Respite Care Program Coming to Medfield

Roberta Lynch, director of Medfield's Council on Aging, has always believed communities need to offer respite care programs for both caregivers and care recipients.

"It’s a win-win for the caregiver, the care recipient and for the town," Lynch said. "For the care recipient coming into the program, it’s beneficial for them because it adds structure, stimulation, socialization, exercise, all of those elements that if they’re just home, sitting by themselves, they are not getting any of that. We will be able to offer that to them."

The Council on Aging will be able to provide those services through an adult respite program that Lynch hopes to have up and running at the center by Feb. 1 after she received a grant for $32,676 from the MetroWest Health Foundation. The program will offer the benefits Lynch mentioned to care recipients and rest to caregivers.

"I’m very excited about this," Lynch said of the program. "I am totally grateful for the opportunity to be able to offer this, a local community option, for respite care. I believe there is no better place for someone’s first exposure to respite care than at a senior center. It’s non-threatening, it’s comfortable ... it’s just a very nice place."

Lynch said the grant will allow funding for two part-time positions at the Center to help run the program. She currently has the program scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and preference will be given to Medfield residents.

"I think it should be for Medfield [residents] first," Lynch said. "We obviously want to fill [the spaces available] so we can sustain the program. The state’s staff ratio is one [staff member] to eight [individuals]. I think that’s way too wide. The most we could probably accommodate for is two staff to eight individuals. I will opt to make Medfield first."

The program will cost $50 for a six-hour day, according to Lynch, which includes transportation, lunch, continental breakfast and an afternoon snack. There are variations to the standard fee.

"I have given some thought in terms of people who may want to drop off their loved one and not have transportation, so I will make an adjustment in that price," Lynch said. "Also, I will offer a half-day price. If someone wants just three hours and doesn’t want six hours ... I want to be really flexible with it and I have the opportunity to be flexible because of the funding we have."

Lynch said the purpose of this program is to meet the needs of the caregiver.

"The grant was written for the caregiver," Lynch said. "This program is really for the caregiver to allow that caregiver to have free time to do what they want to do to participate in the support groups that we offer in education and counseling. It’s for the caregiver but we will be taking care of their care recipient."

Town Administrator Michael Sullivan said the program will be self-sufficient and will not require additional town funds to operate.

"Roberta tells me the program will not require any appropriation of funds," Sullivan said. "It can be done within the existing confines of the building, so it will not require an extension of facilities."

To make room for the new program, Lynch said Council on Aging will be redesigning the computer room.

"We’ve seen over the last couple of years a decrease in the amount of people that use the computer room," Lynch said. "People don’t really enroll in the computer classes anymore. We will be redesigning that. I have already met with a construction person who is going to put in the cabinets."

While the Center will have to create space for the program, it will not have to alter any other operations, which is something Lynch is pleased about.

"I think the benefit for this program is this grant allows to hire people who will staff the program and run the program so it’s not going to interfere with any of the Council on Aging operations, everything will remain the same," Lynch said. "That’s pretty exciting to add and enhance what we already do."

Selectman Ann Thompson was pleased to see Lynch pursue and receive a grant that enables Council on Aging to bring an important program to the Medfield community.

"I think it’s a great idea," Thompson said. "Thank God I don’t need it myself but I have several friends who do need it, who are very concerned about their spouses. There’s very little the rest of us can do to help them out so this is a good thing. I think it’s a great thing."

Lynch said after Sullivan informed her of the grant at "the end of the summer," she "worked very hard" in September and October to apply for the grant.

"We received notification [at the end of December] that we were awarded $32,676 to begin a respite program that I have been speaking of for a very long time," Lynch said.

Lynch said she is confident the program will be successful and if the demand is high enough, she will look at expanding the program beyond its Tuesday and Thursday schedule.

"If there’s a need for more than two days and we can sustain the program with the amount of revenue we generate, I don’t see why [we can’t expand]," Lynch said.

In the meantime, Lynch sees the program generating a lot of interest and support in town as it looks to benefit both caregivers and care recipients.

"It’s an easy entrance into the journey of caregiving, for the caregiver to come to the senior center rather than going to some other place in another town," Lynch said. "I think it’s going to be a great first step for people in that position."