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Thoughts from
AAA8 Director:
Rick Hindman
June 15 is Elder Abuse Awareness
Day: We Invite You to Wear Purple
June 15 is Elder Abuse Awareness Day. As our elderly population continues to increase, elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of the elderly are emerging problems.
In Ohio, ODJFS
reports an estimated 53 calls a day related to elder abuse issues.
A U.S. Administration on Aging study found that 1.5 million people over the age of 60 are abused or neglected each year. Those are the reported cases.
Unfortunately, no community is immune from this issue. Ohio's Area Agencies on Aging remain concerned that for every one case that does get reported, five others go unreported.
Communities and municipalities are encouraged to raise awareness of elder abuse issues and concerns. On June 15 consider coordinating an event in your agency or community. |
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Aging & Disability Resource Network (ADRN) Unveils Community-Based Web Site for Seniors, People with Disabilities, Caregivers & Service Providers
As part of the Southeast Ohio Aging & Disability Resource Network (ADRN), at its semi-annual meeting, Buckeye Hills and its Area Agency on Aging 8 (AAA8) introduced a breakthrough solution - The Network of Care website (www.networkofcare.org) that empowers seniors and people with disabilities, caregivers and service providers with comprehensive long-term care services, information and education available in the eight-county region. Click Here to access The Southeast Ohio version directly.
"Our goal is to give individuals the tools they need to age with dignity and to assist their caregivers in the process, said Rick Hindman, AAA8 Director. "The Network of Care site helps people find the right services at the right time. It is a great resource for folks to find information, resources, and even confidentially manage their personal medical information on the free personal health record."
The Network of Care will help people find resources without having to waste a lot of time searching. As a resource of Southeastern Ohio Aging and Disability Resource Network, the site will also enable service providers to help clients connect to the resources they need through better inter-agency communications.
The President of Trilogy Integrated Resources, Inc., Bruce Bronzan, the company that created The Network of Care, helped AAA8 launch the site at the Semi-Annual meeting.
"The Network of Care is a great resource for providers. It is like a multi-million dollar piece of community resource on their desk," said Bronzan. "It is a major rolodex and a 'best-in-class' health library, as well as a free personal health record."
HOW TO LEARN MORE:
Southeast Ohio ADRN
Network of Care Free Webinars:
June 6 and June 14
10:00 a.m. -11:30 a.m.
(Two Opportunities! Choose the date that works best for you!)
- Learn how to use this powerful
resource from the comfort of
your own office.
- The webcast room can accommodate only 49 attendees, be sure to make your reservation to participate early!
To reserve your seat contact Mindy Cayton at 800-331-2644 or by e-mail:
mcayton@buckeyehills.org
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Join the First-ever Ohio Senior Hunger Summit
Hunger is all too real for too many of the older adults we see every day. Fixed low-incomes, limited mobility and access to adequate food are causing more and more older adults in Ohio to make choices no one should have to make: between buying food and paying for medicine, medical care, transportation, keeping the lights on or a roof over their head. Ohio is an aging State and the effects of the recent recession on the employment, incomes and retirement prospects of our elders is unknown. We do know the effects of hunger and malnutrition and the devastating consequences they have for older adults, including increases in health care conditions, limitation in daily activities and disability, which limit their ability to live independently in their homes.
In an effort to understand and address this critical issue, we are convening the first-ever Ohio Senior Hunger Summit on June 21 at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank (3960 Brookham Drive, Grove City, Ohio) from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm in partnership with AARP-Ohio, the Corporation for National and Community Service, Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, Ohio Association of Senior Centers, Ohio Department of Aging, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Ohio State University Extension and private partners. USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon will be attending and speaking along with the Director of Department of Aging, Bonnie Kantor-Burman, Dr. Craig Gundersen, and a diverse array of panel participants and stakeholders.
We are fully committed to addressing critical issues like hunger among older Ohioans and know you are too. Please RSVP and attend the first Ohio Senior Hunger Summit. There will be an opportunity for you to share important issues related to senior hunger and gather information on the successful partnerships and collaborations that relieve hunger, as well as how these efforts can be supported.
An RSVP is requested by June 15 - Click Here to RSVP |
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AAA8 Receives Aging & Disability Resource Network (ADRN) Designation
The Ohio Department of Aging has officially designated AAA8 and its partners in SE Ohio as an Aging & Disability Resource Network (ADRN). The group will continue its work to become a fully functioning ADRN to better serve the aging and disabled across the region as well as those who care for them.
To learn more about the SE Ohio ADRN, visit the web site at http://www.areaagency8.org/services/ADRN.
See the sidebar article in this issue to learn more about the ADRN's Network of Care online resource! |
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 Elder Caregiver Award to AAA8 Resident Pandora Neuhart
Woodsfield resident honored in Columbus at annual award ceremony
Pandora Neuhart of Woodsfield and 14 other individuals will be honored for their dedication, compassion and caregiving at the 18th annual Elder Caregiver Awards on May 26 at the Capitol Theatre in Columbus.
"Family members and informal caregivers are the heart of person-centered care in Ohio," said Bonnie Kantor-Burman, director of the Ohio Department of Aging. "They provide the most intimate of services in familiar settings and allow those they care for to lead a purposeful life with dignity and respect. Ms. Neuhart has become her father's advocate, as well as his caregiver, in her efforts to ensure he can comfortably and safely remain at home."
Pandora Neuhart has modified not only her home, but also the family's routine since her father, James Neuhart, came to live with her. She has learned how to give him the care he needs in their home.
"Ms. Neuhart sees her caregiving role as one way she can give back to her father," said Kantor-Burman.
Family and informal caregivers are the backbone of Ohio's long-term care system. Each year, they voluntarily provide care valued at more than $14.2 billion.
The Elder Caregiver Award symbolically honors the thousands of Ohio caregivers who lovingly take care of family and friends day after day. Although the award is given to only a few caregivers, it heightens public awareness of the contributions of all caregivers.
Brief biographies and photos of the 2011 Elder Caregivers, plus a list of prior years' honorees, are on the department's website at www.aging.ohio.gov/news/eldercaregiveraward.
Statistics on Caregivers (From the Family Caregiver Alliance and AARP):
- Almost two million (1,990,000) Ohioans are caregivers, whose caregiving is valued at $9.92 per hour, making the estimated economic value of caregiving in the state $14.2 billion.
- The estimated economic value of caregiving in Ohio is about 20 percent more than the state's total Medicaid spending, and about 10 times as much as the state currently spends on home- and community-based care.
- 34 million Americans (16 percent of the population) provide care to adults age 50 and older.
- 8.9 million caregivers (20 percent of adult caregivers) care for someone age 50 and older who has dementia.
- The majority of caregivers are 35-64 years old.
- Many caregivers of older people also are elderly. Of those caring for someone over 65, the average age is 63 years; one-third are in fair to poor health.
- A significant portion of those in the workforce also are providing elder care to family members. Between 25 and 35 percent of all workers report that they are currently providing or have recently provided care to someone 65 or older.
- Among baby boomer caregivers (aged 50-64 years old), an estimated 60 percent are currently employed.
- Caregivers are often unaware of the availability of support services. As many as one in four has unmet needs, only nine percent used respite services and only 11 percent participated in support groups. (Alzheimer's Association and National Alliance for Caregiving)
- More than 90 percent of caregivers who see themselves as such proactively seek resources and skills to assist their loved ones. (National Family Caregivers Association)
 AthensResident Gifford B. Doxsee Inducted into
2011 Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame
Selected for his legacy of service in his community
Gifford B. Doxsee, an extraordinary volunteer, will be inducted along with 17 other exceptional older Ohioans into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame on May 26 at the Capitol Theatre in Columbus.
"Those inducted into the Senior Citizens Hall of Fame embody the productivity and enjoyment that should be a part of every person's older years," said Bonnie Kantor-Burman, director of the Ohio Department of Aging. "Mr. Doxsee is an extraordinary person who, in retirement, has devoted his second career to near constant service to his fellow man."
After a distinguished teaching career, Gifford Doxsee joined GoodWorks, an organization in Appalachian Ohio that serves the homeless and volunteered at Timothy House, a shelter for the rural homeless. He is a member and has served on the board of Rural Action, an organization devoted to fostering social, economic and environmental justice in Appalachian Ohio. He is a 20-year volunteer with Appalachian Community Hospice, where he offers weekly companionship to terminally ill patients, as well as much-needed respite for their caregivers. In 2003, he joined the Kairos Prison Ministry, which addresses the spiritual needs and practical re-entry questions of incarcerated men and women.
Mr. Doxsee joins more than 350 individuals who have been inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame since its inception in 1977. Native-born Ohioans or individuals who have been state residents for at least 10 years are nominated based on service to others and achievements after age 60, as well as for lifetime achievements that represent positive aging.
Brief biographies and photos of the 2011 honorees, as well as a list of prior inductees, are on the Department of Aging's website at www.aging.ohio.gov/news/halloffame/. |
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Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program in Full Swing
Nearly 1,450 seniors across the AAA8 region, who met the eligibility guidelines, received some welcome relief from rising food budgets. The Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) provides income-eligible senior citizens with special coupons worth $50 to buy produce. An additional 940 seniors have been placed on waiting lists for the market program.
The Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) is a USDA and Ohio Department of Aging program in which grants are awarded to provide coupons to low-income seniors. Program coupons may be exchanged for eligible foods from authorized farmers. Only fresh, locally grown fruits, herbs, vegetables and honey are eligible to be purchased with the coupons.
Each eligible senior receives $50 worth of coupons. Grant funding is limited and coupons are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Each person will receive a total of ten $5 coupons: five $5 coupons valid from May 1- July 31 and five $5 coupons valid from Aug. 1- Oct. 31. Coupons may only be redeemed by authorized participating farmers who sell produce at farmers' markets or roadside stands. The program ends Oct. 31, 2011.
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Marietta-Area Senior Benefits from Housing Program
Area Agency on Aging Offers Home Accessibility & Repairs
There is no place like home. For seniors trying to "age in place" in larger, older homes, one program through the Area Agency on Aging 8 is making a difference.
Marietta is well-known for its history and many stately homes. However, as folks age, the practicality of a large two-story home can be an inhibitor to aging in place. But, for one Marietta senior, the AAA8 Housing program was just what she needed.
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Tina with her mother, Linda. |
"We were able to take advantage of a grant program through Buckeye Hills to help my mother remain in her home and keep her independence," said Tina Meunier, daughter of Linda. "The program is wonderful and through its ability to give her accessibility to a first-floor bathroom and laundry area, she is now self-sufficient at home."
Before the updates to her home, Linda was taking a flight of stairs up to a second-story shower and down to a lower-level laundry room all the while trying not to fall over her oxygen tubing, necessary 24x7 for a chronic lung condition.
The Housing grant enabled Linda to make necessary changes on the first floor including an enlarged bathroom with a roll-in shower area as well as a new laundry area for her day-to-day living needs.
"Grants are available to fund repairs for homeowners who are 60 years of age or older with 35 percent area median income level or less and own their home or have a life estate in the property," said Joe Gage, AAA8 Housing Coordinator. "For residents who qualify monies may be used to assist with the costs associated with accessibility modifications such as widening doorways, wheelchair ramps, handicap modifications of a bathroom or kitchen and other home repairs."
Gage is also an Aging-In-Place Specialist through the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) developed to address the growing number of consumers that will soon require housing modifications to "age in place." These professionals are remodelers, general contractors, designers, architects and even health care consultants.
Gage is responsible for grant administration across the 8-county region. He can help eligible residents answer questions such as "how can I make my kitchen more functional; how do I modify my bathroom or home entrance and what type of contractor should I use?" For more information, call 1-800-331-2644 or visit www.areaagency8.org.
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Local, State & National News
AAA8 Participates in AoA Survey
AAA8 was randomly selected to participate in The U.S. Administration on Aging's (AoA) Sixth National Survey of Older American Act Participants. This is a national sample survey of programs on aging funded by Title III of the Older Americans Act. The purpose of this survey is to provide AoA with an effective method for collecting data on Title III programs. The results of this study help AoA meet its accountability requirements to the President. The results also demonstrate to Congress how well programs are achieving their legislative goals.
More than 300 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) were randomly selected to participate in the study. A small sample of clients from each participating AAA will be randomly selected to complete a telephone survey about services they received during the past year. The services being evaluated include: Case Management, Congregate Meals, Family Caregiver Support, Home-Delivered Meals, Homemaker, and Transportation.
HENS Arrives in Central Ohio
The Hospital Exemption Notification System (HENS) is a new, web-based application being developed to streamline the way hospitals, nursing facilities, and PASSPORT Administrative Agencies (PAAs) communicate when a patient is transitioning from a hospital to a nursing facility. Developed by the Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) staff and introduced first in the central Ohio area, HENS will simplify communication among all three entities.
By law, anyone who is entering a Medicaid-certified nursing facility must undergo a pre-admission screening and resident review (PASRR), done by PAAs. Twelve of the thirteen PAAs are located within Area Agencies on Aging. The thirteenth is Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley, which serves consumers in Champaign, Darke, Logan, Miami, Preble, and Shelby counties.
HENS will allow hospitals to record on-line the information about a patient's transfer and to send the information electronically to the nursing facility and the PAA. The PAA will then upload the information into Ohio's computer system, ensuring that the state can comply with federal law and care managers can provide adequate education and information to help patients, their families, and caregivers make informed choices about care options. Based on answers to three questions in HENS, the form can go also to either the Ohio Department of Mental Health or the Department of Developmental Disabilities, so staff members there can determine whether follow-up contact with a patient is needed or desired. Because the system meets federal electronic certification requirements, HENS eliminates the need for a physician to sign transfer documents.
To test the new program, ODA is working with the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (AAA 6), Riverside and Dublin Methodist Hospitals, nursing facilities in central Ohio, and other state agencies. If HENS is successful in this pilot program, ODA will implement it statewide.
Source: Ohio Assoc. of Area Agencies on Aging
2011 o4a Annual Conference on Aging
September 12-13 at the Embassy Suites in Dublin, OH
o4a's statewide conference offers expert information, key contacts, new resources, and products/services.NEW in 2011! A clinical track has been added- details coming soon
For more information visit: www.ohioaging.org
Who should attend?
- AAA Executive Directors & Staff
- AAA Advisory Council & Board
- Academicians
- Advocates
- Aging Service providers
- Business Representatives
- Health Professionals
- Social Workers & Counselors
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