Waltham Connections focuses on inclusion for growing senior population 

As Waltham’s senior population continues to grow, Waltham Connections for Healthy Aging is taking on an increasingly important role in helping older adults age with independence and a strong sense of community. 

Its mission – to make Waltham an aging-friendly community – is based on real research, not opinions. In 2015-2016, a community project led by Brandeis University professor Walter Leutz and his partner Betsy explored how the city could better serve older adults. 

The study used a community-based research model, training senior volunteers to help conduct interviews, lead focus groups and shape the findings. The results highlighted strengths already within the community and identified a need to better support seniors who are isolated, low-income or immigrants.

“Most English-speaking seniors, especially those who have been a part of Waltham most of their lives, have some idea where to go for help,” Betsy said. “But that wasn’t necessarily true in other communities. There was a need for more inclusivity.”  

From that work, Waltham Connections for Healthy Aging was born and the results have been impressive. Through grants and partnerships with agencies and organizations, more than $400,000 has been raised since 2017 to support inclusion of low-income and immigrant seniors. 

For example, one new initiative to connect different cultural groups to the Stanley Senior Center included hiring a Spanish-speaking coordinator for Latino seniors and funding a leader for a senior group with Africano Waltham.

Programs such as Sage & Seekers and Welcome to the Digital Age are great examples of how Waltham Connections for Healthy Aging is helping all older adults stay connected and engaged.

The Sage and Seekers program fosters intergenerational connections between Waltham seniors and Bentley students. Students (seekers) and seniors (sages) have one-on-one discussions. Both parties learn from each other and have an opportunity to examine issues and topics from different perspectives. Last fall, a Spanish version was added.

Meanwhile, Welcome to the Digital Age helps seniors build digital skills and gain confidence using technology for WiFi access, email and online resources, and provides low-income seniors with free Chromebooks.

“It turns out these programs have a special, added side effect. It’s a way to bring people to the Senior Center who haven’t been coming before,” Walter said. “They feel welcome and tell their friends, and the classes offer an intercultural connection as well.”

Walter and Betsy have been community organizers since they first met in 1969. Their work has always been rooted in staying active in the places they live. “We enjoy getting out, looking around our community and seeing what’s needed,” Walter said. “We meet people we never would have met otherwise.”

Since its inception, Waltham Connections has received core funding for its programs and outreach efforts from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation. Other funders have included Jewish Family and Children’s Service, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Mt. Auburn Hospital, AARP Foundation and Brandeis University, 

For more information on Waltham Connections for Healthy Aging, visit www.walthamconnections.org.