Meghan Smith

3 days ago | wgbh.org | Meghan Smith

May 12, 2025 When Mary MacDonald’s mother, Margaret, was diagnosed with dementia, her life was turned upside down. “I was 35 at the time, and I didn’t know anything about caregiving,” MacDonald said. What followed was a journey she describes as an “avalanche.” She left her corporate job to care for her mother as her cognitive and physical abilities deteriorated.

2 weeks ago | wgbh.org | Meghan Smith

May 01, 2025 Older adults in the Boston area are struggling to make ends meet as they enter retirement, according to a new report. The high cost of living and economic inequality leaves low-income seniors vulnerable, especially seniors of color.

2 weeks ago | wgbh.org | Meghan Smith

April 29, 2025 On a recent afternoon at a West Roxbury gym, Brendan Bartczak was doing farmer’s walks — walking back and forth with a 20-pound dumbbell in each hand. Next up, his trainer Nanea Kay counted as he did squats. People are lifting weights and doing bench presses nearby. For a gym, it’s notably quiet. There is no loud music or TV screens. Inclusive Fitness was specifically designed for people who are neurodivergent and who have intellectual disabilities.

1 month ago | wgbh.org | Meghan Smith

April 08, 2025 Aaron Askanase, a wheelchair user, had been searching for the perfect adaptive sport, and he found it: parafencing. “I was looking for an adaptive sport that ... was going to make me feel good after I left, not in more pain,” he said. He has been training at Boston Fencing Club for the past eight months, got a chance to test his skills Saturday against Noah Hanssen, a Paralympian who competed in Paris last summer. “It felt good that I scored a couple points,” Askanase said.

1 month ago | wgbh.org | Meghan Smith

March 19, 2025 The Guild of St. Agnes, which runs child care centers in Worcester, closed its doors when COVID hit, like many child care centers. When it re-opened in fall of 2020, enrollment was only two-thirds of what it had been before the pandemic. But now things have improved: Overall enrollment is not only up, but greater than what it was five years ago. “Enrollment-wise, we’re back to normal and more,” said Sharon MacDonald, the centers’ executive director.