SENIOR LIVING The Unsung Network: A look inside the Monadnock Region's expanding network of programs and organizations supporting seniors' independence, health and connection

Perhaps one of the key advantages of living in Keene and, more widely, the greater Monadnock Region, is the area's growing emphasis on offering its elderly residents an array of social service organizations to help them navigate their everyday lives. &emsp;In fact, seniors who seek to remain independent, connected and secure have access to a broad network of local support organizations and programs that many residents may not even be aware exist. &emsp;Across the region, nonprofits, community agencies and volunteer groups are actively helping older adults meet the everyday challenges of aging. Whether that means running daily exercise programs and wholesome free lunches, offering rides to medical appointments, arranging grocery deliveries, or simply having someone make a wellness check at home, an increasing number of organizations are available to lend a hand. &emsp;This quiet but vital "social safety net" takes many forms and originates in a wide cross-section of agencies. Prominent among some of the many local organizations helping lead this critical effort are these four: Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services; the Keene Family YMCA; Monadnock at Home; and the Keene Senior Center, each of which offers a broad tapestry of services designed to help local seniors live with greater independence and peace of mind. Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services (HCS) One of the key local organizations serving seniors (and others) in the greater Monadnock Region, Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services (HCS), is a nonprofit that provides a wide range of home-based services to an increasing number of individuals and families throughout the area. &emsp;Founded in 1907 as the Keene District Nursing Association, HCS has evolved to meet the ever-expanding health and social service needs of local communities. With a mission to promote the health, independence and dignity of individuals through comprehensive, home-based and community care, HCS has become a significant resource for the elderly and their families. &emsp;Katie Hart, HCS's senior director of operations, notes that while the organization's main offices are in Keene, they also have satellite facilities in Peterborough and Charlestown. &emsp;"Our organization is almost 120 years old, and we actually serve individuals in 52 local communities," she notes. Hart says that in addition to a wide spectrum of services that includes hospice care, visiting nurses, Healthy Starts (a program that benefits children and families), transportation and nutrition, HCS offers two additional resources. &emsp;"We have a home support service — homemaking — that helps older adults and those with disabilities to maintain a good quality of life," says Hart. "That means keeping their homes clean, maybe picking up groceries, laundry and prescriptions for them. It's really about helping older adults maintain their independence at home." &emsp;Another increasingly important service HCS provides is a "foot clinic" for the elderly, as Hart explains. "We have a registered nurse who provides foot care, which means clipping their toenails and making sure all is well with their feet in general." &emsp;She says that, over the many decades of service, what has evolved the most at HCS is its community programs. &emsp;"We're getting feedback and seeing the need — not just from the people we serve but also from government entities and commissions — to help us ensure that we're doing our very best to meet the needs of our community." &emsp;Learn more at hcsservices.org Keene Family YMCA The Keene Family YMCA is yet another valuable, longtime resource for — at present — nearly 7,400 residents of virtually every age demographic in the Keene area. Founded in Keene in 1885, the local Y has been a vital exercise and fitness hub for its members, but, in recent years, the facility's emphasis on developing and operating several programs specifically for seniors has become a key focus. &emsp;"We have dozens of programs that address helping our more senior members at the Y," notes Bridget Moynihan, who is the organization's health and wellness director. "We offer healthy living workshops, chronic disease prevention programs, and a number of social endeavors — cribbage & coffee, grandparents' class, ballroom dancing … we're uniquely positioned so that we can reach out in all of these avenues to service our senior population." &emsp;As Moynihan explains, the Keene Family YMCA is now collaborating with the Keene Senior Center for both a balance assessment for seniors and a chair yoga class. "More recently," she adds, "I've met with the health and wellness nurse at Covenant Living to discuss collaborating with them, which will include our diabetes prevention program. We're also collaborating with Cheshire Medical Center; they have a Resident Physician program, and through that program, we have a doctor who's coming in, and she's providing a series of six healthy-living wellness workshops for us here." &emsp;Asked what seniors and others might not realize is available for them at the Y, Moynihan is quick to respond. "Generally speaking, I think people might not be aware of the high volume of exercise/movement classes that we offer, partly because we have two swimming pools that we use for these classes." &emsp;"And," she adds, a bit humorously, "what really is making these popular for seniors is that one of our pools is heated to a higher temperature!" Learn more at keeneymca.org Monadnock at Home Monadnock at Home is a nonprofit, membership-based program in the eastern Monadnock Region of New Hampshire that helps older adults live independently in their own homes. It operates as a senior support "village" model, connecting members with volunteers, vetted service providers, and social opportunities. &emsp;An adjunct of the Catholic Charities of New Hampshire, Monadnock at Home was founded in 2010 with the mission to provide seniors in the region with the support and practical means to live and thrive in their homes and communities. Under the guidance of Executive Director Sandra Faber, the agency connects roughly 120 elderly members with an array of service providers and social opportunities. &emsp;Among the numerous services it offers are transportation to and from medical appointments, grocery and medication delivery, light handyman tasks, tech help, wellness check-ins and a host of others. Members pay a nominal fee for the agency's services, which rely on a network of roughly 40 volunteers to help fulfill day-to-day tasks for seniors. &emsp;"We cover 11 towns in the region currently, all of them in eastern Monadnock, but Peterborough and Jaffrey are our two biggest," Faber points out. "We give our members — who are 62 and up — the means to stay in their homes and remain a part of their community — to really thrive in that community and be socially connected." &emsp;Faber explains that her organization supports its members in three main areas. "One is to coordinate their needs and put them in touch with one of our volunteers, whether it's setting up a ride to a doctor's appointment or to a grocery store," she notes. "Then, if a need is beyond something a volunteer can handle — like a dishwasher breaking down, for instance — then we have a list of vetted providers in a wide number of categories whom they can trust. Lastly, one of the most important, is to keep our members socially connected. To that end, we offer monthly social programs, such as a coffee group that meets twice a month. &emsp;"Beyond that, we create other opportunities for our members — lunches, informational programs, movie outings … everything designed to help them to feel a part of something valuable, something life-affirming." &emsp;Learn more at monadnockathome.org Keene Senior Center Founded in 1957, the Keene Senior Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving more than 400 members across Keene and the greater Monadnock Region. Having moved from its former Court St., Keene, location a couple of years ago, the Center is now in a new facility at 312 Marlboro St., where it benefits from occupying just one floor and offering plenty of free parking. &emsp;Under the guidance of its relatively new executive director, Kimberly Rumrill, the Senior Center is expanding its inventory of services to local seniors, offering a variety of classes including yoga, fitness and dance, along with creative activities such as singing, jewelry-making and card crafting. And popular games — like bridge, trivia, cribbage and bingo — bring people together for fun and friendly competition. Special events throughout the year feature live music, educational presentations, guest speakers and cultural events. &emsp;One popular offering at the Center is its free lunch program, wherein seniors are invited to stop by for a hearty meal any day of the week. &emsp;Rumrill says that new things are in store for this longtime local organization. "Not only are we in the process of rebranding — our new name is going to be 'The Hub' — but what we envision is to create a place for people 50 and older to connect — a place where multi-generational people can come together to feel valued, to help them maintain their identity and sense of worth. We hope that people who use our facility can come here and make new friends, learn new things to get involved with and help them find a new value in life." &emsp;She adds that the path to achieving these goals for their members is through several disciplines. "Through fitness, educational programs, nutrition programs — we want it to be very comprehensive." &emsp;One key program Rumrill cites is called Cheshire Village at Home. She describes it as an affiliated Senior Center program that provides rides and assistance with household tasks for those age 50-plus. &emsp;"It's designed to help people stay in their homes — independently — longer," she explains. "As part of this program, for example, participants can call and get rides anytime to any appointments, physical therapy or grocery shopping. We can be there for families, and, as we're seeing, that's a really important aspect of what we're trying to accomplish here." Learn more at thekeeneseniorcenter.org