Waltham Council on Aging has resources available for seniors this winter

To make winter living in Waltham a bit easier on seniors (60+), the Waltham Council on Aging has several resources available to keep residents mobile and safe:

• A volunteer handyman is available free of charge to handle small home repairs such as installing safety railings to help prevent falls. For more information, call 781-314-3499.

• Free transportation to medical appointments within Waltham is available year-round Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 781-314-3499.

• For a medical ride outside of Waltham, seniors can contact Springwell, the area agency for Waltham, at 617-926-4100.

• The Meals on Wheels program provides meals to Waltham’s senior citizens who are unable to prepare food for themselves or who are homebound. Volunteers deliver meals to seniors in neighborhoods across Waltham from Monday through Friday between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The packing and distribution is free; recipients pay only for the food. For more information, call 781-314-3300.

• The COA has a bus that’s available on Tuesdays and Fridays to take residents to Market Basket at 110 Market Place Drive and on Fridays to Target in the Watertown Mall. For more information on this service, call 781-314-3499.

• GoGo Grandparent is a phone-based concierge service that helps seniors without smartphones access rides, groceries, meals, prescriptions and home service. No app or internet is needed to access the service, which improves the reliability and usability of Uber, DoorDash and Lyft for older adults who want to live independently in their homes. For more information, call 1-855-464-6872. (Note — dialing the “1” is necessary on landlines.)

These are just some services offered now and throughout the year. To get the full picture, along with monthly program updates, seniors can pick up the free Senior Connection Monthly Newsletter at the Stanley Senior Center, City Hall and Waltham Public Library as well as at various supermarkets and pharmacies throughout the city. Or subscribe to the newsletter by sending a $7 payment made out to the City of Waltham to the William Stanley Senior Center, 488 Main St., Waltham, MA, 02452. The payment covers the cost of postage for one year. 

Individuals interested in assisting seniors with tasks such as snow shoveling and clearing off cars can sign up at the volunteer board located in the game room of the city’s Stanley Senior Center at 488 Main St. 

Twenty Christmas dinner baskets, donated by resident Rick Pizzi with assistance from the Council on Aging, were delivered on Dec. 23 to needy seniors in Waltham. Plans are to solicit additional donors to increase the number of baskets to be distributed next year, Pizzi said.