South Shore Community Partners
South Shore Partners
- American Dream Home Care
- Maria C. Baler, Attorney
- Back Nine Nurses
- Brookhaven Hospice
- Caregiver Homes
- Curry College, School of Nursing
- First Parish Church of Westwood
- Helping Hands Home Healthcare
- HESSCO
- HopeHealth
- Ideal Healthcare Solutions
- Joanne L. Erickson, Attorney
- Kendra O’Toole, Attorney
- Michelle Reed, Attorney
- North River Home Care
- Norwell Council on Aging
- Norwell VNA & Hospice
- Oasis Senior Advisors
- Old Colony Elder Services
- Old Colony Hospice & Palliative Care
- Overlook CARE
- Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care
- Senior Helpers Boston and South Shore
- Southcoast Visiting Nurses Association(VNA)
- Southeast & Central MA Palliative Care Workgroup
- South Shore Health
- Village at Proprietors Green
- VNA Care Network
- Westwood Council on Aging
American Dream Home Care
American Dream Homecare Agency, located in Brocton, is a local non-medical home care agency that provides the services needed to improve activities of daily living and lessen the stress on family. They believe all individuals in need of special care deserve to stay in the home independently and safely. They offer services in Personal Care, Companionship, Homekeeping and Transportation. You can read more here.
Back Nine Nurses
Kristen Hyde, RN, BSN, CDP, Co-Founder
Deborah O’Kelly, RN, BSN, CDP, Co-Founder
508-737-4277
Back Nine Nurses are dedicated to our mission of “Helping Seniors Live Well on the Back Nine of Life.” Co-Founders Deborah and Kristen are experienced Assisted Living and Memory Care Registered Nurses who provide 30 minute free consultations to seniors and families looking to explore Assisted Living, Memory Care or Respite options in Massachusetts. Consultations are designed as an opportunity for families to share their unique circumstances. Seniors and families are welcome to utilize our full range of concierge services, or we can tailor our services to meet your specific priorities and budget. We do not require or request any signed contracts or commitments from seniors, families or assisted living communities.
Maria C. Baler, Attorney; Samuel, Sayward & Baler, LLC
“We help our clients plan to accomplish their goals, through all of life’s twists and turns, by providing comprehensive, customized legal advice in the areas of estate planning, elder law, and estate and trust administration” say the attorneys of Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC. As an Honoring Choices Community Partner, Attorney Maria C. Baler and Attorney Abigail V. Poole can help adults create or update a full estate plan or assist with a single planning document such as a Durable Power of Attorney or Will. They also offer assistance with long term care planning, applying for Medicaid (Mass Health), and probate matters. Their office is located on the Dedham-Westwood line.
Brookhaven Hospice
508.834.5804
Brookhaven Hospice, located in Westborough, provides care to all age groups during the final stages of life. They have an experienced team of physicians, registered nurses, certified nurse aides, medical social workers, counselors, and trained volunteers available to help you and your family manage your illness. The staff has extensive training in the specific needs of veterans as they approach end of life, recently earning their 4th Star in the “We Honor Veterans” Program. All their Community Liaisons are Honoring Choices Health Care Planning Facilitators. As a Facilitator, the Community Liaisons provide health care planning outreach and education and can offer in-depth planning discussions to adults and families throughout their health care journey and at the end of life.
Caregiver Homes
Caregiver Homes, with offices in Braintree and Attleboro, works closely with caregivers to assure they feel confident and secure in providing care for a loved one at home. Caregiver Home’s care team, including a nurse and care manager, will assess a family’s specific needs. The care team works closely with the adult caregiver and their loved one to create a personalized care plan that addresses the needs of everyone involved. Through visits and ongoing communication, they help the caregiver solve day-to-day challenges and anticipate and prepare for what’s ahead. Read more about their services and eligibility here.
Curry College, School of Nursing
Professor, Nursing and RN-BS Program
Professor, Nursing and RN-BS Program Coordinator
617-333-2021
Curry College School of Nursing is the first nursing school in Massachusetts to incorporate the Honoring Choices program into their nursing curriculum. The School of Nursing will incorporate the Honoring Choices program and tools into their RN-BS curriculum this summer, with plans to fold the program into the other nursing courses in the fall. Honoring Choices will benefit the RN students as they care for patients in a variety of heath care settings. They will use the health care planning tools to help patients make a plan to promote wellness, manage chronic illness and improve quality of life, and to have critical conversations about serious illness and end of life care.
First Parish Church of Westwood
Rev. Christopher Dodge
340 Clapboardtree St, Westwood, MA 02090
www.firstparishwestwood.org
The Congregation at First Parish Church is growing and made up of people from many different denominational backgrounds. They are inviting, open, friendly and affirming. Individual members take an active part in local social and political groups helping to provide moral leadership within our community. Honoring Choices worked with the Rev. Dodge and Margery Eramo, Parish Nurse, to bring a 2 part information series on health care planning to interested members. We are please to continue to support the churches on-going mission to ensure every adult can make a health care plan that reflects their beliefs, values and care choices.
Helping Hands Home Health Care
Helping Hands Home Healthcare , located in Stoughton, mission is to provide home care services for their clients and peace of mind to family members in the greater Boston area. Services include Skilled Nursing, Medical Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, Private Duties, Personal Care, Physical Therapist, Companionship and more. Read more here.
HESSCO
“Supporting consumers and families with the information they need to make informed choices to age well is an important part of the work we do at HESSCO” says Mary Jean McDermott, Executive Director. “The Honoring Choices program is another educational tool for important decision making.” HESSCO, which stands for Health & Social Services Consortium, provides support and services for elders, individuals living with a disability and their caregivers. Their mission is to help adults remain safe and independent at home for as long as possible. HESSCO is located in Sharon and serves 12 area towns. As a Massachusetts Aging Services Access Point and Area Agency on Aging, HESSCO collaborates with physicians, hospitals, Councils on Aging, Visiting Nurse Associations, and other provider agencies to ensure adults have access to needed services for the best possible outcome.
HopeHealth
Diana M. Franchitto, President & CEO
Contact: Ellen McCabe, RN, CHPN, Director of Professional Education
800 642-2423
HopeHealth is dedicated to enhancing the comfort and quality of life for adults and families experiencing the impact of serious illness and loss. Established in 1981 as Hospice of Cape Cod, they were one of the nation’s pioneer hospice programs. Today as HopeHealth, they deliver a wide range of services to thousands of people each year in 80 towns in eastern Massachusetts. HopeHealth’s family of services in Massachusetts includes Hope Hospice, Hope Care for Kids, Hope Dementia & Alzheimer’s Services and Hope Academy. McCarthy Care Center, located in Sandwich, serves as the area’s specially licensed hospice inpatient facility. The Massachusetts Pain Initiative is an affiliate of the organization.
Ideal Healthcare Solutions
Ideal Healthcare Solutions is a nurse practitioner group that delivers primary and acute care to elders wherever they call home. A group of 22 skilled nurse practitioners make house calls at a person’s home or at a care facility. They offer skilled and timely care that often serves to fill the gap for all elders, but especially the frail, chronically ill, disadvantaged, and short-term rehabilitation patients. Ideal Healthcare Solutions was founded in 2009 by Patricia Walker, MSN, FNP, BC, and Priscilla Nwachukwu, MSN, ANP, BC. Located in Easton, they provide comprehensive care to adults within a 100 mile radius of Boston. Their goal is to offer cost-effective, holistic care when it is needed which often can reduce the need for acute hospitalization. The nurse practitioners work collaboratively with patients, their families and other members of the health care team to provide a personalized and coordinated program of care. Health insurance is accepted; please call for details. Ideal Healthcare Solutions is located at 50 Oliver Street, North Easton. For more information, contact Bethanne Higgins at 781 562-0468.
Joanne L. Erickson, Attorney; Erickson & Associates, LLC
“Planning and advocacy can make all the difference in a person’s quality of life. With the proper tools in hand, clients can ensure that their wishes are respected throughout the course of their lives no matter what their age or needs may be," says Attorney Joanne L. Erickson of Braintree. “For those who are developmentally and intellectually challenged, more specific tools may be needed but the goal of respecting a person’s wishes is always the touch point from which all discussions begin.” She assists clients in guardianships and conservatorships, and she also serves as fiduciary in private and court appointed cases. Attorney Erickson represents developmentally and intellectually disabled individuals. She does estate planning with a focus on Special Needs and Supplementary Needs Trusts, as well as long term care planning. She can provide a single document, such as a Durable Power of Attorney, or more full service planning.
Kendra O’Toole, Attorney; Matteson, O’Toole & Reed, LLC
“We strive to understand the uniqueness of every individual, family and business, and their distinct legal needs and goals,” say Attorneys Michelle Reed and Kendra O’Toole, partners at Mattson, O’Toole & Reed, LLC in Weymouth. They assist adults and families with estate planning, long term care planning, guardianship and conservatorship. They also assist with Medicare (Mass Health) application and appeals, and applying for home and community based long-term care assistance. As an Honoring Choices Community Partner, they offer adults and families the choice to complete a single planning document, such as a Durable Power of Attorney, or to work together to create a full estate plan at a cost to be negotiated privately by the client and the attorney. Attorneys Reed and O’Toole also work in collaboration with their fellow South Shore Community Partners to help adults access legal services as needed.
Michelle Reed, Attorney; Matteson, O’Toole & Reed, LLC
“We strive to understand the uniqueness of every individual, family and business, and their distinct legal needs and goals,” say Attorneys Michelle Reed and Kendra O’Toole, partners at Mattson, O’Toole & Reed, LLC in Weymouth. They assist adults and families with estate planning, long term care planning, guardianship and conservatorship. They also assist with Medicare (Mass Health) application and appeals, and applying for home and community based long-term care assistance. As an Honoring Choices Community Partner, they offer adults and families the choice to complete a single planning document, such as a Durable Power of Attorney, or to work together to create a full estate plan at a cost to be negotiated privately by the client and the attorney. Attorneys Reed and O’Toole also work in collaboration with their fellow South Shore Community Partners to help adults access legal services as needed.
North River Home Care
North River Home Care’s mission is to ensure a better quality of life for elderly clients and peace of mind for their families in the care setting of their choice. Their experienced caregivers and home health aides can provide 24 hour care or just occasional companionship, and either in-home care services within personal residences or in assisted living facilities. Their services include Personal and Companion Care, Respite Care, Transportation Services, Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care. North River provides home health services in Boston, Norwell, Sandwich, and throughout the South Shore and Cape Cod, giving seniors the ability to stay in their own homes while receiving the premium care and attention they need.
Norwell Council on Aging
Dee Dee Obert, Outreach Coordinator
293 Pine Street
Norwell, MA 02061
(781) 659-7878
The Norwell Council on Aging helps advise and advocate on behalf of the needs of Norwell's residents, ages 60 and older. They offer a variety of cultural and arts programs, the Senior Learning Network programs, Art Matters program, Circle of Change and computer courses, and an informative bi-monthly newsletter. As an Honoring Choices Health Care Planning Ambassador Dee Dee Obert, Outreach Coordinator, engages seniors in health care planning discussions to complete a Health Care Proxy and Personal Directive, and provides tools to work closely with their care providers to improve healthy living.Norwell VNA & Hospice
Since 1920, Norwell Visiting Nurse Association (NVNA) has faithfully provided essential home care services to adults and families in Boston’s South Shore. In 2008, NVNA expanded its services to include hospice to enable patients to receive the full continuum of care with familiar caregivers. The Hospice program has evolved to include several non-clinical facets that enhance the patients’ well- being as well as spiritual and emotional needs. These include a Pet Therapy Program, a Veteran’s Recognition Program, and our latest Legacy Project through an affiliation with StoryCorps, a national initiative to record people’s life histories and stories. Additionally, they opened the first non-profit, hospice residence to serve the South Shore region. The Pat Roche Hospice Home is located atop Turkey Hill in Hingham. Serving 27 communities, NVNA and Hospice has always been focused on the whole patient experience, which includes helping patients’ families and caregivers. They offer numerous support groups to families and caregivers for specific diseases, caregivers in general, and bereavement services.
Oasis Senior Advisors
Megan Fisher
781-490-0180
https://www.oasissenioradvisors.com/boston-south-shore/
Oasis Senior Advisors, Boston South Shore provides a free service to elders and their families, helping them find the independent living, assisted living, or memory care community that best fits their needs. Because we are local, we regularly visit senior living communities in the area. Our knowledge of current rates, care levels, amenities, and availability take a lot of the time and frustration out of our clients’ search. We also maintain a list of communities that participate in low-income programs that help with costs. One of our favorite things is helping someone who can’t quite afford assisted living enroll in a program that allows them to do just that.
Old Colony Elder Services
"At OCES, staff work hard to provide everyone with access to information to inform them of their choices for end of life care and we provide access to necessary tools to ensure their choices are documented and communicated to everyone has a choice to direct their care teams and make their decisions known”, says Nicole Long CEO, OCES. “Through the talent of an experienced and diverse workforce, OCES supports the independence and dignity of older adults and individuals with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy, safe living which positively impacts our community.” Since 1974, OCES has been providing a variety of services to those individuals most in need living in Plymouth County, MA. They offer individuals options to receive care at home as well as provide additional information on nutrition, personal care, chronic disease self-management and health insurance benefits. Through their programs they offer significant life-supporting care contributing to an individual’s ability to live within the community as independently as possible for as long as possible while preserving dignity and quality of life.
Old Colony Hospice & Palliative Care
For over 35 years, Old Colony Hospice’s team of registered nurses, social workers, counselors, hospice aides, nutritional consultants and volunteers has been providing caring, compassionate hospice care to patients and their loved ones in partnership with the patient’s primary care physician. Old Colony Hospice is a non-profit, Medicare certified, accredited health care organization, providing hospice care, palliative care, grief support services and spiritual care to adults and families. They serve 45 Massachusetts cities and towns on the South Shore. Their staff is focused on meeting the physical, spiritual, and psychosocial needs of patients with advanced disease, and ensuring that their loved ones can live where they are most comfortable and enjoy the highest quality of life possible for their entire life. They will also offer community presentations to help inform and empower the wider community to make a health care plan and activate their plan with their health care providers.
Overlook CARE
Overlook CARE offers seniors and families help in a crisis and ongoing assistance in determining what care is needed throughout different stages of health. The Care Managers assist their clients wherever they reside, whether in their home or in an Assisted Living or other type of residence. The Care Managers provide a comprehensive assessment of an individual’s situation, make recommendations based on the care needed and a person’s preferences, and coordinate resources and care providers to deliver that care. Overlook CARE has offices in Hingham, Dedham, and Charlton and has been providing professional care management since 1999 to individuals and families in Norfolk and Plymouth counties. Overlook CARE is part of the Masonic Health System of Massachusetts.
Season's Hospice & Palliatve Care
Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care, mission is to engender hope in the lives of its patients and their family members at the end of life. Located in Norwood and Burlington, Season’s offers 24 hours care and can provide regular visits by registered hospice nurses with specialized training and expertise in pain and symptom management, visits by hospice aides to provide additional personal care and attention, spiritual and alternative psychosocial support for patients and families, and much more. The Season’s staff have become Health Care Planning Ambassadors to start meaningful planning conversation with adults and families. You can read more here.
Senior Helpers Boston and South Shore
Mark Friedman, Owner
Grace Doherty, Community Relations Coordinator
781-421-3123
"I have always believed aging is a journey, and at Senior Helpers Boston and South Shore, we meet seniors wherever they are in their deeply personal travels," says Mark Friedman, Owner Senior Helpers Boston & South Shore. Senior Helpers offers a comprehensive suite of programs and services that support aging in place (wherever that place may be), and help manage care. They customize every plan for each client, and tailor care to the family’s needs. As an Honoring Choices Health Care Planning Ambassador, Grace Doherty, Community Relations Coordinator, engages seniors in health care planning discussions to complete a Health Care Proxy and Personal Directive , and helps adults get connected to needed services in the community.
Southcoast Visiting Nurses Association(VNA)
Rebecca Souza MSN, RN, ANP, ACHPN
Nurse Practitioner Supportive Care Services, Southcoast Visiting Nurses
Southcoast Visiting Nurses Association(VNA) is committed to providing high quality, comprehensive home health and supportive care services, which foster improvement and maintenance of health, prevention of disease and disability, and compassionate end-of-life care.
Southcoast VNA is a leading provider of home health and supportive care in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Their team of trained, screened and credentialed health care professionals provides services 24 hours a day, including holidays and weekends. Southcoast VNA is a service of Southcoast Health, a community-based health delivery system. Read more here.
Southeast MA Palliative Care Workgroup
Margaret Franckhauser, MS, MPH, RN, Director Aging Services, JSI/CHI,
margaret_franckhauser@jsi.com
Christine Bradley
christine_bradley@jsi.com
The Southeast Palliative Care Workgroup is part of the Central and Southeast Massachusetts Palliative Care Workgroups, a subset of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Cancer Prevention and Control Network. This multi-disciplined group of care providers focus on ways to embed palliative care as a standard practice in serious illness care for all - with increased attention to cultural awareness and outreach. The Central and Southeastern MA Palliative Care Workgroups convene quarterly, each in their respective regions- to share information and ideas that strengthen community partnerships and expand understanding of and access to palliative care. The pandemic created challenges for all providers, but members quickly shifted from in-person to online meetings to maintain the collaborative goals of the workgroups. The zoom platform provided opportunities for networking and resource sharing during a time when in-person meetings could not be held. Everyone who works in the palliative care field is welcome. For more information, please contact Margaret Franckhauser, MS, MPH, RN, Director Aging Services, JSI/CHI, margaret_franckhauser@jsi.com or Christine Bradley,christine_bradley@jsi.com
South Shore Health
Emma Penti, MSW, LICSW, ACHP-SW
South Shore Health is a not-for-profit, charitable health system offering primary and specialty care, hospital care, home health and community care, emergency and urgent care, and preventative and wellness services. South Shore Health, the largest independent health system in Southeastern Massachusetts, includes South Shore Hospital, South Shore Medical Center, South Shore VNA, Hospice of the South Shore, Health Express, and more. We are working with Emma Penti, LICSW, ACHP-SW, Palliative Care clinician and Clinical Lead/Communication Skills Educator for Ariadne Labs Serious Illness Collaborative, who leads the Advance Care Planning Committee via the Provider Council. Our focus is to collaborate and support the work of Advance Care Planning, education of providers and clinicians, Palliative Care, Care Progression and the Home Care division. You can read more here.
Village at Proprietors Green
Colleen Ferguson, Executive Director
Colleen Ferguson, Executive Director
(781) 834-7885
The Village at Proprietors Green, a Welch Healthcare & Retirement Group located in Marshfield, is a vibrant all-rental senior living retirement community, offering independent living, assisted living, and assisted living memory care. In independent living the focus is on hospitality and amenities. In assisted living, personal care services are emphasized. The community’s Memory Care Program creates more joyful moments through a secure, supportive neighborhood with specialized care for those living with Alzheimer’s or related dementias. The staff has a long-standing commitment to helping older adults and families understand their right to make a personal health care plan that reflects individual care goals, values and choices, and works diligently to respect and honor choices about care. For more information, contact Joann Hicks at JHicks@ProprietorsGreen.com
VNA Care Network & Hospice
Rachel Symes
254 2nd Ave #200, Needham
(781) 455-6661
www.vnacare.org
As the Commonwealth's largest home health and hospice provider, VNA Care serves more than 60,000 patients each year. Founded by Massachusetts most established and trusted home care organizations, VNA Care Network, VNA of Boston, VNA Hospice & Palliative Care, VNA Care Advantage, and VNA First Choice; VNA Care has the capabilities and resources to deliver a full range of home health, hospice, and community services to patients of all ages and health care needs. VNA Care, a subsidiary of Atrius Health and an Honoring Choices Alliance Partner, focuses on promoting the health and well-being of patients and families by providing high-quality, cost-effective health care to vulnerable individuals in their homes and communities.
Westwood Council on Aging
Lina Arena-DeRosa, Executive Director
60 Nahatan Street, Westwood
781-329-8799
The Westwood Council on Aging, a department of the Town of Westwood, is dedicated to serving seniors and assisting their families and friends with aging issues. In cooperation with other organizations, the Council on Aging serves both elders who are well and those with some degree of frailty. The Council on Aging staff provides information on transportation services, homemaker services, housing, medical insurance including Medicare and Medicaid, financial assistance programs, volunteer opportunities, and many other aging-related subjects. In addition, the staff of the Council on Aging at the Westwood Senior Center works with local, state and federal agencies to bring you accurate, useful and up-to-date information. The Friendly Visitors Program provides a wide variety of support services to elderly residents of Westwood. Read more here.