Council on Aging
Senior Center
37 Main Street
Charlton, MA 01507
Phone: (508) 248-2231
Fax: (508) 248-2379
Email
Our Mission Statement
To provide social, supportive and referral services for all seniors
in an effort to maintain and improve quality of life so that
they will be able to stay in their homes as long as possible.

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Meetings: Held at the Senior Center

Council On Aging Board Meeting First Wednesday of each month at 9:30 a.m.
Golden Age Club Second Tuesday of each month at 10:30 a.m.
Blood Pressure Clinic Third Thursday of each month at 10:30 a.m.
S.H.I.N.E Counselor
(Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders)
By appointment only. Please call the Senior Center at (508) 248-2231.
S.A.L.T. Council
(Seniors & Law Enforcement Together)
The Charlton and Southbridge Police Departments along with the Charlton and Southbridge Councils on Aging encourage seniors to join the S.A.L.T. Meetings. By attending, it gives you a chance to meet your local police officers, to hear what's happening in your town and to voice you concerns and make any suggestions you may have to your local Police Departments and Councils on Aging. The monthly meetings will be announced on the local cable channel as well as in our monthly newletter and on our website calendar.
ANNOUNCEMENTS and EVENTS:

TRIAD House Numbering Program


Areas of Responsibility:

The Council on Aging Department is responsible for representing and serving all the elders in the community. At this time Charlton has an elder population of over 1,628. The COA plays a unique and essential role in building a better future for these seniors. As well as the Director working to fill this role, we also have an Outreach Coordinator who is working out in the community identifying those unmet needs, and working towards providing those services. We also work closely with private agencies as well as Municipal Departments and Public Officials so that we can serve as many seniors as possible. No single organization can serve all of the needs of the seniors but working together we feel that we can reach our goal, and that is to provide a safe and friendly environment for socialization and recreation as well as outreach services to homebound elders. We encourage them to use the existing services and benefits available to them so that they will stay as independent as possible allowing them to stay in their homes as long as possible.

Services Provided
  • Daily Lunch
  • Cards & Pool
  • Exercise
  • Line Dancing
  • Golden Age Club
  • S.H.I.N.E. Counselor
  • Volunteer Program
  • Outreach Program
  • Monthly Newsletter
  • Monthly Birthday Party
  • Monthly Blood Pressure Clinic
  • Monthly Programs on Senior Issues
Quick Links:
May Menu
May Calendar
911 Emergency Cell Phone Program
Senior Tax Work Off Program
Golden Age Club

Outreach Program
Volunteer Services Trips
Scams and Safety Tips
COA Directory
Related Links

911 Emergency Cell Phone Program

These phones are programmed for 911 only. You cannot use them for any other purpose. Keep one in your car, in your pocket as you roam around your home, garage and yard or if you're out on a walk.

Know someone who lives alone? Know someone who may be in danger? This emergency cell phone may save a life!

Call Elaine at 508-248-2231to receive your Emergency 911 cell phone.

If you have old cell phones you don't know what to do with, drop them off here at the Senior Center, at the Charlton Police station, Charlton Fire Department, Southbridge Savings Bank, Country Bank or Webster 1st Federal Credit Union. Your contribution may save a life!

Sponsored by the Charlton/Southbridge SALT Council (Seniors And Law-enforcement Together)


Senior Tax Work-off Program - Now taking applications for the Senior Tax Work-off Program. Stop into the Senior Center to apply, download the application, or call Elaine at 508-248-2231 for more information Deadline to apply is November 30, 2007.

Eligibility Requirements:
  • Must be 60+
  • Must own home & reside in it
  • Must complete 74 hours of work for municipality
  • Must be willing to carry out instructions from supervisor
  • Must keep track of hours

*** State law requires that each participant pay 10% of their property taxes. You may not be able to receive the full $500 if you receive other tax exemptions, depending upon the amount of your annual property tax bill.

At this time, there are thirty (30) positions, possibly forty (40) that can be filled. Postions are filled according to the municipal department requests, the skill/abilities of the applicant, and to be fair, applicants who have not participated in previous years, will be considered before those who have.

Please come into the Senior Center and fill out a W-4 form as well as an Employment Eligibility Verification form.

For more information, please call Elaine at 508-248-2231.


The Golden Age Club - A group of concerned citizens working to supplement funds NOT provided by local and/or state government, through fundraising events, membership donations, as well as private donations.

Outreach Program - Our Outreach Coordinator goes out into the community and makes home visits in an effort to assess the needs of seniors and to make referrals, provide information, and aid in obtaining services from appropriate agencies. An information packet is handed out to each senior. This packet includes, but is not limited to:
  • File of Life
  • Emergency Contact Card
  • Health Care Proxy
  • Homestead Act
  • Prescription Advantage Plan
  • Tri-Valley Elder Services
  • Life-Line Support Services
  • Elder Bus
  • Fuel Assistance ~ Food Stamps
  • Elder Home Repair
  • Adult Day Health Services
  • Legal Assistance
  • Mass Health Buy-In Program
  • Verizon Specialized Telephone Equipment
  • Hearing Aid Low-Income Fund form
  • Mass Health Assistance Benefits
  • CHIP-IN
  • Volunteer Services

*Applications and Forms are also available on site at the Senior Center


Volunteer Services
  • Friendly Visitors
  • Telephone Reassurance
  • Transportation to appointments, shopping, etc…
  • Eucharistic Minister
  • Errands
  • Respite
  • Handyman Service
  • S.H.I.N.E. Counselor {Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders}

Trips 2008 - download the list

Please sign up at the Senior Center or call Arlene Kingston 508-248-5317 or 508-248-2231 Remember that pick-up for all trips will be in the far parking lot of St. Joseph's Church on H. Putnam Rd.

ALASKA! The Trip of A Lifetime! - ALASKA
14 Days & 13 Nights - Land Tour and Cruise! August 17 - 30, 2008
There is still room available - please call Arlene at 508-248-5317


Information on Scams

Safety Tips

Tip #1: Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar or rapist won't stick around... after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there..... This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

The Council on Aging welcomes all seniors and their families to stop into the Senior Center for more information and to look around and meet our staff and other seniors as well.

We look forward to meeting you!
Bring your friends ~
Bring your ideas ~
All are Welcome!

*If you would like to be a volunteer, or if you know someone who is in need of services, please call: Elaine at 508-248-2231

*Funding for the Council on Aging is provided by the Town of Charlton, grants from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, a grant from the Charlton Cultural Council, as well as funding from the Golden Age Club.


Council on Aging Directory
Staff
Elaine Kingston, Director, COA (508) 248-2231 or email
Bill Fontaine, Council on Aging Assistant
Cathleen Kuehl, Kitchen Coordinator
Debra Ciesluk, Outreach Coordinator
Board of Directors
Barbara Dean, Chair
George Butz, Vice-Chair
Sandra Bacon
Patricia Lawrie
Paul Kolesnikovas
Robert Blozie
Robert Berlyn

Links for Seniors and General Public
Social Security
Prescription Advantage Plan
Central Mass Agency on Aging
Alzheimer’s Association
Mass Pro - Information for Medicare Beneficiaries
Attorney General Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Tri-Valley, Inc. (formerly Tri-Valley Elder Services)
Executive Office of Elder Affairs
Mass Association for the Blind
Mass Commission for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Adult Day Services
Internal Revenue Service
End of Life Commission
Information on Scams
Summit Elder Care