Merrimack Valley Magazine

Elder Voices

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New Project Explores Healthy Aging in the Lowell Community

Lowell is known for its vibrant cultural diversity and strong sense of regional identity. Adults 60 years of age or older make up 15% of the city’s population — according to a Tufts Health Plan Foundation (THPF) 2019 report — and they bring a unique perspective and lived experience to the community. This makes them an important asset, according to Phillip Gonzalez, the senior program officer for the THPF. 

“We often think about older adults only in their deficits,” Gonzalez says. “If we default to that type of thinking, we overlook the fact that they lived in these communities, and contributed to these communities, for much of their lives.” 

A community-based effort that aims to develop healthy aging solutions has been in progress for over two years in Lowell. This has led to an Age-Friendly Lowell collaboration among UMass Lowell and community partners including the Greater Lowell Health Alliance, the Lowell Housing Authority, Elder Services of Merrimack Valley and North Shore, D’Youville Life and Wellness, and the Lowell Council on Aging.

 

With support from the THPF, which funded a $300,000 grant for the project, these local collaborators can develop the tools they need to determine the infrastructure that’s required to promote this healthy-aging initiative.

Age-Friendly Lowell will involve the city’s entire community, including older adults, elected officials, the heads of nonprofits, volunteers, and other organization leaders, along with a diverse and older action group of residents that can shine light on specific issues within each unique community in the city, according to Lillian Hartman (no relation to the author), director of the Lowell Council on Aging.

“We are hoping to ensure that every element of our project has the voice of older residents, and who live and work within the community,” says project leader Sabrina Noel, an assistant professor in UMass Lowell’s Department of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences and the director of community engagement in the university’s Center for Population Health.

Local residents who volunteer will be directly involved with a unique element of the project, which is to research and develop the plan for promoting healthy and productive aging. These volunteers will be involved in collecting information from local residents in order to evaluate the community and determine what is already being done in the city to promote healthy aging, and which existing programs, policies, and systems need to be modified. 

Age-Friendly Lowell will focus on nine different domains, including housing, healthy living communication, transportation, employment, crime and safety, and health services, according to Noel and David Cornell, an assistant professor of physical therapy and kinesiology at UMass Lowell. By identifying priority areas within these domains, informed by older adults living in the community, an action plan can be developed to begin addressing strategies such as access to healthy food, places to walk, social engagement opportunities and more to promote healthy and productive aging. 

“As we all age, we want to be able to stay in our communities, and feel supported by our communities, and have the resources we need to be able to age in place,” Noel says.

Gonzalez emphasizes how everyone involved in this project should recognize the importance of older adults. Residents of Lowell who have lived in the community for a long time, often for most or all of their lives, bring a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to understanding what works and what doesn’t at the neighborhood level.

“What we should be thinking about is how we are investing in the infrastructure for ourselves in the future, and for older adults now,” Gonzalez says.   

Passing the Torch

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D’Youville Transitions to New Sponsorship

For the past 60 years, D’Youville Life & Wellness Community in Lowell has provided local seniors with compassionate long- and short-term care while expanding services to meet their ever-changing needs.

In recent years, however, the founding Sisters of Charity of Ottawa recognized that a transfer in Catholic sponsorship would be required. 

“Due to the diminishing number of sisters, there was a clear need to move on to another stage in our journey,” said Sister Prescille Malo, provincial superior of the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa. “We want our mission, which has always been about the people we serve here in Greater Lowell, to continue.”

 

To preserve and advance D’Youville’s ties to the Catholic Church, as well as its continued leadership in the field of senior care and state-of-the-art adult rehabilitation services, its Catholic sponsorship is being transitioned to the Germantown, N.Y.-based Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm. In addition, D’Youville will join The Carmelite System, a Catholic nonprofit health system also based in Germantown, N.Y.

Under the sponsorship of the Carmelite Sisters, there will be no changes in D’Youville’s services to residents and tenants or to the diverse workplace culture of its approximately 550 employees. President and CEO Naomi Prendergast and D’Youville’s locally based governing boards will remain in place.

L-r: Sr. Viviane Veauvais; Sr. Rachelle Watler; Sr. Jeanne Haley; Sr. Jeannette Rouss. Photo by Deb Venuti.

“D’Youville is not being sold. It’s not an acquisition. We explored petitioning the Vatican to become self-sponsored, meaning D’Youville would be responsible for our own Catholic identity, but aligning with The Carmelite System is simply a great match,” said Prendergast, who initiated contact with the organization followed by a group site visit in the fall of 2017. “The lay analogy I give is two people are getting married, and each is bringing his or her own set of traditions. Together, we are moving forward to create something new in a way that honors both sides.”

“The Carmelite System is delighted to have D’Youville Life & Wellness Community join us,” said Paul MacGiffert, president and CEO of The Carmelite System. “By aligning with like-minded organizations such as D’Youville, we can advance the Carmelite mission, as well as D’Youville’s, in even more meaningful ways.” 

An integral part of the local physical, cultural and health care landscape, D’Youville is located on a 75-acre campus in the Pawtucketville section of Lowell. The nonprofit organization offers a full continuum of elder care housing and health care, including short-stay rehabilitation and transitional care, specialized long-term nursing care, Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related special care, traditional and memory care assisted living, and affordable housing for independent living.

According to Prendergast, The Carmelite System is committed to supporting and advancing D’Youville’s mission of caring for Greater Lowell’s aging population with respect, dignity and compassion while enhancing its own legacy of service to elders in Massachusetts. Other Carmelite senior living communities include Marian Manor in South Boston, Mount Carmel Care Center in Lenox, and St. Patrick’s Manor and Carmel Terrace, both in Framingham.

Donations earmarked for D’Youville will continue to enhance the quality of life of its residents. Past donor-funded projects have included a senior-friendly park with walking path, a balcony to provide residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias with safe access to fresh air and the outdoors, The Saab Residence (assisted living for all income levels), two 14-passenger buses to involve residents in community events, and a combined dining and activity space in the dementia special care unit.

According to Prendergast, additional growth will follow as residents’ needs continue to evolve.

“We don’t have a crystal ball to see how we’ll look in 10 years,” she said, “but with health care changing so rapidly, you can be sure we’ll be as innovative then as we’ve been up until now.”  

NoteWorthy – 11/17/19

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AROUND THE VALLEY

North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau Celebrates Tourism Awards

The North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau held its 2019 Annual Meeting, Tourism Awards and Mini-Grant Ceremony on Nov. 7 at the Blue Ocean Event Center.

Among the 2019 North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau Tourism Award winners were Karen and Glenn Cook of Amesbury’s Cider Hill Farm and Mass. Sen. Diana DiZoglio. The communities of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover were given special recognition for their collective leadership, compassion and perseverance during the Merrimack Valley natural gas disaster of 2018.

Lowell Community Health Center, UMass Lowell and D’Youville Life & Wellness Community Among  Massachusetts 2019 Top 100 Women-Led Businesses

Lowell Community Health Center (Lowell CHC) CEO Susan West Levine, UMass Lowell Chancellor Jaqueline Moloney and President of D’Youville Life and Wellness Company Naomi Prendergast were honored on Nov. 8 by the Commonwealth Institute (TCI) and the Globe Magazine for leading one of the Commonwealth’s most noteworthy women-led businesses. This is the first time that Lowell CHC has been included on this list.

Spanning all sectors, the 2019 list includes leaders of health care companies, retail giants, construction companies, financial institutions and nonprofit groups.

The Commonwealth Institute, a nonprofit that supports female business leaders, examined revenue or operating budget as well as other variables, including number of full-time employees in the state, workplace and management diversity and innovative projects. TCI then ranked organizations according to its own formula. This is the 19th year that TCI has created the list and the seventh year that the Globe Magazine has partnered with the group.

For the complete list of honorees, click here.

Enterprise Bank Named Best Place To Work Among Large-Sized Companies

Enterprise Bank has been named the number one place to work among large-sized companies in the employee-based “Top Places to Work” survey from The Boston Globe. Enterprise Bank has been recognized as a top employer since 2012.

In a joint statement, Chairman George L. Duncan, President Richard W. Main and CEO Jack Clancy said “We are deeply honored and humbled that the opinions of our team members have earned us recognition as the Top Place to Work. There is nothing more important to us than our Enterprise Family, who have made Enterprise what it is today. Our team and work environment is our greatest asset and is what sets us apart from other companies. We are truly a family — united by our core values of integrity, community, excellence, teamwork and professionalism.”

Chelmsford Center for the Arts Hosts 10th Anniversary Gala Celebration

Dan Rodriguez and soprano Sarah Ryman perform at the CCA’s Gala. Photo by Bob Stegmaier of Silver Fox Studios.

On Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, the Chelmsford Center for the Arts (CCA) hosted its 10th Anniversary Gala Celebration. The Gala was attended by nearly 100 members of the community, including donors, artists and the CCA leadership and advisory board.

Performers included pianists Diana Tetzlaff, Nathan An, Zoe Liu, Dan Rodriguez and Frank Wilkins; flutist Sarah Buliszak; vocalists Sarah Wyman and Joan Watson-Jones; and rock band True North. Anna Kehoe, a Chelmsford High School student, charmed the audience with the story of how she raised $2,500 for the CCA.

Susan Gates, the CCA’s executive director, said, “While there is still much to accomplish, we celebrate all we have done over the past decade to make the Chelmsford Center for the Arts the only public visual and performing arts center serving Chelmsford and the Merrimack Valley. The Gala showcased the impact we have on young artists and the caliber of professional musicians we present at the CCA.”

UMass Lowell Honors Local Oprah Winfrey Scholars

Photo by Tory Wesnofske for UMass Lowell

Sixty UMass Lowell students who are this year’s Oprah Winfrey Scholars were recognized at an event at University Crossing on Friday, Nov. 15, the one-year anniversary of Winfrey’s appearance at UMass Lowell’s Chancellor’s Speaker Series. A total of $300,000 in scholarships was awarded to the scholars, who hail from cities and towns across New England as well as Washington, D.C. The funds raised will allow UMass Lowell to continue to award Oprah Winfrey scholarships for years to come.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Sound Recording Pioneer Named UMass Lowell Distinguished University Professor

Music Prof. William Moylan, architect of UMass Lowell’s nationally acclaimed Sound Recording Technology program, has been named the 2019 Distinguished University Professor. The highest accolade bestowed on a UMass Lowell faculty member, the award honors educators for exemplary teaching, research and service to the university. 

Moylan, an authority on audio engineering and music theory, founded UMass Lowell’s Sound Recording Technology (SRT) program in the 1980s. A signature course of study at the university and one of only a few of its kind in the United States, the program is a renowned training ground for professionals in all fields involving capturing sound. The program has produced numerous Grammy and Emmy winners, and UMass Lowell graduates working in the industry are making essential contributions to music, radio, TV, film, video and live-event production.

NoteWorthy – 11/10/19

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AROUND THE VALLEY

Greater Lowell Community Foundation Announces New Fund Established in Honor of Veterans and First Responders

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation announced the establishment of the Hidden Battles Endowment Fund. This new field-of-interest fund supports programs to help preserve the healthy minds of military veterans and first responders for treatment and counseling to addresses suicide prevention, depression, PTSD and other mental health issues.

Hidden Battles began as a fiscal sponsorship fund of the Greater Lowell Community Foundation in 2017. The organization was started by Scott Hyder, an Army veteran and retired Westford police officer.

“By teaming with GLCF, we know our money is in the right hands. We started this new field-of-interest fund because we know that the foundation will bring Hidden Battles to a whole new level – a level that can expand on the programs that are keeping our men and women in uniform mentally safer,” said Scott Hyder of Pelham, N.H., founder of Hidden Battles.

Enterprise Bank Once Again Supporting Local Veterans During November

For the third year, Enterprise Bank is recognizing local organizations that provide support and services to military veterans with the Checking with Purpose campaign. Throughout the month of November, Enterprise Bank will recognize six local organizations within the bank’s service area that support veterans. Each branch location is partnered with one of the organizations.

For every new checking account opened with Enterprise Bank from Nov. 1 to 30, the bank will donate $10 to a designated local veteran’s organization in the Checking with Purpose campaign, which this year includes Cunningham Veteran’s Home, Lowell; iPods for Wounded Veterans, Wilmington; Clear Path for Veterans, Devens; Veterans Northeast Outreach Center, Haverhill; Homeland Heroes Foundation, Salem; Harbor Homes – Veterans First, Nashua.

Wayside Youth & Family Support Network Receives $10,000 Grant from the Greater Lowell Health Alliance

Wayside Youth & Family Support Network’s PrideSide Lowell program received a $10,000 grant from the Greater Lowell Health Alliance (GLHA). The grant will allow PrideSide Lowell to add a group for high school youth who identify as LGBTQ+ that will focus on peer leadership and creating community connections for middle school youth.

“Wayside Lowell is incredibly thankful for the support from the GLHA,” said Beth Chin, regional director, Wayside Central Massachusetts and Lowell. “This grant allows us to empower LGBTQ+ youth in Greater Lowell to thrive, make connections and develop advocacy skills so that they can become active participants in their community.”

Greater Lowell Community Foundation and Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts Seek Request for Proposals for 2019 Nashoba Valley Healthcare Fund Cycle

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts opened its 2019 Nashoba Valley Healthcare Fund Cycle on Oct. 22. The foundations are seeking requests for proposals from nonprofit organizations supporting the advancement of community health of residents in 13 communities: Ashby, Ayer, Bolton, Dunstable, Groton, Harvard, Lancaster, Littleton, Lunenburg, Pepperell, Shirley, Townsend and Westford.

Grant awards will range from $5,000 up to $20,000; however, larger scale collaborative projects that are more than $20,000 will be considered if the funding request is justified by the impact of the project. The foundations are especially interested in seeing proposals that address systemic issues including but not limited to opiate addiction, food scarcity, obesity, substance abuse, suicide screening and prevention and other specific issues as indicated by community needs.

Link House Inc.’s Links of Hope Event Raises Over $135,000

Almost 400 people gathered at the Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury for Link House Inc.’s Links of Hope Gala this fall to raise funds as part of National Recovery Month. The event, which was attended by Governor Charlie Baker, raised over $135,000. Frank Cousins, Jr., former Essex County sheriff and Newburyport Chamber of Commerce & Industry president/CEO received the Nick Costello Heroes in Recovery Award. Comedian Jimmy Tingle emceed the event and John Broderick, Dartmouth Hitchcock senior director of external affairs was the keynote speaker. 

Seaside Legal Solutions Ribbon Cutting

On Oct. 8, Seaside Legal Solutions held a ceremonious ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new Newburyport office located on Pleasant Street. In attendance were State Senator Diana DiZoglio’s office, Newburyport Mayor Donna Holaday, the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce & Industry staff, attorney Joel Favazza, his son, and Seaside Legal Solutions staff.

Seaside Legal Solutions provides effective and efficient residential and commercial real estate legal services to the Cape Ann area and Boston’s North Shore. They have been providing legal services out of their other Gloucester office for 10 years, and were the lead sponsor of this year’s Newburyport Fall Harvest Festival.

Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust Renews National Recognition

The Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust (LP&CT) has renewed land trust accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance.

“The Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust’s accredited status demonstrates our commitment to permanent land conservation that benefits the entire community,” says Mark Romanowsky, president. “Our land trust is a stronger organization today having gone through the rigorous accreditation program.”

LP&CT is one of only 439 land trusts across the nation that have been accredited.

Greater Salem Chamber of Commerce to Host Southern New Hampshire Water Forum

The Greater Salem Chamber of Commerce will host the 2019 Southern New Hampshire Water Forum, Drinking Water: New Standards and Solutions, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Nov 14, at Brookstone Event Center in Derry.

Attendees of the event will have the opportunity to learn more about water quality issues and developments taking place in the southern tier New Hampshire.

Expanding Beth Israel Lahey Health Primary Care to Seabrook

Beth Israel Lahey Health Primary Care, in partnership with Anna Jaques Hospital, opened a new practice on Nov. 4 in Seabrook to enhance New Hampshire residents’ access to high-quality primary care.

The new 5,000-square-foot medical office space, located at the Route 1 Shopping Center, was chosen to provide a convenient and accessible location for patients and their families.

Primary care physicians Sangita Agarwal and Alexander Asch provide personalized, comprehensive primary care for patients of all ages. Beth Israel Lahey Health Primary Care offers access to specialists and specialty programs through its affiliation with Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport.

Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity Hosts Volunteer Appreciation Event 

On Nov. 1, Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity hosted its annual volunteer appreciation dinner. This event recognizes dedicated volunteers, supporters, board members and business leaders who have contributed time towards building affordable housing for local families in need. 

Volunteers are the foundation of the organization and, during the 2018/2019 fiscal year, 1,267 dedicated individuals contributed over 33,000 hours towards volunteering. The value of these hours equates to approximately $843,000 in savings, which under normal circumstances would have been paid to construction companies and experts in the building process.

Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity staff and members of the board were joined by 100 of the most regular volunteers at the Claddagh Pub in Lawrence for a celebratory night of recognition. Awards were presented to volunteers who have contributed 500 or more hours over the previous year. Awards were also presented for 400, 300, 200 and 100 hours contributed.

D’Youville Hosts 17th Annual Lasting Impressions Dinner to Honor Sisters of Charity of Ottawa

The Sisters of Charity of Ottawa, sponsors of the D’Youville Life & Wellness Community. As D’Youville transitions to new sponsorship, their focus remains on providing seniors with superior, compassionate long- and short-term care solutions and expanding services to meet seniors’ ever-changing and increasing needs.

On Nov. 7, the D’Youville Life & Wellness Community hosted their 17th annual Lasting Impressions dinner. This year, over 300 guests attended the sold-out, emotional event to honor the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa. The dinner was the largest of its kind hosted by D’Youville.

Although D’Youville’s connection with the sisters dates back almost 60 years, the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa have been in Lowell since 1880 when they first arrived to provide education to the children of mill workers. The sisters also founded the St. Jeanne D’Arc School and played an instrumental role in building what is now the Saints Campus of Lowell General Hospital.

The Sisters of Charity of Ottawa established D’Youville in 1960 and ran it for three decades. D’Youville has evolved over the past two decades from being solely a nursing home (and for years an adult day health care center) to a multifaceted “continuum of care” organization. Today, D’Youville is the largest long-term skilled nursing care facility in Lowell and provides special care for Alzheimer’s patients. In addition, they also offer senior housing and both memory care and traditional assisted living.

As the sisters’ numbers decreased, they requested that their board of directors find a suitable successor to be D’Youville’s “sponsor” or formal overseer on behalf of the Catholic Church and who would uphold high standards for quality health care. After more than two years of searching, sponsorship was transferred to the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, a group based in upstate New York with very similar values and priorities to the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa. To learn more about the process and what it means for D’Youville, watch this video.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence Welcomes Elizabeth Suh as Assistant Director of Education

The Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence has appointed Elizabeth Suh of Topsfield as assistant director of education. In this role, she provides high school students with the tools and resources required for college, including counseling in financial aid applications, SAT/ACT preparation and college tours.

“Elizabeth’s expertise will help hundreds of youths achieve their academic dreams of becoming the first in their family to attend college,” said Karen Kravchuk, director of education at the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence. “We’re so fortunate to have her as part of our club family.”

Suh earned a master’s degree in bilingual/multicultural education from Instituto Franklin in Madrid, Spain in 2017. She earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies with a minor in studio art photography from Allegheny College.

Dracut Chiropractor Elected President of Massachusetts Chiropractic Society

Dracut chiropractor Gerard Cassista has recently been elected president of the Massachusetts Chiropractic Society, the only statewide, nonprofit membership service organization representing the chiropractic profession in Massachusetts.

Cassista has been an active member of the Massachusetts Chiropractic Society since 1981. During most of that time, he has served as a director on the board in one capacity or another, including continuing education director and chairman of membership. He is also a past president of the Merrimack Valley Chiropractic Society.

Lowell Remodeler Gains Regional Recognition

The Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston awarded Amesbury’s BLB Custom Building with two prestigious PRISM Awards at their 75th annual event. The gala aims to recognize the finest projects and superior achievements of builders, remodelers and other professionals in the home building industry.

BLB Custom Building was awarded a Silver PRISM for their “Farmhouse Kitchen” in the highly competitive Best Kitchen Remodel category. BLB Custom Building’s Director of Marketing Tom O’Brien was also awarded the Gold PRISM for Rising Star of the Year for his accomplishments and performance within the industry. 

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