Ashland residents Jean Delouchry and Donna Vuilleumier were recently appointed by the Board of Selectmen to the Ashland Council on Aging, solidifying their selection for one-year terms which will run through next August.
Ashland’s Elder Services promote the independence and well-being of the Town’s senior citizen community. They provide advocacy, leadership and management expertise to maintain a continuum of services responsive to the needs of all elder residents, their families and caregivers. With the guidance of the Council on Aging (CoA) and assistance from the Friends of the CoA, the department offers social and recreational activities, trips and events, and educational seminars. They also provide information and services relating to health and finances for seniors.
The Council on Aging, now under the chairmanship of James Zebrowski, serves in an advisory capacity, working with the paid staff of Elder Services. The group meets monthly at the Ashland Community Center at 162 West Union St. to discuss policy and set objectives with Elder Services Director Joanne Duffy who, in turn, manages daily operations.
“We’re delighted to welcome Jean and Donna to the Council,” CoA Chairman Zebrowski said. “Each member brings a wealth of relevant experience and caring to the table in support of elder care. Our top priority is to determine how we can best serve the needs of our aging population. The Senior Center provides a variety of programs and services, so the questions are: How can those programs and services be improved? How do we encourage more people to take advantage of them? What more can be provided?”
Delouchry and Vuilleumier complete the nine-member volunteer Council.
Jean Delouchry
Delouchry has been a caregiver to her mother and other relatives in their later years of life. “I have a heart for the elderly, and I want to give back,” Delouchry stated.
“After moving my mother to Ashland, she found great enjoyment in her last nine years being actively involved in everything the Senior Center had to offer,” Delouchry added. “The staff made those years so special for her. I wanted to be a part of that and as an active senior, myself, I want to help ensure others know what services are available to them.”
A woman of great faith, Delouchry is the mother of two grown daughters (both teachers in Ashland) and feels blessed having her five grandchildren and first great grandchild living locally as well. She brings her compassion for elders, her caregiving experience and a 40-year business background to the Council.
Delouchry is excited about this new chapter of life and will see how her gifts best fit in with the Council’s work. “When I take something on,” she said, “I want to do the best job I can. I want to grow with this Council.”
Rev. Donnta Vuilleumier
Describing herself as family-oriented, compassionate and hard-working, Vuilleumier’s faith journey includes pastoral and spiritual care, elder care, and community education and support about dementia.
Published works include Never Forgotten: The Comfort of Spirituality in Dementia, Talking About End-of-Life Decisions with Your Parent and How Hospice Can Support Your Family’s Grieving.
She has served for 14 years in both hospice and parish ministries in and beyond the MetroWest area. She is an affiliated clergy member with the Eliot Church in Natick and serves as a spiritual care and bereavement coordinator for Kindred Hospice in Marlborough.
Ordained in 2005, Vuilleumier received her Master of Divinity with honors from the Andover Newton Theological School in 2003. Coursework included serving as a clinical pastoral education chaplain for three months at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
“I’ve developed and led many community education programs about spirituality and dementia, advanced directives and honoring one’s healthcare choices,” Vuilleumier stated, “and I’m passionate about sharing my unique perspective, based on my life and work experiences, to enhance the quality of life for seniors here in Ashland.”
Vuilleumier is married, has two grown children and adores spending time with her two-year-old grandson, Christian.
“I love my work,” Vuilleumier added, “I find it energizing and rewarding. Working with the Council feels like a good fit and I am honored to have been appointed.”
Both appointees will undergo a special half-day training this month provided by the Council and continue meeting monthly with their fellow Council members to help develop new strategies to promote and support the health and well-being of Ashland’s seniors.