Tewksbury's State Senator L'Italien Named Home Care Alliance of Massa­chusetts’ "Legislator of the Year"

Tewksbury, MA -- The Home Care Alliance of Massa­chusetts’ “Legislator of the Year” award went to Senator Barbara L’Italien for her extensive work supporting programs and policy to help seniors.

Founded in 1969, the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts' mission is to "unite people and organizations to advance community health through care and services in the home." A non-profit trade association of home care agencies that boasts 200 agency members from Boston, to Provincetown and the Berkshires, they promote home care as a necessary part of the health care delivery system.

Senator L’Italien, who was formerly a social worker at Merrimack Valley Elder Services, was honored along with 10 people and three programs at the Home Care Alliance’s annual Innovation Showcase and Star Awards banquet at Granite Links Country Club in Quincy on June 14th, according to the Tewksbury Crier.

“It’s an honor to receive this award,” said Senator L’Italien, according to the Crier. “I was fortunate to get some good and important things done this year for seniors, as well as for people who care about them and take care of them. But there’s still a lot of important work to do.”

Some of the work Senator L'Italien has done includes initiating a community-based care program called "Caring Homes" (which delays seniors from entering nursing homes by helping support their families who care for them) and working to pass the “Choices” bill, which, through a Federal Medicaid Waiver, would provide greater access to community based care for elders.

She is also the former co-chair of the Legislative Caucus on Older Citizen’s Concerns and the Special Education Caucus.

With a resume like that, it's no wonder that she was honored.

Photo courtesy of teambarbara.com