The Bourne Council on Aging Outreach Program provides information and referral, as well as direct services, for all seniors in the Town of Bourne. Working with Council on Aging programs, as well as a variety of local, state and federal resources, it is the mission of the Outreach Program to assist seniors in areas which directly affect the quality of their lives.

Our Outreach Program is supervised by the Outreach Coordinator, a Licensed Social Worker. As necessary, the Outreach Coordinator develops a care plan based on client needs, makes home visits and provides confidential case management. Many of the inquiries and requests received by the Outreach Coordinator originate from the families of seniors, often living out of town, as well as concerned friends and neighbors, hospitals, physicians and home care agencies.

The Outreach Coordinator and an Outreach Worker, who is also a Liscensed Social Worker, are the primary links to information and referral; providing direction and guidance to elders and their family members. This often includes referrals to the appropriate service agencies, assistance with application processes; and practical information in areas such as financial, home care assistance, nursing home and housing options.

The Outreach Staff, as licensed social workers, are mandated reporters of elder financial and physical abuse. They work closely with the state reporting agency; Protective Services of Elder Services of Cape Cod & the Islands. The Outreach Staff case manages those elders considered at risk in our community, who may or may not be eligible for the Self Neglecting Elders state program. In addition, in partnership with REACH, our Outreach Coordinator can now make referrals for elder in home nursing assessments.

In cooperation with the Bourne Board of Health, the Outreach Program offers an automated telephone Reassurance Calling Program. Participants receive daily calls at a predetermined time and just need to enter a simple 4 digit response code to indicate that they are okay.

The Outreach Program offers FREE safety services co-sponsored with the Bourne Fire Department: Files of Life and Knox Boxes. The File of Life is a plastic magnetic folder in which important medical and emergency information can be listed and placed on the refrigerator. EMS personnel are trained to look for a File of Life for fast emergency response information. Files of Life are available to all seniors at the Council on Aging. A Knox Box is a lock box for a key that is installed by the Fire Department on a homeowner's door. The key is available for emergency use only and only the Fire Department has access to the box. It avoids the Fire Department having to break down the door in an emergency, especially important if the senior has many ambulance runs. Knox Boxes are loaned at no charge to those with acute medical needs. For more information on how to obtain a Knox Box or a File of Life, or to register for the Ressurance Calling Program, contact the Outreach Coordinator at the Council on Aging, 508-759-0654.

As part of our community Outreach and to heighten appreciation of the older population, the Outreach Coordinator conducts a variety of intergenerational programs during the year, such as the award winning "Intergenerational Memory Share".

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren is an important issue for many adults in the Town of Bourne and the surrounding areas. The Outreach Program offers a monthly support group for these caregivers, as well as information and referral, a resource library and special programming. (See link)

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Bourne Council On Aging
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