APPT-2023-14 : Appointment of Ellen Cobau, 79 Otis Street, to the Melrose Council on Aging for a three-year term set to expire on the last day of February 2026.

Transcript (~9 min @ 2:01)

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▶ 2:00 Manjula Karamcheti: agenda. The first is appointment 2023-4 14 the appointment of Ellen.

▶ 2:09 Speaker 1: Kaba

▶ 2:10 Speaker 2: did I get it? Yes, I'm 79

▶ 2:12 Manjula Karamcheti: Otis Street to the Melrose Council on Aging for a three-year term set to expire on the last day of February 2026. Mayor Broder is here to present his candidate. So at this time I will motion by unanimous consent to suspend the rules. Seeing no objections. The rules are suspended mayor Broder. Please come join us and miss kabao you as cabal you as well.

▶ 2:44 Paul Brodeur: Sitting on the right that's kind of exciting a little bit of change good evening. Everybody good to see you all in person. And that is for sure appreciate the opportunity to speak a little bit about Ellen's appointment. I suspect she is familiar of to most if not, all of you do or private serves them both Melrose Wakefield Melrose and Wakefield Health Department as public health. Nurse she also has an extensive professional background outside the city that I suspect. You are also all familiar, but it is an over 20 year career. I do want to point your attention to her statement that she gave when she applied because that sometimes they all read read alike. But you look for some magic words in there were two phrases that folks in kind of the senior. Advocacy world look for particularly around home care and that is aging well and aging in place. Those are from my past. I've heard a lot but to see someone apply and kind of again use those magic words suggest me as someone who absolutely gets gets the whole point of why we have a COA and why we want to treat. Well, the the very diverse spectrum of folks within that community. So with that I am very proud that she has stepped forward and proud to offer her nomination vehicle consideration take over.

▶ 4:23 Speaker 2: My name is Ellen Cobalt. And I've been in Melrose since 1990. My two kids went to the schools Timothy graduated in 2013 and Caitlin in 2015. And my daughter's following my footsteps. She's a nurse at Johns Hopkins

▶ 4:39 Speaker 3: in Maryland in Baltimore. And so

▶ 4:40 Speaker 2: I worked I worked at Melrose Wakefield Hospital in public health here. And now I'm a nurse manager case manager at Mass General for the past 12 13 years at Mass General but like my interest is really in Social determinants of Health, like reasons other than medical reasons why people do well and don't do well and I think a lot of that evidence that's coming out with the with folks over the age of 60 is that you need to be socially engaged and you need to be have a sense of purpose and you need you know, also all those things like exercise and and cognitive kind of things and it looks like the, you know Stacy and the folks over at the senior center doing an awesome job with all those areas, you know with engagement and cognitive and balance stuff and all that really good stuff and I just feel like with my background in the medical world. You know Melrose Wakefield the community World Plus the research world that I could lend some assistance. I'm excited to hear from the to the president and the vice president of the Council of Aging they spoke to us and you know, the fact that they're doing A needs assessment I think is great, you know to because you know, maybe we need to you know, we're not are we reaching everybody that we need to reach in the over 60 population? There's a lot of people out there that are over 60 and that they still have caregiving needs. They're caring for children, you know, so are we encompassing them? I know in the city, you know in Mass general or you know looking at things like that that so many of our over 60 population are caregivers themselves to so I'd like you to consider me. Thank you.

▶ 6:27 Manjula Karamcheti: Thank you so much. Do we have any questions from counselors?

▶ 6:33 Jen Grigoraitis: President Greer. Thank you madam. Chair first I just wanted to take a moment to wish mayor broader a very happy birthday and thank you for spending it with the health education and Welfare committee and thank you Ms. Coboff for putting forward your application. It's really excited to see someone of your qualifications stepping up to serve. I also noticed in your statement that you talked about not wanting wanting to not just help folks age in place but thrive in place, which I think is a really important distinction. I think so much of when we talk about the 60 plus population. We're talking about a physical decline rathering rather than about how we continue Applause a certain quality of life. Are there any things that you from your professional experiences being things that would be successful to help someone thrive in place as they age

▶ 7:16 Speaker 2: What the you know kind of doing more more of what we're doing, you know, as far as you know, the exercise pieces the cognitive pieces and those kind of things. I really like them that they're there's a lot of trying to integrate. Getting folks familiar with on the internet and using computers. I mean so much of like what I do at work is you know, we're doing virtual appointments and I'm in a lot of the seniors can't even navigate, you know, that kind of environment and I feel bad for you know, I mean, we all pretty good at navigating up our portals our you know, when you when you like Mass General with patient gateway, I don't know what the other things but portals and we'll frequently message people in the portals. And and then you see that the disconnect with some folks not necessarily just the over 60 population which is some folks that if they're lacking computer skills and I see that there's a lot of trying to connect in help help the over 60 population navigate that world and I think that's gonna become even more and more important is and even just you know, like when I discharge people from the hospital, I'm like asking do you have food at home, you know, you know and if they if they had a computer a lot of them will have will say, oh I just have enough food delivered when I get home, you know that kind of thing but a lot of the seniors would be like, no I haven't been In the hospital for three weeks and I have no idea what I'm coming home to you know, and I think that kind of a piece is would be is is something that I would like to like see.

▶ 8:43 Paul Brodeur: Thank you so much. No, the Helen has also done some work in if you have a chance to look at resume and false prevention, which is kind of one of the one of the basics it sounds until you're in that world. Your parents are in that world. You probably don't think much about that. But that is all there's a lot that goes into that and it is kind of a it's set it sounds simple but it's a such a basic prevention mechanism and to build that into a lot of the things that are done in senior. Advocacy in the senior community regardless kind of if you're Acuity super important.

▶ 9:27 Speaker 2: Any other questions from counselors?

▶ 9:31 Speaker 4: Go ahead. Sure. I'll make a motion to recommend to the full Council. We have

▶ 9:33 Speaker 2: a motion to recommend to full Council from counselor Stewart

▶ 9:37 Manjula Karamcheti: seconded by counselor. Obrumski anything on discussion. I did just want to say thank you so much. You've clearly served in a variety of capacities in your career already and that you're ready willing and able to step up and share your expertise with the Council on Aging is just so appreciate it. I'm so appreciated and I just wanted to note that you already have given me a perspective that I think I don't think about very often which is our over 60 population that continues to caretake others whether it's their children grandchildren and just I want to thank you for that because the parents yeah exactly because those are the things we need to be thinking about and just appreciate you bringing that wealth of knowledge and expertise to us. Okay.

▶ 10:31 Speaker 1: so all in favor -- any

▶ 10:33 Speaker 2: opposed

▶ 10:36 Manjula Karamcheti: All right, well this motion carries, and so this will be moved to our full council meeting with a recommendation for you in the position. You don't do not need to appear at that city council meeting, but of course you are welcome and just