When Case Manager Michelle Bairos walked into her 98-year-old client’s Huron Avenue apartment, she could not help but notice a framed, over-sized postcard prominently displayed, saying, “My Goal is to Remain in My Own Home.”
“I cut that out and framed it because that is my goal”, Gertrude DiPietro said proudly.
The nonagenarian Cambridge resident took an immediate liking to the post card, when she received it in the mail from Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) in 2015. The mailing was delivered to more than 10,000 Cambridge and Somerville residents as part of an agency effort to raise awareness about its many programs that support health and well-being.
A mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and huge Bruins fan, Gertrude has been a client of Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services since 2008. She started with a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS), and now receives homemaking, weekly personal care, and Meals-on-Wheels services through SCES. This combination of services helps Gertrude maintain independence, with the help of family and SCES. She is very close to her daughter Joanne, who complements SCES services by caring for her mom on holidays and weekends.
When Bairos picks up the phone and hears “Hey kid, I’m sorry to bother you…” she knows its Gertrude. Bairos said she’s always happy to hear from Gertrude.
“Mrs. DiPietro is so much fun to work with,” said Barios. “I enjoy her stories and positive attitude. Every visit and call with Gertrude leaves me with a smile. She is constantly laughing and her energy is contagious.”
SCES offers a wide variety of services that promote the right of all individuals to live with dignity, in the setting of their choice. Call our Aging Information Center at 617-628-2601 for free information and guidance on government-funded supports and services, or visit eldercare.org.
