For
SUPPORTING YOU
Explore programs and services for older adults throughout Central Massachusetts.
Meals on Wheels
This federally sponsored home delivered meal service is a national program administered locally to deliver well-balanced, lunchtime meals to frail, homebound individuals who are at least 60 years of age. Elders are asked to make a $3.00* donation per meal to help defray the cost of the meal.
Elder Services delivers hot lunches to elders living in Auburn, Barre, Boylston, Grafton, Hardwick, Holden, Leicester, Millbury, New Braintree, Oakham, Paxton, Rutland, Shrewsbury, West Boylston, and Worcester. Meals are delivered Monday-Friday and include regular hot meals, modified meals for diabetics, supper meals and frozen meals, depending upon a client’s needs. Kosher and therapeutic meals are available in the City of Worcester, frozen therapeutic meals are available in all towns.
For information about receiving Meals on Wheels in your area, please see below.
Worcester Area
Contact Elder Services of Worcester Area’s Information & Referral Department at 508-756-1545 and learn more about meal types at: eswa.org/about-us/programs-and-information/nutrition/
Fitchburg Area
Contact Making Opportunity Count to learn more about meal delivery: mocinc.org/elder-services
Tri-Valley Area
Contact Tri-Valley Inc to learn more about meal delivery: trivalleyinc.org/nutrition-services/
Food Pantries
CMAA has helped fund food pantries are the following Senior Centers in addition to the one at our office:
Hydroponic Farm at Clinton Senior Center
CMAA paid for the installation of Hydroponic Farms at the following Senior Centers:
Care Express Mobile Health Service
Senior Connection’s mobile bus, Care Express, provides free health, dental and vision screenings; prescription eyeglasses; and medication management. Medical staffing is provided by UMASS Memorial Health, Quinsigamond Community College Dental Program and Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Services. Care Express travels throughout the 61 cities and towns of Central Massachusetts. Check the Bus Schedule to see when Care Express is in your city or town.
Central Massachusetts Senior Dental Clinic
Accepting Patients New Patients!
Are you an older adult looking for preventative dental care in Central Mass? Check out the Central Massachusetts Senior Dental Clinic, a partnership between CMAA and Quinsigamond Community College’s Dental program. This clinic offers comprehensive dental assessments, cleanings, x-rays, fluoride treatments and other services for older adults ages 55+ in Central Massachusetts FREE OF CHARGE! Transportation to and from the clinic is provided by Yellow Cab, an additional program partner.
To schedule an appointment with the senior dental clinic, call 508-854-4306 Monday-Friday from 8:30am-4:30pm.
Vaccine Clinics
Ensuring that everyone has access to vaccination clinics, updates, and information:
Massachusetts COVID-19 Information Page
Find COVID-19 vaccines at Vaccines.Gov
Aging and Disability Vaccine Collaborative with USAging
Summit Elder Care
A Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) that specializes in geriatric health. Learn more.
SHINE Health Insurance Consulting
SHINE provides FREE unbiased health insurance counseling information and assistance to Massachusetts residents with Medicare, their caregivers and those approaching Medicare eligibility. Learn more.
YWCA of Central Massachusetts | Shelter For Women
YWCA offers women emergency shelter and transitional housing. The YWCA provides single room occupancy units at its downtown Worcester location at 1 Salem Square for up to two years. Program fees are based on income. Participants each has a private room with essential furnishings and access to a community kitchen and living area.
To submit an application to the Transitional Housing program, click here.
For more information about YWCA’s Transitional Housing Program, please email swilson@ywcacm.org.
Worcester Housing Authority | Shelter For Men & Women
The Worcester Housing Authority can assist with finding affordable, accessible Housing. Learn more.
Habitat for Humanity for North Central Massachusetts | Home Repair
Looking for help with home repair in North Central Massachusetts? This program helps older homeowners in North Central Massachusetts receive home repair support. From installing accessibility features to fixing an old deck, the Senior Home Repair program is here to help. Call 978-348-2749 to learn more.
Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance | Home Repair
Visit the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance website for more information on Elder Home Repair and Maintenance: cmhaonline.org/background-ehrm.
Center for Living & Working (All Disabilities)
Independent living services are available to anyone with a disability. We can help you – or refer you to someone who can. Learn more.
Massachusetts Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired
MABVI empowers individuals to continue to lead full lives, whether you are experiencing vision loss or have been blind since youth. Vision rehabilitation, access technology training, volunteer help, counseling, and peer support services are comprehensive, cost-effective, high-quality services that are often life-altering. Learn more.
MART Paratransport Program of North Central Massachusetts
ADA Eligible Paratransit Service is only available to transportation disabled individuals. Service is provided by lift-equipped vans and is available in the areas that MART provides fixed route bus service. Learn more.
YMCA of Central Massachusetts
With locations throughout Central Massachusetts, YMCA offers fitness classes designed to help seniors remain independent. Learn more.
YWCA of Central Massachusetts
YWCA Central Massachusetts has served as a life-long positive force for women and girls, their families and communities. Health and wellness programs, emergency shelter, transitional housing and domestic violence support are among the many services available. Learn more.
Elder Justice
Elder Justice Elder Justice is, “about fostering social structures and creating policies that enable older adults to remain engaged in their communities and society as whole—free from the threat of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.”
Senior Connection has been a leading member of The Worcester County Elder Abuse Prevention Roundtable for over a decade. This group is a coalition of elder serving professionals whose members include law enforcement agents, elder service agencies, sexual and domestic violence service providers, and community service organizations.
Senior Connection is also the lead sponsor for the Senior Fraud Helpline for Central Massachusetts. This hotline is run by Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and seeks to prevent Fraud.
Community Legal Aid
Community Legal Aid is the free civil legal aid provider for residents of the five counties of Central and Western Massachusetts (Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester). CLA maintains full-service offices in Worcester, Fitchburg, Springfield, Northampton and Pittsfield, and also uses satellite office space to meet with clients throughout our region.
CLA specializes in assisting tenants threatened with eviction or the loss of a rent subsidy; homeless families trying to access shelter; individuals and families trying to access public benefits programs and unemployment compensation; domestic violence victims in family law matters; students in need of services to help them thrive in school; elders facing threats to their autonomy, independence, or safety; and persons seeking help with a civil legal problem connected to the fact that they are a victim of a crime. Learn more.
Tax Filing Assistance
AARP Foundation TaxAide Center
AARP helps with a program called AARP Foundation TaxAide locator.
The AARP Foundation TaxAide Center will help you in finding your city or town local TaxAide Center.
During Tax season, please contact 1(888) 227-7669, listen to prompts then press 1 and then press1 again and a Representative will be on call to assist you.
Please call back on January 15th for the most updated TaxAide Center Locator.
Estate Planning
Legal Aid’s pro bono team can assist with wills, health care proxies, and durable powers of attorney for those who qualify. In house, they can help elder clients with health care proxies and durable powers of attorneys. They do not do any trusts. Learn more.
Special Needs Trusts
CMAA is a proud partner of Planned Lifetime Assistance Network (PLAN) of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Inc., who specialize in Special Needs Trusts. SNTs, also known as supplemental needs trusts, are legal vehicles which enable assets to be held on behalf of someone with disabilities without affecting their eligibility for means-tested benefits.
PLAN’s mission as a special needs trustee is to provide quality trustee/fiduciary services to individuals and their families through sound and thoughtful trust administration and compassionate, caring social service support serving individuals with mental health, developmental, and physical disabilities of all ages in MA and RI communities. Learn more.
Central MA Elder Abuse Roundtable
The Worcester County Elder Abuse Prevention Roundtable is a coalition of elder serving professionals. Members include law enforcement, elder service agencies, sexual and domestic violence service providers, and community service organizations. This was formed from a 2002 training grant through the Stop Abuse and Sexual Assault Against Older Individuals or Individuals with Disabilities Program. Since 2005 the coalition has continued to work to provide training, education, and outreach to help to prevent and reduce elder abuse in Worcester County. Any elder-serving professional in Worcester County is welcome to join. Learn more.
Elder Services of Worcester Area, Inc.
As the Aging Services Access Point for the Worcester area, ESWA provides community-based services, support and education that maximize the independence and self-determination of elders, younger disabled individuals and their caregivers in Central Massachusetts. Learn more.
Aging Services of North Central Massachusetts
As the Aging Services Access Point for Northern Central Massachusetts, Aging Services of North Central Massachusetts provides comprehensive information and quality services so that older people, individuals with disabilities and their families are empowered to make personalized choices to ensure a life of dignity, safety and respect. Learn more.
Tri-Valley, Inc. (South Central Massachusetts)
As the Aging Services Access Point for Southern Central Massachusetts, Tri-Valley, Inc. provides information, referrals, and care management for in home and community services. Tri-Valley, Inc. is committed to the rights of elders and individuals with disabilities to live independently with dignity and safety in a setting of their choice. Learn more.
Senior Fraud Helpline
The Senior Fraud Prevention Initiative helps seniors recognize, resist and report fraud.
When calling the HelpLine, you will find a peer who may have had a similar experience to yours. You will speak with a person trained and knowledgeable about what to do next; a confidante who cares about your fears. Call 800-297-9760 or visit our website.
Bounce Free Soft Skills and Work-Readiness Program
The Bounce Program™ is one of Australia’s leading soft skills training companies, delivering world-class, life-changing programs to jobseekers, businesses, companies and government departments all over Australia, New Zealand, UK and the USA.
Bounce provides a well-defined yet non-traditional dynamic approach to encouraging people into making real and lasting change. It is a place where people matter and the motivation for positive growth is genuine and empowering. Going beyond standard training, Bounce assesses values, beliefs and motivations of an individual, providing insight and direction towards ‘a life more positive’ by teaching effective communication techniques and positive self-awareness, resulting in greater gains personally and professionally. Learn more.
Worcester Regional Transit Authority
Many transportation providers use wheelchair accessible vans, and some offer escort services to medical appointments. Many towns are covered by a Regional Transit Authority. There are two Regional Transit Authorities in Central Massachusetts. For Southern and Central County, contact Worcester Regional Transit Authority at (508) 752 9283.
For South and Central Worcester County: https://therta.com
MART Paratransit Program of North Central Massachusetts
ADA Eligible Paratransit Service is available to transport disabled older adults. Service is provided by lift-equipped vans and is available in the areas that MART provides fixed route bus service. Learn more.
Care Express Mobile Health Service Is Coming to Your City or Town
Senior Connection’s mobile health service provides free services throughout the 61 cities and towns of Central MA. Bus Schedule
- Health, dental and vision screenings
- Medication management
- Grandparents Raising Grandkids Support
Grandparents Raising Grandkids Housing Village In Worcester is in Planning Phase
Senior Connection was awarded $3 million in a congressional earmark in 2024 to develop 40 affordable apartments for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren in the city of Worcester.
As affordable housing with one-, two-, & three-bedroom apartments, the Village will have Community Health Workers, access to fitness, medical, dental and connect to other social services. The mission is to create a community of health, collaboration, and acceleration.