ELIMINATED!

The Council on Aging (COA) plays a crucial role in maintaining the well-being of seniors and caregivers in our community.  Seniors comprise roughly 25% of Bolton’s population, and even more residents are caregivers.

Providing over 4,000 hours of programs and facilitating over 1,000 rides in the past year alone, the COA has a significant impact on the quality of life for Bolton seniors by reducing loneliness and isolation while also promoting independence.

If the override does not pass, the COA will be completely eliminated!

This means the loss of:

• Senior Center, providing connections and community vital for well-being

• Caring and Sharing pantry to provide much needed pantry and personal care items to seniors in need

• Town of Bolton heating fuel assistance program

• Vets Talk - veterans support program

• Livery transportation to medical appointments

• Assistance scheduling MART rides

• Support for caregivers in finding resources for their senior relatives

• Social and educational programs

• And much more!

The COA provides many social programs to Bolton's seniors, including fitness classes, social gatherings, holiday parties, luncheons, painting lessons, educational programs, a veterans only program (Vets Talk), cribbage, card making, book club, concerts, restaurant outings, bus trips, and many others - see the The Bolton Buzz (COA newsletter) for more.  All of these programs will be lost.

These programs are not just 'nice to have' for seniors in town, they’re incredibly important for mental health.  Loneliness and isolation have been shown to have the same health detriment as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and are considered to be a public health epidemic. The COA has worked diligently to keep Bolton's seniors connected and engaged.

During COVID the COA worked 12-hour days, seven days a week.  They coordinated over 60 volunteers to make sure every Bolton senior had access to food and prescriptions.  They setup remote programs and drive-through events on the Bolton Common to keep Seniors engaged during such an isolating time.  And they scheduled countless vaccination appointments, and provided transportation to said appointments.

While some services, such as MART van transportation, will technically remain available to Bolton's seniors, the COA will no longer assist in scheduling rides, something they commonly do today.  Seniors will need to schedule rides directly through MART's main dispatch number, something many find difficult to navigate on their own.

And while MART will remain, the livery transportation program that is funded through the COA will be gone. This transportation service gives frail seniors who are dealing with serious health issues access to radiation treatment, renal dialysis, and other medical appointments.  This vulnerable population will be left to fend for themselves.

With no COA to manage the Town of Bolton's fuel assistance program, that will shut down.  There is a state fuel assistance program, but as with the livery rides many seniors rely on the COA to help them navigate the complicated paperwork and automated systems required to receive support.  Many Seniors rely on these programs to be able to afford to heat their homes in the winter.  Without the COA to assist them, they face a risk to their very lives.

The COA doesn't just assist seniors; caregivers, including adult children, will not have the COA’s support to find resources regarding home health care, long term care options, or medical equipment.

In exchange for losing all of these critical services we save only $124,116!

The Bolton Council On Aging does a great deal of good work on a very small budget.  They stretch every dime to provide vital programs in services to Bolton's seniors and caregivers.  Losing the COA would be a devastating impact to the most vulnerable members of our community.

The Friends of Bolton Seniors urge you to pass the override, save the Council on Aging, and most importantly - Support Our Seniors!