Five medical students spent the past two weeks on the Island studying elder care and services as part of the rural scholars program. Neglect by a caregiver and self neglect were cited as the top two types of abuse facing Vineyard elders.
As a wave, or tsunami rather, of baby boomers is expected to populate the Vineyard in the coming years, the Island faces a number of challenges delivering health care to its seniors. Six rural health scholars from the University of Massachusetts Medical School recently documented those challenges in a report on the current mental health needs of the Island’s elderly population. Transportation, isolation and access to mental health services emerged as major areas needing improvement.
