Cooley Dickinson Announces Funding Opportunities to Support Older Adults

NORTHAMPTON — Does your nonprofit agency or municipal department serve older adults? If so, Cooley Dickinson Hospital may be able to assist you in meeting your mission.

As part of its mission and focus, in part, of its 2019 community needs assessment, Cooley Dickinson Health Care will work to address health disparities in the community, such as those that impact older adults, including those of lower income status; people with disabilities; those who are socially isolated and lonely; and others whose primary language is not English.

Agencies that serve older adults are encouraged to apply for funding from Cooley Dickinson to support people living in the community. Click here for the application. Completed applications are due by Tuesday, Feb. 11.

Jeff Harness, director of Community Health and Government Relations, noted that “examples of programs to help those populations include peer support, training, social services, falls prevention, and more.”

Through its healthy communities committee, Cooley Dickinson Hospital conducts tri-annual health assessments. The 2019 assessment focused, in part, on the needs of older adults. The committee, a subcommittee of the board of trustees, monitors the health of local populations. Its members also plan approaches to improve health by partnering with other organizations and advocating for policies and programs that support health initiatives.

“Cooley Dickinson is committed to addressing social determinants of health in our community, which are the economic and social conditions that influence individual and group differences in health status,” Harness said. “Access to healthy, affordable food, housing, transportation, and education are all examples of social determinants that impact health.”