SHREWSBURY – The Shrewsbury Council on Aging is on a mission to help caregivers.
Those who are caring for an adult over the age of 60 will soon be able to participate in a free respite program thanks to an $8,000 grant from the Massachusetts Council on Aging (MCOA).
According to Council on Aging Outreach Coordinator Renee D’Argento, the respite program aims to enable caregivers to have personal time for self-care.
“It’s important to address the needs of our caregivers. Hopefully this will allow people to have time for themselves to do what they need to do for their emotional health and well-being,” D’Argento said.
The pilot program will take place at the senior center and will run for three hours twice per month for six months. Those who wish to participate must connect with D’Argento, fill out an intake form and participate in a pre-survey and a post-survey.
D’Argento said the surveys will allow participants to offer feedback on how to improve the respite program and to keep track of which techniques were most effective.
Prior to working in Shrewsbury, D’Argento worked as the healthy living program coordinator for BayPath Elder Services where she said she was involved with respite programs in Hudson, Marlborough and Northborough.
She said that if the pilot program does not turn into a permanent program, the senior center may partner with neighboring senior centers so Shrewsbury residents could still utilize respite services.
The pilot program will begin Friday, Jan. 20 and pre-registration will be open the week before.
If you wish to participate, please contact Renee D’Argento at 508-841-8647 or [email protected].
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