That September, a group of southwest Boston activists formed an
ad hoc coalition to advocate for the area's 32,000 elders. Six months
later, Southwest Boston Senior Services, Inc. was formed -- a
non-profit "Home Care Corporation" whose purpose was to promote
the independence, dignity and well-being of area elders. In May,
1973, the new Corporation elected Sam Messina, a well-known senior
activist, as its first President.
In 1974, the agency began with a staff of four and funding for
seven
elderly meal sites. One year later, it received its first state Home
Care contract and started a transportation project with the purchase of
three vans. Thirty-five elders were served. In 1977, 400 elders
received
Home Care services, another 65 Meals On Wheels and a new Volunteer
Services Program was started. In 1983, the agency expanded its
portfolio to include elder protective, congregate housing and nursing
home ombudsman services; in 1996 it significantly enhanced services
for very frail elders; and in 1996 it initiated a crisis intervention
program for self-neglecting elders. By 1998, with a $6 million budget
serving elders throughout the city, the agency
had outgrown even its name. Ethos was born.
Today, Ethos offers the broadest array of home and community based
services of any eldercare agency in Boston. Its Protective Services
and Long Term Care Ombudsman programs have grown
substantially and now assist elders anywhere in Boston. And through
a partnership with two other Boston-based home care agencies, Ethos
sponsors citywide programs that serve both the frail and disabled:
Boston
Money Management, a volunteer bill-paying service;
BostonElderINFO, a free information and referral service, and the
Caregiver Alliance, a support program for family caregivers.
Thirty years ago, a handful of activists joined a visionary
Governor
to put the "human" back into human services. Today, Ethos stands
as a monument to their success. Guided by principles of care,
compassion and community, Ethos is one of Boston's most vital and
vibrant non-profits, a linchpin in a community-based system
supporting the independence, dignity and safety of the elderly
and disabled.
Designations by Mass. Executive Office of
Elder Affairs:
Aging Service Access Point for southwest Boston
Elder Protective Services Agency for City of Boston
Long Term Care Ombudsman Agency for City of Boston
Elder Nutrition Project for southwest Boston, Allston, & Brighton
Agency Characteristics
| |
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| Annual Revenues (FY04): | $9.0 million |
| % of Revenues for administration: | 10% |
| # of Employees (October, 2003): | 99 |
| |
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| Affiliations Massachusetts Home Care Association Multicultural Aging Coalition Eldercare Alliance Suffolk County Caregiver Alliance Suffolk County Protective Services Roundtable LGBT Aging Project Southwest Boston Geriatric Providers Group Boston Partnership for Older Adults American Society on Aging |
|
| Client Characteristics | |
| % female: | 78% |
| % 80 years or older: | 58% |
| % living alone: | 67% |
| % w/ annual incomes below $10,000: | 54% |
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