Healthy Partners
Creating a Wellness Community with Elders in Public Housing

Healthy Partners develops and delivers a primary prevention approach to overall health and well-being for seniors age 65 and older and for adults with disabilities who are living at Hastings House in Framingham.

Framingham elders living in public housing are at far greater health risk than other MetroWest elders. These vulnerable low-income residents often have difficulty connecting with community resources that are more easily accessible to other Framingham seniors.

In collaboration with the Framingham Housing Authority, the Framingham Council on Aging, and other partners, JFS/MW takes a leadership role in creating a primary prevention and wellness environment for the residents of Hastings House. Individual health programs are based on a Housing Authority needs survey. Overall, Healthy Partners is based on successful practices at other public housing initiatives. This demonstration project will provide a model to be expanded to scale and replicated in other public housing sites in the future.

Community Partners

Arthritis Foundation The Ark Builders, Temple Israel of Natick The Callahan Center Framingham Housing Authority Framingham Public Health Framingham State College Jewish Family Service of Metrowest Keefe Tech Culinary Arts Program

Massachusetts Bay Community College Massachusetts Department of Public Health MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation NovoNordisc Rhode Island College Simmons College MetroWest Medical Center MetroWest Hospice and Home Care

Contact Malka Young,LICSW (508) 875-3100 myoung@jfsmw.org