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Westborough senior center director outlines implementation steps for needs assessment; announces retirement
Summary
Senior Center Director Alma Dimanch updated the board on year‑one implementation of the 2023 Senior Needs Assessment — including emergency lists, program expansion, outreach and a pending volunteer respite program — and announced she will retire Oct. 17 after 41 years in town service.
Senior Center Director Alma Dimanch presented an implementation update on the town’s Senior Needs Assessment, focusing on year‑one priorities: strengthening existing programs, improving outreach and communications, and addressing transportation and caregiver support needs.
Dimanch said staff updated the website, increased promotion of programs like the memory cafe and Saturday respite, expanded smoke/CO detector replacements (about 100 homes), maintained an emergency list for at‑risk residents and promoted the CodeRED emergency notification system. She also described efforts on transportation (two minibuses, ride resource guides) and a plan for a caregiver guide and expanded respite services — the volunteer in‑home respite program remains pending completion of job descriptions, program documentation and legal releases for families.
Dimanch thanked community partners and noted the senior tax work program offers 60 slots — above many peer towns — and described targeted outreach ideas to reach seniors not currently using the center. She also announced her retirement effective Oct. 17 after 41 years of service; the board thanked her for long service and pledged ongoing support for implementation work.
Board members asked for more quantitative measures in future updates (use of volunteers, ridership stats, program attendance) and suggested posting presentation slides and metrics on the senior center web pages.
