Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services

03/13/2026

We’re thrilled to announce that Kate’s Café will return on March 25!

Kate’s Café is a monthly dinner for LGBTQIA+ older adults, caregivers, and friends that’s held the 4th Wednesday of each month from 5–7 pm at S&S Restaurant in Cambridge. The gathering fosters community, connection and fun among older adults in the area.

SCES would like to extend a special thank you to The Cambridge Homes (TCH) for generously sponsoring Kate’s Café this month! TCH offers independent living and assisted living to older adults in a social, homelike environment. TCH is proud to be Platinum level SAGE Care Certified.

If you’re interested in attending a dinner at Kate’s Café, please RSVP by calling 617-628-2601 ext. 3218 or emailing LGBTcafe@eldercare.org.

03/12/2026

SCES' Communications and Public Affairs Manager Eliza Adams was thrilled to join partners from CAAS Community Action Agency of Somerville and City of Somerville's Office of Housing Stability to attend the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless' Legislative Action Day! We spoke with legislators about MCH's budget requests and priority bills, including H.B. 4015/S.B. 475: An Act Promoting Housing Stability for Older Adults Across the Commonwealth. This bill would expand the Older Adult Bridge program, which currently operates as a pilot in Somerville and has successfully enabled countless older adults to remain in their homes while they wait for affordable housing.

Thanks to Senator Pat Jehlen and Representative Shirley Arriaga (Shirley for Chicopee) for sponsoring this critical legislation that will drive down rates of homelessness among older adults, and thank you again to MCH for organizing such an important day!

03/11/2026

Today is Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day! SCES would like to thank our registered dietitian, Andrea Svartstrom, for the work she does day in and day out to keep folks in our community nourished. Andrea delivers care to consumers with empathy and always aims to provide a dignified and supportive experience by listening to and working to meet older adults where they are at.

Thank you, Andrea, for all you do to make a difference at SCES and in Somerville and Cambridge! 👏

To learn about SCES’ nutrition services, such as nutrition counseling or home delivered meals, please visit www.eldercare.org/nutrition.

03/06/2026

Celebrate Nutrition Month with Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services! Join us for a community lunch and play a round of “Food as Medicine”-themed Jeopardy for a chance to win prizes. SCES nutrition staff will share useful information about using food to manage chronic disease and illness.

Community members are welcome to join us at one of the following events:

🍽️ Somerville Council on Aging
March 19, 11:30 am, lunch served at 12 pm
Lunch is free for adults 60 years or older, but voluntary donations are appreciated; $3 is suggested.
To make a lunch reservation, call 617-625-6600, ext. 2323.

🍽️ Cambridge Council on Aging (Ballroom)
March 31, 10 am, lunch served at 11:30 am
Lunch is free, but voluntary donations are appreciated; $3 is suggested.
To make a lunch reservation, call 617-349-6047 by 11 am on March 25.

03/05/2026

It’s Day! National Slam the Scam Day is the perfect time to learn how to spot scams, identify red flags and report suspicious activity.

Recognizing the commons signs of a scam can keep you — and your personal information — safe.

A scammer may:
✅ Pretend to be from an agency or organization you know.
✅ Say there’s a problem or promise a prize.
✅ Pressure you to act immediately.
✅ Tell you to pay in a specific way.

If you encounter a scammer, you can help by reporting suspicious activity at www.ssa.gov/scam.

For more resources on scam awareness, visit our YouTube channel! SCES’ Tech Access Program team has shared valuable resources on recognizing and avoiding scams. Follow this link to check out the videos: www.youtube.com/-cambridgeelders8907/videos

Join Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services' Technology Access Coordinator, Paul Angelosanto, to learn more about how to avoid scams! In this video, Paul covers...

02/25/2026

February is Black History Month! 2026 marks a century of national celebrations of Black Americans, though their leadership, courage and contributions began long before. As we work to create a more equitable, anti-racist future, we’d like to spotlight some historical trailblazers who we have to thank for medical advances and inclusivity, as well as the charter of Black History Month.

Known as the “Father of Black History,” Carter G. Woodson paved the way for today’s Black History Month celebrations when he established a weeklong observance to celebrate Black history and achievements in 1926. In 1976, February was officially proclaimed Black History Month and has been recognized ever since.

Many of today’s lifesaving processes for blood transfusions can be traced back to Dr. Charles Drew, who pioneered methods for long-term storage of blood plasma. He was pivotal in organizing the United States’ first large-scale blood bank and the first “bloodmobile” while working at the American Red Cross in the early 1940s.

Estelle Osborne achieved a lifetime of “firsts” — in 1931, she became the first Black nurse to receive a Master’s Degree and she was the first Black woman to join the nursing faculty of New York University, among many other achievements. Osborne was pivotal in advocating for the U.S. Navy to lift its color ban and accept Black nurses in 1945.

Dr. Cornelius Garland made history in 1908 when he founded Boston’s Plymouth Hospital and Nurses Training School. Under Dr. Garland’s leadership, the South End hospital was renowned for both being Boston’s first black hospital and for offering free medical, surgical and nursing care to anyone in need, regardless of race or ethnicity.

02/24/2026

UPDATE: The SCES office at 61 Medford St., Somerville will be closed today, February 24, due to inclement weather. Staff will be available via phone or email, but meal deliveries and congregate meals will be paused. Meal services will resume when our office reopens for regular business hours.

To reach our Community Support Center, please call our main line at 617-628-2601. If you would like to file a protective services report, please call 800-922-2275. In the event of an emergency, please call 911.

02/23/2026

The SCES office at 61 Medford St., Somerville will be closed today, February 23, due to inclement weather. Staff will be available via phone or email, but meal deliveries and congregate meals will be paused. Meal services will resume when our office reopens for regular business hours.

To reach our Community Support Center, please call our main line at 617-628-2601. If you would like to file a protective services report, please call 800-922-2275. In the event of an emergency, please call 911.

02/20/2026

It’s National Caregivers Day! We’re thrilled to recognize caregivers for their critical contributions to our families, communities and healthcare system.

Family caregivers make independent living possible for thousands of older adults and people with disabilities, often at great personal, emotional, and financial cost. At SCES, we believe that investing in caregivers is essential, and we are proud to offer services designed to help caregivers find the support they need to thrive.

Adult Family Care provides caregivers with monthly compensation, ongoing training, paid respite, and continuous professional support. These offerings strengthen stability and improve quality of life for both caregivers and care recipients.

SCES’ Family Caregiver Support Program connects caregivers with timely information about services, educational workshops, and short-term individual or family consultations.

The Savvy Caregiver program is an evidence-based training designed for those caring for someone living with dementia. This multi-week curriculum provides practical skills, caregiving strategies and stress-management tools.

Learn more about how SCES supports family caregivers: eldercare.org/find-what-you-need/caregiver-support.

02/19/2026

This week, we were thrilled to welcome Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley at Properzi Manor, one of SCES' Supportive Living sites! Congresswoman Pressley joined us for our daily congregate breakfast, which provides Properzi residents with a free meal and opportunity to build social connection.

SCES' Supportive Living model embeds staff on site to address upstream health and social needs before they escalate into crises. By delivering timely, targeted supports where older adults live, the program stabilizes housing, reduces avoidable healthcare utilization, and enables residents to maintain independence and safely age in place.

We're grateful for our partnership with the Somerville Housing Authority and were honored to share our daily breakfast gathering with Congresswoman Pressley!

02/17/2026

Today marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year! As we look ahead to the Year of the Horse, we would like to share appreciation for our valued partners at Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center (GBCGAC)!

SCES is proud to partner with the Golden Age Center to offer culturally relevant home delivered meal options to older adults in Somerville and Cambridge. GBCGAC also provides meals at the following sites: Quincy Tower (5 Oak St. West, Boston), Hong Lok House (25 Essex St., Boston), and Brighton House (677 Cambridge St., Brighton).

Other GBCGAC services include social and wellness activities, caregiver support, health insurance counseling and much more!

For more information, please visit gbcgac.org.

02/16/2026

SCES will be closed on Monday, February 16, in observance of Presidents Day. Meal delivery and congregate meals will resume when our office reopens for regular business hours on February 17.

If you have a non-urgent request, please call our main line at 617-628-2601 and leave a message. If you would like to file a protective services report, please call 800-922-2275. In the event of an emergency, please call 911.