SeniorsPlus gets three-year grant from Betterment Fund

LEWISTON — SeniorsPlus received a three-year grant award for $45,000 from the Betterment Fund for its partnership in Healthy Living for ME.
Healthy Living for ME is a new innovative centralized hub for Chronic Disease Self-Management Education in Maine. It is a joint-venture partnership between SeniorsPlus, Spectrum Generations of Augusta, and Aroostook Agency on Aging. By creating a hub, the program will educate the public, improve interactions with providers, streamline payment and data reporting and reduce health care costs.
The grant from the Betterment Fund will help cover costs for a suite of six evidence-based programs to be presented in western Maine by SeniorsPlus over the next three years as part of the HL4ME program. The six programs are self-management for chronic disease, chronic pain, and diabetes, in addition to Matter of Balance, Tai Chi for arthritis, and Savvy Caregiver, a training program for family caregivers. These programs have recently been launched across the state and the public is invited to enroll in them by visiting www.healthylivingforme.org/Programs. Most of the workshops are free.
“Healthy Living for ME is an important partnership that could change lives and the way healthcare is managed in Maine,” said Betsy Sawyer-Manter, president and CEO of SeniorsPlus. “We are grateful for the support of the Betterment Fund.”
The Betterment Fund was created for charitable purposes by the will of the late William Bingham II, a resident of Bethel, who died in 1955. Education, health, conservation and community support are its primary grant categories.