The Tufts Health Plan Foundation announced investments of more than $1.5 million to move communities toward achieving age-friendly policies and practices that are relevant, focus on the most vulnerable, and include older adults in the process. The investments represent collaborative work among more than 200 organizations.
“Advocating for public policy or systems change is critical to achieving social change at scale,” said Nora Moreno Cargie, president of the Tufts Health Plan Foundation and vice president, corporate citizenship for Tufts Health Plan. “We are investing in initiatives that promote coalitions and advance strategies that bring government, community organizations, and older adults together to create a vision for the future of their communities. And we are supporting the development of policy recommendations that will make communities more vibrant and livable for everyone.”
Fourteen organizations, including Watertown-based Home Care Aide Foundation, were funded this cycle.
Home Care Aide Foundation was awarded a grant under the Policy and Advocacy category, which supports efforts that advance healthy aging and more livable communities for all ages. Home Care Aide Foundation will receive $179,346 over two years to fund Setting the Agenda: Data-Driven Advocacy to Address Home Care Aide Policy. This initiative will improve the quality and efficiency of the home care system by investing in solutions to address the instability of the home care workforce.
“The Home Care Aide Foundation is honored to have been awarded funding through the Tufts Health Plan Foundation. We are committed to enhancing quality of care throughout the home care industry by focusing on the advancement of the home care aide workforce and the agencies that employ these workers. The support provided by the Tufts Health Plan Foundation allows Massachusetts to take a crucial step forward in understanding the current status of the home care workforce and industry and use this evidence to identify priority areas for policy change and legislative action in the Commonwealth. We can’t wait to get started,” said Lisa Gurgone, executive director, Home Care Aide Council and Foundation.
Data gathered during this project will be integrated into the Commonwealth’s Home and Community-Based Services Policy Lab, making it accessible to the decisionmakers as well as practitioners and further strengthen the planning efforts of the network and the state. The Executive Office of Elder Affairs and UMass Medical School’s Commonwealth Medicine division will assist with measurement design, survey creation, and aligning the survey tool with HCBS Policy Lab data.
Other Policy and Advocacy grantees include a national initiative and statewide projects in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
- Community Catalyst, fiscal agent for Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island, (Providence, RI), Rhode Island Senior Voices for Aging in the Community
- Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (Boston, MA), Health Care Advocacy
- Health Resources in Action (Boston, MA), Massachusetts Convergence Partnership and Mass in Motion and Leadership Program
- Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (Boston, MA), Massachusetts Law Reform Institute’s Anti-Hunger Advocacy Project
- Massachusetts Public Health Association (Boston, MA), Advancing Health Equity and Age-friendly Communities
- Massachusetts Senior Action Council (Dorchester, MA), Seniors Power Up! Developing Leaders for Civic Engagement
- National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (Washington, DC), Medicare at Half a Century: Facing the Challenges with Innovative Solutions, A thought leadership symposium
- Rhode Island College Foundation (Providence, RI), Building an Age-Friendly Rhode Island
- Walk Boston (Boston, MA), Safe Routes for Boston Seniors
Support for Systems and Best Practices went to:
- FSG (Boston, MA), Capacity Building
- Grantmakers in Aging (Arlington, VA), Building an Age-friendly Movement in MA, NH and RI: Developing Learning Circles and Key Strategic Resources
President’s Leadership Fund grants were awarded to:
- Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (Boston, MA), On Solid Ground Coalition
- Greater Boston Food Bank (Boston, MA), Creating Food Security Networks for Seniors
In total, the Foundation awarded $3.5 million in grants in 2015. For more information, please visit our website.
About the Tufts Health Plan Foundation
Tufts Health Plan launched the Tufts Health Plan Foundation in 2008 with the mission to improve the health and wellness of the diverse communities we serve. Through its community investments, the foundation has given more than $19.5 million to Massachusetts and Rhode Island nonprofits that improve healthy living with a focus on healthy aging. The foundation funds programs that move communities, particularly the most vulnerable, toward accomplishing the World Health Organization’s goals for Age-friendly Cities. Visit www.tuftshealthplanfoundation.