How People Change
I am an old timer from the field of public health. And what I have learned is that we humans are stubborn, unpredictable, and have a lot to contend with when making a health-related change in behavior. We have addictions; we have difficulty prioritizing ourselves; some of us don’t have enough money or essentials; some
A New Year of Collaboration and Community
2021 was a continuation of the pandemic rollercoaster and a year in which we saw the resilience of the human spirit at its best. Continually pivoting, LifePath remained responsive thanks to dedicated staff, volunteers, and caregivers; funding from grantors; gifts from donors; leadership from our board members; support from legislators which built direct funding into
Legal Notes: Life Estate Deeds and Insurance Coverage
Many homeowners, as they get older, convey their real estate to family members and retain a life estate. When they create a life estate deed they no longer are the sole owners of the real estate and will then own what is known as a life estate interest, and the person or persons they conveyed
Recognizing the Need to Make Our Region More Age & Dementia Friendly
This October marks one year since the launch of LifePath’s Age & Dementia Friendly Communities Project in Franklin County and the North Quabbin. This initiative, which is based on the age-friendly community model created by the World Health Organization and administered in the United States by AARP, seeks to help make our communities more aware
Remembering Michael “Mike” Gilbert, A Dedicated Meals on Wheels Driver
Above: Michael Gilbert, center, taken a few years ago at the kitchen. He’s pictured with Ann DeJackome, left, and Betty Mattern, right.
“Mike did Meals on Wheels and loved every single one of his clients. He was very involved in their health and well-being and loved them a lot. He liked everyone he worked with,” says
In Celebration of Volunteers
As I reflect on this past year, there is much heartache to hold with all the COVID related suffering and losses, but what stands out is an overwhelming sense of gratitude and hope created by the goodness of the human spirit. At LifePath, we have experienced the outpouring of care and courage, and selflessness and
Legal Notes: Lessons Learned From Audrey Hepburn’s Sons’ Dispute Over Her Estate
Almost 30 years ago, on January 20, 1993, the elegant and talented actress Audrey Hepburn passed away. When she died she had an estate plan in place that seemingly took care of everything, so that her wishes for the distribution of her estate would go smoothly after her death. According to a Daily Mail article
LifePath’s New Initiative Aims to Make Our Communities More Age & Dementia Friendly
LifePath is embarking on an exciting new initiative with the aim of making communities in Franklin County and the North Quabbin region more age friendly and dementia friendly. Unlike many of our direct service programs, this project will target long term, policy and systems level change to both the built environment and the social environment.
Do We Live in a ‘Color-Blind’ Society? Should We?
The United States has an extensive history of institutionalized racism including the uprooting of Native Americans, the Atlantic slave trade, Jim Crow laws, the internment of Japanese-American citizens, redlining, and much more. When the history of the civil rights movement is taught in schools, that unit often ends with
Seniorgram: Solidarity Statement
LifePath lifts its voice in concert with the voices speaking out against institutionalized racism. We strive to be heard in a new way in our own community, joining others across our nation. We cannot remain silent while the evidence and terrible consequences of racism continue to amass.
Today, as leaders in our community, we acknowledge these
Say Yes To Life
Many of us have fears about growing older: the potential of losing friends and family; cognitive decline; losing our abilities to do some of the things we love; living with chronic conditions; and giving up freedoms we have grown accustomed to. And since the coronavirus has been more deadly for those of us with underlying
Legal Notes: Foreign Lottery Scams
Recently, an investigative reporter interviewed a retired school principal who was a victim of a Jamaican lottery scam. Over time, she gave about $27,000 to the scammer. Other victims of these scams lost their entire life savings. The scam begins with a telephone call mailing or informing the victim that they have won a large