Summary
We appreciate Julianna Santiago and Louis Eppers for representing Elder Services at the Massachusetts Councils on Aging conference, October 19 - 21, 2022.
Julianna Santiago, director of the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, and Louis Eppers, Nutrition Program manager, were both invited presenters at the state conference of Councils on Aging, held October 19 – 21, 2022 at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel and Conference Center in Falmouth. The theme for this year’s conference was “Where Do We Grow From Here?” and organizers sought out presenters from across Massachusetts and beyond who could share their best practices, cutting edge programs, and innovative ideas with attendees. There are 350 municipal Senior Centers and Councils on Aging in Massachusetts and this conference was well attended by representatives from most of them!
Lou was invited to talk about innovative collaborations between our agency and area Councils on Aging by Micheal Banville, Executive Director of Mass Home Care. Micheal had seen Lou’s video on Brewster’s Vimeo channel and knew he’d bring something special to the session. (You can watch it here.) Meghan Ostrander, Nutrition Director at Somerville Cambridge Elder Services, rounded out the panel on how to set up and maintain a successful Title III C nutrition program.
Julianna joined Lila Burgess, the Ombudsman Director from Old Colony Planning Council, on a panel chaired by Carolyn Fenn, State Long Term Care Ombudsman from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Lila’s and Julianna’s stories from the field helped enliven this overview intended to educate attendees about the scope and accessibility of this important statewide program to protect residents’ rights and safety.
