BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – After a recent Rockingham Selectboard meeting, the board announced it had launched an investigating to determine whether to reallocate some $26,000 given to the Visiting Nurses Association (VNA), after it was reported that the VNA was no longer serving the town.
While originally an independent organization, VNA is now a part of the larger Dartmouth Health Home Care (DHHC), and its overall coverage is now different. The main service area of VNA is now the Upper Valley, leaving Rockingham on the outskirts of the coverage area.
Research conducted by Rockingham Board Chair Rick Cowan revealed that, despite the organization allocating fewer resources to the town, Rockingham still paid Dartmouth Health executives in excess of $300,000 last year.
According to the organization’s website, DHHC currently services some 88 towns throughout eastern Vermont and another 20 towns in western New Hampshire, with the Rockingham/Springfield areas appearing on the southernmost section of the service area map. Their services include home health, personal, and hospice care, maternal/child health, and support groups.
The issue of elderly care fund allocation had initially been raised several months ago by a Rockingham resident, who voiced concern about DHHC’s coverage adjustment and suggested that the Senior Solutions, formerly The Council on Aging, would be a better fit to receive the town’s funds. Based in Springfield and serving some 46 towns throughout the area, Senior Solutions provides a variety of services for the elderly, including Meals on Wheels and dietary counseling, case management on various relevant elderly issues, caregiver support, health and benefits counseling, veterans care, volunteer programs, and a “central point” hotline.
Currently, Senior Solutions receives less than $5,000 of funding from Rockingham, and according to Executive Director Mark Boutwell, the organization is interested in receiving more of the allotted funds to better assist Rockingham-area residents. He also reported that there are roughly 1,500 residents in Rockingham over the age of 65.
Senior Solutions’ mission is simple: “To promote the wellbeing and dignity of older adults.”
Additionally, Rockingham Fire & Rescue has also thrown its hat in the ring to receive additional funding, so as to keep the funding within the town. The department is also working toward applying for state and federal funding to better serve the “homeless and elderly” of Rockingham. No final decisions have been made as the selectboard continues to gather information and to determine the appropriate allocation of the funds.