Photo/submitted
Hudson – Representative Kate Hogan (D-Stow), Representative Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlborough), and the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative co-hosted a discussion at the Hudson Police Department May 11 about regional efforts to support healthy aging that are serving as examples for the state and the country.
The forum brought together stakeholders in the representatives’ legislative districts to discuss the growing local and statewide “Age- and Dementia-Friendly Community” movements and present opportunities for collaboration and funding. The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative, a network of leaders committed to advancing healthy aging and Age- and Dementia-Friendly Communities, provided an overview of these movements, the benefits they offer to cities and towns, and what they mean for seniors and residents of all ages. Attendees included representatives from Minuteman Senior Services, BayPath Elder Services, the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, the Hudson Police Department, and local councils on aging.
Hogan represents the towns of Bolton, Hudson, Maynard and Stow, each of which has joined the World Health Organization/AARP Network of “Age-Friendly Communities” and is committed to promoting healthy and active aging and a good quality of life for its older residents. These towns are also part of a cooperative effort through the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, which has collectively joined the Age-Friendly Community Network as the first all-suburban Age-Friendly Region in the country.
Gregoire represents parts of Marlborough, Northborough and Westborough, three towns considered leaders in the “Dementia Friendly” initiative committed to meeting the needs of the growing number of people living with dementia. At the State House, Hogan serves as chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health and Gregoire serves as the chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs.
