Aging in Hingham - Town of Hingham Massachusetts

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mechanisms were described by the group as being good programs but not as well known as theycould be.The group agreed that Hingham is a very supportive community, with good neighborhoods, whichmay account for the low level of isolation reported in the community survey. Yet they agreed thateven the few that are identified as isolated should be of concern. A challenge for the SeniorCenter moving forward is explaining to the larger community what the Senior Center offers. Groupmembers noted that Senior Centers are sometimes seen as “fluff”—a service that is nice to have,but not required—and that it is important to make the case for the value of the Senior Center tothe community. The group speculated that being social and active is beneficial for mental healthand healthy aging—one example of how benefits of the Senior Center could be highlighted.Results from the Key Informant InterviewsOne-on-one interviews were conducted with members of six Town offices and organizations: Mr.Ted Alexiades, the Town Administrator; Mr. Bruce Rabuffo from the Board of Selectmen; ChiefPeraino and Deputy Chief Olsson from the Police Department; Chief Duff from the FireDepartment; Ms. Kathy Crowley, Public Health Nurse; and Ms. Susan Kiernan, from the HinghamInterfaith Food Pantry. Each of these individuals generously shared their time and insights withthe researcher during interviews that lasted an hour or more.The purpose of conducting these interviews was to gain additional perspective on the impact ofthe aging of Hingham’s population on the community as a whole and to learn about how thecommunity is responding to the shifting age composition. Additional goals were to obtain input onhow other organizations in Hingham perceive the role played by the Department of Elder Services,and to identify any opportunities for the Town to improve its efforts to meet the needs of Seniorsin the community. Table 8 outlines some of the unique ways in which the aging of the populationimpacts each organization, as described by the informant. The summarization in this table isgenerated by the researcher based on the interview and is not a verbatim quote from theinformant. Each town official describes ways in which the aging of Hingham’s population hasimpacted his or her office, the Town, and/or the work that they do. The impact of thedemographic shifts in Hingham has been realized by Town organizations in somewhat uniqueways.Several cross-cutting themes are drawn from the interviews. A summary of these themes follows:Economic challenges and transportation barriers are key issues facing Hingham’s Seniors.Two key issues facing Seniors in Hingham were highlighted by the key informants: economicconcerns and transportation. These issues echo results from the community survey. Economicchallenges for seniors occur on two levels: at the macro level, broad economic challenges havethreatened the well-being of some seniors living on fixed incomes, while changes to Medicare andthe health care delivery system have resulted in greater difficulty paying for medical expenses. Atthe community level, the home values in Hingham and associated property tax expenses placefinancial pressure on those with fixed incomes as well. Transportation was also noted as an issuefor seniors in Hingham. Few viable alternatives to self-driving exist in Hingham, and the availableoptions can be expensive. The inability to find or afford transportation prevents some seniors fromaccessing needed services (such as coming to the Food Pantry), participating in the community50
Table 8: Summary of ways in which Hingham’s aging population shapes the Town andTown officesTown office or organization Summarization: How the aging of Hingham’s population has impactedthis office and the TownTown AdministratorBoard of SelectmenPolice DepartmentFire DepartmentTown NurseInterfaith Food PantryThe aging of the community impacts many town issues and offices, notjust senior services. The aging of the population is ideally taken intoconsideration as a matter of course in Town decision-making. Forexample, does a growing senior population have implications for thedesign of valued Town amenities? Seniors are resources who playcritical volunteer roles and contribute extensively to town leadership.The aging of Hingham’s population has broad implications for theTown. Responding to this issue, and providing needed services, mustbe considered within the context of how to maintain Hingham as acommunity that is strong and economically viable moving forward.Thoughtful consideration of how best to meet needs, and openness toa broad range of strategies, is important.The Police Department has experienced an increase in service callsassociated with the aging population. Some of this is linked to largenew housing developments in the community, but much of theincrease occurs broadly throughout the community. Examples ofissues on the upswing include scams targeting seniors; drivingconcerns involving seniors; and issues resulting from the isolation ofsome seniors, especially those living alone without children in thearea.EMS calls have increased considerably. Some increase in callsrelating to older people falling is also noted.Increased demands on public health nursing are observed. Servicesgeared toward seniors, such as specialized flu clinics, as well asprograms offered in collaboration with the Senior Center, are noted.Additional issues observed are mental health issues and limitationsamong some seniors that threaten their ability to stay home safely.An increase in use of the Food Pantry is noted across the board. Olderpeople represent a sizable share of their clientele, but the relativeshare of their clients who are older has remained stable.(such as taking advantage of socialization opportunities at the Senior Center), or obtainingneeded medical care. As a result, transportation barriers can lead to a cascade of difficulties forseniors, including social isolation, food insecurity, and poor management of health conditions. Inone interview, the town official describes an example: an older community member needed dentalcare for a painful tooth. She was unable to drive herself; her daughter had to work and could nottake her to the dentist; and a taxi was out of reach for her financially. With no affordable51
Page 2 and 3: Aging in Hingham: A Community Affai
Page 4: Where do we go from here?The study
Page 7 and 8: Results from the Hingham community
Page 10 and 11: AcknowledgementsThe authors gratefu
Page 12 and 13: I. IntroductionAging in Hingham: A
Page 14 and 15: Transportation options shape the ex
Page 16 and 17: Survey Sample SelectionMunicipal ce
Page 18 and 19: 45 and older. Focus groups were hel
Page 20 and 21: Table 3. Population Growth between
Page 22 and 23: Figure 2: Age distribution of house
Page 24 and 25: force. 6 More than 6 out of 10 amon
Page 26 and 27: Health and Wellness: These programs
Page 28 and 29: programs, social activities, and tr
Page 30 and 31: Figure 10: Importance of remaining
Page 32 and 33: phone, emailing, or getting togethe
Page 34 and 35: Figure 16: Percentage reporting fee
Page 36: Figure 18: Providing unpaid care to
Page 39: Boomers and 13% of the Seniors eith
Page 42 and 43: Figure 27: “This is a neighborhoo
Page 44 and 45: Figure 29: Percentage modifying dri
Page 46 and 47: services throughout the community m
Page 48 and 49: Respondents were asked if they had
Page 50 and 51: transportation options and the affo
Page 54 and 55: alternatives for transportation, th
Page 56 and 57: volunteerism in Hingham. Strengthen
Page 58 and 59: Appendix A: Community SurveyTOWN OF
Page 60 and 61: 12. Do you require help with househ
Page 62 and 63: 22. Below is a list of problems one
Page 64 and 65: Section H. Current & Future Retirem
Page 66 and 67: Appendix B: Detailed tables from th
Page 68 and 69: Q3. Who do you live with? (Check al
Page 70 and 71: Q5. About how many friends or relat
Page 72 and 73: Q7. Do you provide unpaid care or a
Page 74 and 75: Q10: How would you rate your overal
Page 76 and 77: Q12-14. Do you require help with ho
Page 78 and 79: Q16. Over the last month, how often
Page 80 and 81: Q18. The following are activities a
Page 82 and 83: Q20. Outside of the Hingham Senior
Page 84 and 85: Q21: Expanded content: How familiar
Page 86 and 87: Q23: How many years have you lived
Page 88 and 89: Q24: Do you live in Hingham year-ar
Page 90 and 91: Q26. Please indicate your level of
Page 92 and 93: Q29. Hingham Elder Services provide
Page 94 and 95: Q30. [Asked of respondents who driv
Page 96 and 97: Q32: In the past 6 months, when you
Page 98 and 99: Q33. Are you retired?All agesBoomer
Page 100 and 101: Q35. [Asked of those who are not re
Page 102 and 103:
Q37. Gender: Are you (check one)?Al
Page 104 and 105:
Q39. Race: Are you ?Q40. Do you con
Page 106 and 107:
Q42. What is the highest level of e
Page 108 and 109:
Q44. What was your total family inc
Page 110 and 111:
The Gerontology Institute is locate
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Aging in Hingham - Town of Hingham Massachusetts

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