AAA8

 

July 2012

Rick Hindman
Thoughts from  
AAA8 Director: 
Rick Hindman

Tips on Keeping Seniors Safe in the Summer Heat

 

As Summer kicks off, AAA8 would like to provide tips on how to keep seniors safe in the heat.  

 

A fact sheet that combines advice from The Ohio Departments of Aging and Mental Health is available on the AAA8 web site.

 

Senior citizens are particularly at risk in high heat situations. If you are a caregiver, check on them regularly during extreme heat.

 

Learn more about the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion and tips for keeping seniors safe through the fact sheet and other resources so you can enjoy the summer season!

 

For details about AAA8 and our services, call 1-800-331-2644 or visit www.areaagency8.org.

 

 

Ceiling Fan

Summer Cooling Tips  

 

The following are tips for keeping cool
without air-conditioning:

- Use Fans. You can use circulating fans near open windows at night to help rid the house of daytime heat.  

- Ceiling fans make you feel about four degrees cooler by moving air across your skin.  

- Close the shades and windows during the day. At night, open windows opposite one another for cross-ventilation.  

 

with air-conditioning:

- Install a programmable thermostat; turn back the cooling when not home or when sleeping.

-Set the thermostat at 78 degrees if you use ceiling fans.

(You can save 3-5% on your costs for each degree you raise the thermostat in the summer.)

- Check furnace and air conditioner filters monthly. Clean or replace as needed. 

  

The tips were provided by Project Energy Savers, LLC. Learn more at www.energy.gov. 

 

 

AAA8 Staff Earn HIPPA Certification

 

Two staff from the AAA8 recently earned the Certified Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Professional designation. MIS Director Jamie Lewis, CNA and MCSA:Security, and Clinical Supervisor Sarah Swisher, LSW, took the necessary coursework and examinations to earn the designation.

 

The training provides a better understanding of the implications of HIPAA legislation and identifies critical compliance requirements for organizations like AAA8.

 

"We are pleased that AAA8 has HIPPA certified staff," said Home Care Director Jane Skeen, LSW. "The safety of consumer data and their privacy is important in our day-to-day operations."

Elder Abuse Awareness DayElder Abuse Awareness Day Observed on June 15

 

The Area Agency on Aging 8 staff wore purple and shared information about Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15. 

 

Elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of the elderly are growing problems. Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2012A U.S. Administration on Aging study found that 1.5 million people over the age of 60 are abused or neglected each year. Abuse of elders takes many different forms, some involving intimidation or threats against the elderly, some involving neglect, and others involving financial exploitation. 

 

Raising awareness of elder abuse and neglect is a challenge and no effort is too small. When it comes to elder abuse, silence isn't golden.
Jerri Stemm

84-year-old Jerri Stemm, celebrates nearly

60 years with Miba Bearings located just

north of McConnelsville.

 

During Older Americans Month this past May, AAA8 Learned of this unique "Never too Old to..." story in Morgan County...

 

Morgan County Woman Celebrates
60 Years of Employment

 

In 1952, Jerri Stemm was working for 25 cents an hour as a waitress in McConnelsville. At the restaurant, she met three men who had come to Morgan County to build a new bearings plant. They brought her an employment application and asked her to come to work at what is now Miba Bearings US, LLC. Jerri started there for 90 cents an hour and has been with the company ever since.

 

"I'm probably the only one who works here who didn't ask for a job," said Jerri. "They asked me to apply and I am so glad they did." She has worked in a variety of areas over the years and currently serves in Inspection. This December, Jerri will be 85 and she doesn't have plans to retire anytime soon from her still full-time employment.

 

The Buckeye Hills Area Agency on Aging (AAA8) learned about Jerri as part of Older Americans Month and its theme "Never to old to..." and wanted to learn more about her secrets to success.

 

Jerri shared that she doesn't take medicine. She believes in vitamins and herbs and eating healthy. Her faith and family are also very important to her. She has one daughter and four step children plus four grandchildren, ten great grandchildren and four great-greats.

 

"I have been so blessed and I thank the good Lord," said Jerri. "I just enjoy being here and the people so much." Jerri shared that recently Miba leaders from Austria visited the plant near McConnelsville and shared with her what a role model she is there and even at other company locations in Austria.

 

"I told our plant manager, Bernie Anderson that they don't know how much that means to an old lady like me," said Jerri. "I just believe in hard work and a positive attitude."

 

Miba Bearings US, LLC, is just north of McConnelsville and has been helping the railroad and aerospace industries and compressor and diesel engine producers forge ahead for over 60 years. Jerri explained Miba's high-tech products and commitment to ongoing improvements.

 

"When I started we made products mostly for airplanes," shared Jerri. "If we wanted to make adjustments to machines back then, we'd use a hammer and a wrench. Now, we are so automated and computerized, it's all with the simple push of a button."

 

Miba Bearings US, LLC, is the region's largest manufacturing employer and has been part of the Miba Group since 2001. At nearly 85 years of age, Jerri Stemm says you're "Never too old to work."  

 

To learn more about AAA8 programs and services, call 1-800-331-2644 or visit www.areaagency8.org .You can also find AAA8 on Facebook. AAA8 serves Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Perry and Washington Counties.

 

NeuhartLearn More About Respite Care Services

 

Respite care is short-term or temporary relief to those caring for family members that might otherwise require placement in a facility outside the home.

 

Respite programs provide planned breaks for families and caregivers. Many families take great pride in providing care to their loved ones so they might remain at home. However, the physical, emotional and financial consequences for the caregiver can also be overwhelming without support, such as respite.  

 

Respite provides a break for the caregiver, which proves beneficial to their overall health as well. Three fifths of family caregivers age 19-64 surveyed recently by the Commonwealth Fund reported fair or poor health, one or more chronic conditions, or a disability, compared with only one-third of non caregivers.

 

Respite has been shown to help sustain family caregiver health and well- being, avoid or delay out-of-home placements, and reduce the likelihood of abuse and neglect. 

 

SE Ohio ADRN

Take the SE Ohio Respite Provider Survey!

 

The SE Ohio Aging & Disability Resource Network (ADRN) and its Respite Subcommittee would like your input through a brief survey to collect information on available respite resources in the region.

 

The survey is electronic and will just take a few minutes of your time - this information will be used to develop a regional Respite Inventory of available services and resources. They will be added to the SE Ohio Network of Care Web Resource. 

 

 

Share the SE Ohio Caregiver Respite Survey!

   

Available in paper format (as discussed by the subcommittee as the most convenient method for traditional caregivers to complete) is a Caregiver Respite Survey. The goal of this survey is to determine what services are most used and/or needed by Caregivers utilizing the respite programs.

 

Please help the ADRN distribute the Caregiver survey at your locations, events by downloading the file and making copies or request copies from Janie Collins at 1-800-331-2644 ext. 234   

 

Return completed surveys to SE Ohio ADRN:
Attn Mindy Cayton - P.O. Box 520 Reno, OH  45773.

War Era Story ProjectDepartments of Aging and Veterans Services  

Announce War Era Story Project

 

Follow-up to popular Depression era story project will explore life lessons learned during period of global conflict and national recovery


Ohio Department of Aging Director Bonnie Kantor-Burman and Ohio Department of Veterans Services Director Thomas N. Moe today announced the launch of the departments' joint War Era Story Project. The effort will pick up where the Department of Aging's award-winning 2009 Great Depression Story Project left off by collecting Ohioans' memories from the start of World War II through the 1940s. The agencies are seeking stories by the people who lived them - from veterans of World War II, to the men, women and children who held steady on the home front.

 

"We want to continue to help our elders tell their personal tales of sacrifice, perseverance and recovery during some of the most challenging and influential times in our nation's history," said Bonnie Kantor-Burman, director of the Department of Aging. "Whether they fought in the war, raised a family or grew up during the tumultuous 1940s here at home, our elders can teach us many things about thriving during adversity."

 

"The Second World War forever changed America; it challenged the nation and the world in ways that today's young people may never experience," added Col. Moe. "It remains critical that we learn from the generations that preceded us so that their lessons can help guide us into a prosperous future."

 

Stories should focus on the story-tellers' experiences during the war and the years that followed, and should be 500 to 1,000 words long. You may include photographs, but please note we cannot return them. Send stories with the author's name, location and current age to:

 

             Ohio Department of Aging
             Attn: War Era Story Project
             50 W. Broad St. / 9th Floor
             Columbus, OH 43215-3363

 

You also may e-mail stories to [email protected]. For the first time, the department also is accepting video stories via YouTube. Videos should be no more than 10 minutes long. Upload the video to your personal YouTube account (available for free at YouTube.com), then e-mail the link to the address above or share it on the department's page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/OhioDeptOfAging). Stories should be received by July 31, 2012.

 

Excerpts from the stories received will be posted to the Department of Aging's website around Veteran's Day in November. Full stories will be featured in the department's free e-newsletter, Boomerang. Visit www.aging.ohio.gov/news/boomerang/ to read and subscribe.

 

The Great Depression Story Project, conducted in 2009, gained national media attention and was named a "Notable Government Document" by Library Journal. It included more than 1,000 excerpts from over 300 submissions and has been viewed more than 38,000 times on the Department of Aging's website (www.aging.ohio.gov/news/greatdepressionstoryproject/).

HEAPOhio Energy Assistance Programs Available  

 

Home energy costs particularly affects Ohioans on fixed or low incomes. The Ohio Department of Aging partners with the Ohio Department of Development, the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to provide programs and information to help eligible older Ohioans meet the rising cost of energy.  

Energy Assistance Programs sponsored by the Ohio Department of Development help low-income Ohioans of all ages deal with the high costs of heating or cooling their homes.

  • Home Energy Assistance Program - HEAP helps low-income Ohioans of all ages pay heating and cooling bills.
  • Emergency HEAP - Emergency HEAP assists households that have had their utilities disconnected, face disconnection, or that have a 10-day supply (or less) of bulk fuel.
  • Percentage of Income Payment Plan - PIPP is an extended payment plan for qualifying customers that requires regulated gas and electric companies to accept payments based on a percentage of household income.
  • Home Weatherization Assistance Program - HWAP helps qualifying low-income homeowners and renters reduce energy consumption while increasing the comfort of their homes.

For more information on these programs, call toll-free 1-800-282-0880.

New Ohio Power of Attorney Law Takes Effect 
According to Southeastern Ohio Legal Services, on March 22, 2012, the State of Ohio repealed many of the laws regarding business and financial powers of attorney and replaced them with a new statutory form power of attorney. The State has now standardized business and financial powers of attorney just as they did the Health care powers of attorney and living wills in 1990. For more details about the change or to obtain copies of the new power of attorney forms, please contact Southeastern Ohio Legal Services at 1-800-686-3668 or visit www.seols.org.

Senior WheelsFree rides for seniors

Transportation by volunteers through Senior Wheels program 

 

By Ashley Rittenhouse -
 
The Marietta Times

(article and photo used

with permission.)

 

It's hard for Marietta resident Mary Emge to imagine not being able to do something as simple as going to a hair appointment due to inability to drive.

 

That's why she signed up to serve as a volunteer driver for a new program being implemented by the O'Neill Center and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Washington County, which provides transportation for senior citizens who need it.

 

"One of these days I might need a service like this," said Emge, 64. "It sounded like a good thing to do to help people who want to do ordinary things and they're trapped in their home (because of inability to drive)."

 

Through the Washington County Senior Wheels program county residents 55 and older can be transported free of charge to the bank, medical appointments, grocery stores and other places.

 

Rides are provided by volunteers who are 55 and older. They use their own vehicles and they are reimbursed 55.5 cents per mile.

 

RSVP director Lisa Valentine said the program is being started in light of surveys that have been done both locally and nationally which show that many senior citizens face the issue of not being able to get to where they need to go due to a lack of transportation.

 

"The Area Agency on Aging did a survey and transportation was one of the things people said was lacking in this area," Valentine said. "Lack of transportation is a national crisis. The 2000 Census said 73 percent of people 65 or older lived in areas with limited transportation offerings and another survey said as many in one in three people with disabilities have inadequate access to transportation options."

 

Valentine noted that the program is being funded with a one-time $10,000 grant awarded by the Washington County Commissioners. The money comes from the Washington County Senior Levy, which voters renewed in the November election.

 

"That is not used for any salaries. It's all going into the program," Valentine said. "Everyone who comes to training gets a background check and that's

$35 off the top."

 

Volunteer drivers must complete a roughly four-hour training course at the O'Neill Center in which they learn about defensive driving, basic first-aid and how to recognize the signs of stroke and heart attack.

 

All vehicles that are going to be used to transport clients are inspected by officials with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Troopers check to make sure things like brake lights, headlights and the horn are in good working order.

 

To participate drivers must have a valid drivers license, at least two years of driving experience, a reliable vehicle and a good driving record. They must also carry auto insurance which covers $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident.

 

During training drivers are also taught how to get people safely in and out of a vehicle, Valentine said.

 

"They have to be mobile to use the service," she said. "They can't have a wheelchair but they can have a walker or cane. They have to be able to get in and out of a vehicle with assistance."

 

Valentine said those who need a ride must call the O'Neill Center at 373-3914 at least two weeks before it is needed and they must fill out an intake form. Once it is determined that they qualify for a ride through the program a dispatcher pairs them with a driver from their area.

 

"We've got three volunteer dispatchers right now and we're looking for two," Valentine said.

 

She added that dispatchers are on hand from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

 

Marietta resident Jayne Stehle, 66, is the lead dispatcher.

 

"I've been an RSVP volunteer several years and I was looking for something else to do and I wanted to do something with computers," she said. "Our main job is to be the go between between the clients and drivers."

 

While additional dispatchers are needed Valentine said more drivers are needed, too. A total of 10 people have been approved to be drivers so far.

 

They are from the Belpre, Newport, Marietta and Lowell areas.

Valentine said drivers are needed from the New Matamoras, Cutler and Barlow areas, but people from other areas of the county are also encouraged to volunteer.

 

"Because of the limited funding we have if somebody from New Matamoras wants a ride we have to have someone from New Matamoras willing to give them a ride," she said. "People can only get a ride twice a month because of the funding...but if someone has a doctor's appointment once a week we'll try to accommodate that."

 

While rides are free riders are encouraged to donate $5 per ride. Valentine said she's hopeful donations and grants she is currently in the process of applying for will fund the program when the $10,000 grant runs out.

 

"We've already gotten a $150 donation from someone who believes in the program," she said.

 

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A Publication of Buckeye Hills Area Agency on Aging Serving Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Perry & Washington Counties
AAA8 Staff Resources:
Executive Director: Misty Casto [740-376-1034]
Asst. Exec. Dir. & AAA8 Director: Rick Hindman [740-376-1029]
Home Care Director: Jane Skeen, LSW [740-376-1041]
Programs Manager: Cathy Ash, LSW [740-376-7622]
Communications Director: Gwynn Stewart [740-376-1030]
Ombudsman Director: Kim Flanigan [740-376-7650]
PO Box 370 Reno, OH  45773  1-800-331-2644 www.areaagency8.org