Island elders receive senior care support services from our four Councils on Aging, the local office of Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands, and the MV Center for Living which also provides a Supportive Day Program. Martha’s Vineyard Community Services provides CORE, an elder outpatient counseling service as well as an Alzheimer’s support group and an elder abuse prevention program. These three programs are done in collaboration with the COAs and other organizations that serve Island elders. HAMV successfully launched two evidence-based programs (Matter of Balance and Powerful Tools for Caregivers), which were spun off and are now run by the YMCA and the Island Health Care. HAMV also developed FirstStop MV, a free online/phone-in information and referral service, and purchased and oversees the operation of a computer based management information system (My Senior Center) in all four Island Councils on Aging. The community needs to make significant progress in the areas of Transportation, Access to Affordable Mental and Physical Healthcare, and Affordable Elder and Workforce housing to make the Island more age-friendly.
Current priorities include Falls Prevention, increasing housing options for elders and helping low-income
elders with home modifications.