Aging in Hingham - Town of Hingham Massachusetts

transportation options and the affordability of taxes, may be addressed at least to some extent bythoughtfully considering how the community may become more “senior friendly.” Linkages amongthemes are considerable: for example, affordability and transportation issues are related stronglyto concerns about accessing needed services and maintaining social networks. Worries aboutwhether residents will be able to age in place relate to affordability of maintaining their homes,and of finding appropriate substitute housing in the area. The prominent mention of economicconcerns highlights the vulnerability that lower incomes promote, and the recognition that formany, later life brings fixed incomes and more limited resources.Results from the Focus GroupsTwo focus groups were held to assess the needs of seniors living in Hingham as well as to reviewpreliminary results from the demographic and survey analyses. The first group was composed ofrepresentatives from service providers and other community organizations. The second group wascomposed of community members aged 45 and over.Focus Group 1: Service Provider & Community Organization RepresentativesThe first focus group was comprised of representatives from a variety of community organizationsincluding: visiting nurse associations (VNA), the Housing Authority, Town Offices/Committees—Advisory Council, Community Planning, Recreation and Veterans’ Services—and a local church.Overall, the group described a collaborative and positive relationship between their organizationsand the Department of Elder Services.A number of transportation issues were noted by members of the group. Participants pointed outthat people can become homebound quickly following a decline in health (e.g. cognitive decline),because they become isolated and need support, but don’t get it partially due to transportationchallenges. This cycle of health, transportation challenges and isolation was echoed by others inthe group. The scheduling and distance of travel were identified as important aspects oftransportation options that are challenging. For example, one participant mentioned that theDepartment of Elder Services does have vans but that they only travel locally. Many Hinghamresidents have medical appointments in Boston but have few options to get there. Volunteertransport is often not willing to go to Boston. Scheduling alternate transportation was alsomentioned as being challenging. The times available do not always match with the needs ofelders, and scheduling is often required weeks in advance of the appointment. One participantmentioned trying to avoid having seniors being driven to appointments by their peers or nonauthorizedindividuals because of the liability concerns, but reported that this sometimes occursanyway in emergency situations.Caregiving was also mentioned as an important issue. Participants reported that most peopledon’t even identify themselves as a “caregiver,” and that using this term without proper definitionis part of the problem in providing support to caregivers. For example, a person may help hermother weekly with basic tasks yet not identify herself as being a “caregiver”—just a daughterfulfilling her responsibilities. One participant suggested that there will never be enough support forcaregivers and that caregiver support should be a target for outreach. This same group memberruns an Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) caregiver group which includes many Hingham participants. Onething she notices is that even though Hingham participants often have more financial resourcesthan the average client, care for a loved one with AD is so costly that it drains family membersboth financially and emotionally. Obtaining sufficient resources to get help for respite is difficult.Adult day health or private hire help is encouraged but people worry about the expense. Outreach48