Senior Whole Health by Molina Healthcare Invests $500,000 in Place-Based Supports to Reduce Health Disparities for Seniors in Massachusetts Affordable Housing Sites
Media Contact: Ben Jackey, Ben.Jackey@molinahealthcare.com, (502) 377-9484
BOSTON, Feb. 14, 2024 – Senior Whole Health by Molina Healthcare (“Senior Whole Health”) in collaboration with The MolinaCares Accord (“MolinaCares”) is announcing a $500,000 investment in organizations providing place-based supports (PBS) for residents of senior affordable housing sites. The resources will enhance care and wellness for facility residents across greater Boston.
According to the most recent Elder Index report from the University of Massachusetts Boston, nearly 50% of older adults living alone lack the financial resources required to pay for basic needs including food, medicine, clothing, and hygiene products. Meeting these needs is an essential component of positive health outcomes.
The PBS model supported by MolinaCares brings services to seniors where they live to help eliminate access barriers. It leverages on-site resident service coordinators (RSCs) who help seniors access health care providers, health plans, and community organizations. RSCs at housing facilities can also offer various services, including health education, wellness programs, recreational activities, adult learning programs, voluntary meals, and after-hours emergency response.
“Improving health outcomes for older adults in Massachusetts goes beyond providing traditional medical services,” said Bill Graham, plan president for Senior Whole Health by Molina Healthcare. “By financially supporting place-based supports, we are helping community organizations meet seniors where they are to actively address concerns around food insecurity and social isolation.”
The Senior Whole Health PBS initiative includes:
- Efforts benefitting New Bedford Housing Authority residents, in partnership with the following organizations:
- Coastline to offer residents of Tripp Towers and Boa Vista breakfast three days per week;
- Child and Family Services provide on-site crisis intervention support for Tripp Towers, Boa Vista, and New Bedford Hotel Apartments;
- The Greater Boston Food Bank to provide residents with access to a mobile market providing produce and pantry staples;
- Funding an RSC for Boston Senior Home Care to assist seniors at South Cove East Plaza apartment building with their personal and health care needs;
- Supporting care coordination and health education through embedded wellness teams within affordable housing sites;
- Providing file of life magnets for residents at PBS locations in the greater Boston region to display personal medical information for rescue workers responding to medical crises; and
- Supporting activities that foster socialization and decrease isolation within affordable housing sites by purchasing common area items such as a commercial refrigeration unit for community meals, a large-format television and projection unit for Tripp Towers, and furniture for Father John’s, and the Lowell Sun Building.
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About The MolinaCares Accord
Established by Molina Healthcare, Inc., The MolinaCares Accord oversees a community investment platform created to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health, life, and living in local communities. The MolinaCares Accord funds such measures through the Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established in 2020 by Molina Healthcare, Inc.
About Senior Whole Health by Molina Healthcare
Senior Whole Health, LLC provides government-funded, quality health care to low-income individuals under the Senior Care Options (SCO) program serving individuals enrolled in MassHealth and dual eligibles enrolled in Medicare and MassHealth. Senior Whole Health is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Molina Healthcare, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company, which provides managed healthcare services under the Medicaid and Medicare programs and through the state insurance marketplaces. Molina Healthcare served approximately 5 million members as of December 31, 2023, located across 19 states. For more information about Senior Whole Health, visit MolinaHealthcare.c.