – We have answered the call to action by going purple and raising awareness this June. The more people know about Alzheimer’s, the more action we inspire.

Together we can #EndAlz!

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