Senior Care Provider Plans 52 Cuts

South Shore Elder Services plans to cut 52 jobs in June as the Braintree nonprofit tries to stabilize its finances. (patch.com) The layoffs would affect roughly a third of the agency’s workforce, according to a state notice filed April 3 and updated April 6. Chief executive Sandra Lindsey told Patch the cuts are separate from a possible partnership with Old Colony Elder Services in Brockton. (patch.com) South Shore Elder Services said April 14 that the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging and Independence will not renew its two-year Aging Services Access Point contract when it expires June 30, 2026. The agency said the state is planning to reassign clients to another provider to keep services running. (sselder.org) In Massachusetts, Aging Services Access Points are regional nonprofits that arrange in-home care, meals, caregiver support and referrals for older adults. The state says there are 24 of them statewide. (mass.gov) South Shore Elder Services is the Aging Services Access Point for 11 South Shore communities: Braintree, Cohasset, Hingham, Holbrook, Hull, Milton, Norwell, Quincy, Randolph, Scituate and Weymouth. The organization says it has served that region since 1977. (sselder.org) The agency said reimbursement shortfalls hurt its fiscal condition, and Patch reported it posted about $37 million in revenue in 2023 while finishing the year more than $1 million in the red. Patch also reported South Shore Elder Services employs more than 160 people and is based at 350 Granite St. in Braintree. (sselder.org, patch.com) South Shore and Old Colony signed a letter of intent in January 2026 to explore a strategic partnership, and South Shore announced that step publicly on March 18. Old Colony said the talks are focused on “strengthening and stabilizing services” across the South Shore and greater Plymouth County. (sselder.org, ocesma.org) South Shore said it is working with state officials and Service Employees International Union Local 509 during the transition, and it warned clients that some caseworkers could change. The agency said it will contact people receiving services directly about any changes to their care plans. (sselder.org) The next deadline is June 30, when South Shore’s current state contract ends. Between now and then, the agency says it is trying to preserve service continuity even as dozens of employees face losing their jobs. (sselder.org, patch.com)