Ensuring full and safe access to Hildreth House, Harvard’s senior center, is an essential step in providing needed services and programs for our residents over the age of 60. Roughly 25 percent of the town population is in that age group now, and every year more elder residents and their families receive help from the COA staff with a wide range of services from transportation to home care to protective services.
At Annual Town Meeting, the Council on Aging will seek funding to address two critical needs for our senior population.
Article 12 asks voters to approve hiring an additional part-time outreach worker to help manage the growing caseload of residents who need help staying safely in their homes. This added position would provide more time for home visits and follow-up calls, and facilitate access to available services with the goal of preventing future crises.
Article 22 seeks approval to make Hildreth House fully accessible to those with limited mobility, and to create improved and expanded parking areas for safe access. An enclosed lift to the second floor will allow all town residents access to the computer lab, staff offices, and additional meeting space, almost doubling the building’s capacity for full public use. Improved parking and outdoor lighting will make it possible for all users to safely get to their cars after dark. These improvements will benefit not only seniors, but also the many town committees and community groups that meet regularly at Hildreth House.
The Hildreth House Improvement Committee worked for two years to refine and then structure a long-term plan for a full-service senior center that would serve the town for many years. Passage of Article 22 addresses the most critical elements of that plan by creating full and safe access at Hildreth House.
Susan Guswa and Connie Larrabee, Co-chairwomen
Council on Aging Board of Directors
