Mystic Valley Elder Services is hosting a special breakfast entitled: “Coffee and Caregiving” on Thursday, September 27, 2018 from 7:30 am to 9:00 am at the Winthrop Lodge of Elks, 191 Washington Ave., Winthrop, Mass. Guest speakers will include Alice Bonner, PhD, RN, NP, Secretary, Massachusetts Office of Elder Affairs and Dan O’Leary, Executive Director of Mystic Valley Elder Services.
Both Dr. Bonner and Mr. O’Leary bring a wealth of experience in the field of geriatric health care and will talk about elder care and the caregiving resources that are available in Winthrop and surrounding communities.
Dr. Bonner has been a geriatric nurse practitioner caring for older adults for over 28 years. From 2009-2011, Dr. Bonner was the Director of the Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality, at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. From 2011-2013, she directed the Division of Nursing Homes in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in Baltimore, MD. Since June, 2015, she has served as Secretary of Elder Affairs for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Mr. O’Leary is the Executive Director of Mystic Valley Elder Services, Inc., a state designated Aging Services Access Point and a federally designated Area Agency on Aging. Mr. O’Leary runs the agency comprised of 350 staff persons, supplemented by 400 active volunteers and a budget of over $78 million. MVES’ mission is to support the right of elders and adults living with disabilities to live independently with dignity in a setting of their own choice by providing information, advice, and access to quality services and resources. Supporting caregivers is a key aspect of helping people to remain as independent as possible. The agency was founded in 1975 and services over 20,000 individuals annually from the communities of Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Revere, Stoneham, Wakefield and Winthrop.
The event is free and open to the public. A light breakfast will be served. Please RSVP by Monday, September 24, 2018 to ensure a place at the breakfast. Call Lisa McGovern at Mystic Valley Elders Services at 781-388-2316.