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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 05-18-2010 - 3aORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: May 18, 2010 Action Agenda Item No. 3-a SUBJECT: Presentation of the Southern Gerontological Society's 2010 Best Practices in Aging Award to Orange County DEPARTMENT: Aging PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): 4/23/10 Award Notification Letter Best Practices Program Description INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Passmore, Director, 245-2020 PURPOSE: To receive the Southern Gerontological Society's 2010 Best Practices in Aging Award from Dr. Janice Wassel, President of the Southern Gerontological Society (SGS). BACKGROUND: The SGS Best Practices Award was established in 1997 to recognize programs that demonstrate an innovative and creative linkage with aging services network, show evidence of sustained impact on improving the quality of life of older adults and have the potential to influence aging services in the south east region of the United States. Orange County and its public Department on Aging are the recipient of the 2010 SGS Best Practices Award for fostering community partnerships and creative programming through an interdisciplinary team of professionals, especially through the County's state-of-art multipurpose senior centers. The three best practices programs of the Department on Aging recognized for the award are: (1) Functionality Screen and Movement Clinic (2) Wellness Screening Clinic: Mood, Memory and Mobility (3) Preventive Home Visit Program These award winning interventions are the result of along-standing university-community partnership involving Department on Aging staff and faculty from UNC Schools of: Medicine, Pharmacy, Occupational Science, Physical Therapy and Public Health-Department of Nutrition. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board accept the Southern Gerontological Society's 2010 Best Practices in Aging Award for Orange County and the Department on Aging. z Southern Gerontological Society PMB #144, 1616-102 W. Cape Coral Pkwy. Cape Coral, FL 33914 Phone:239-541-2011 Fax: 239-540-8654 Apri123, 2010 Orange County Deparhnent on Aging The Seymour Center 2551 Homestead Road Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Dear Mr. Passmore, It is with great pleasure that I inform you that the Orange County Department on Aging has been selected by the Southern Gerontological Society (SGS) to receive the 2010 Best Practices Award. The SGS Best Practices Award was established in 1947 to recognize programs that demonstrate an innovative and creative linkage with the aging services network, show evidence of sustained effort and sustained impact on improving the quality of life of older adults, and have the potential to influence aging services in the SGS region. Due to your long history of fostering conununity partnerships and creative programming through an interdisciplinary team of professionals both in the academic and community settings, your focus on research, practice and service that champions person-centered, holistic care of older adults, and in particular, your best practice programs, including the Functionality Screen and Movement Clinic, the ~xlellness Screening Clinic: Mood, Memory 3c Mobility, and your Preventative Home Visit Program, SGS was pleased to present this year's "Best Practices Award" to Orange County Department on Aging at this year's annual Awards Luncheon. /` games R. Peacock, PhD Southern Gerontological Society Chair, Awards Committee 3 Southern Gerontological Society Awards Best Practices Award 2010 Orange County Department on Aging Program Description The Department on Aging and the University of North Carolina have developed and maintained a community partnership for more than 10 years. Under the direction of Jerry Passmore (community) and Florence Soltys (university) this partnership has involved the Department's Aging Transitions and the Senior Center Wellness staff with the UNC Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, Occupational Science, Physical Therapy, Nursing and Pubic Health-Department of Nutrition. The Department on Aging has established three inter-related best practices in a senior center community setting that promote and maintain people's optimal functionality, regardless of their chronological ages. 1. Functionality Screen and Movement Clinic The Department collaborates with the local university (UNC-CH Physical Therapy Program, its' Center for Aging and Health and Institute on Aging), a personal trainer, and the public-privately managed Triangle SportsPlex. The goal is to keep seniors living independently in their homes by promoting healthy behaviors and providing evidence- based wellness programming at multipurpose "wellness" senior centers. The focus is on maintaining functionality, preventing falls, and increasing physical activity. jThis academic and community partnership allow us to expand programming to include free wellness screening and consultation to seniors for fitness and function. Individuals receive a standardized Senior Fitness Test and Falls Risk Screen conducted by a UNC- CH physical therapist for upper and lower body strength, flexibility, endurance, and balance. Participants receive a written report of the test results. In addition, the physical therapist makes recommendations for exercise and/or physical activity programs and provides handouts as needed. The intent is to guide individuals in making informed and appropriate decisions about exercise programs and the best possible functionality. Also, certified personal trainers are available in the fitness facilities to assist seniors with starting a program and tracking their progress. In the past two years, 1040 seniors have been tested (63.2% female and18% African American). Yearly follow-up screens are also available to measure progress and set new goals. As a compliment to the free fitness screening, individuals are encouraged to join one of the variety of exercise classes offered at no fee or a nominal fee at the senior centers (e.g., an evidence-based balance exercise class, low impact aerobics, strength-building classes, Pilates and Yoga). Older adults are directed and encouraged to participate in other wellness programs such as: 1) Our Fit Feet Clinic, a registered nurse providing foot-health/toenail trimming service. 2) Our evidenced-based Chronic Disease and Diabetic Self-Management Courses. 3) Our onsite geriatric Physical Therapy Clinic; and 4) Our Consultation Service with social work and occupational therapy. 2. Wellness Screening Clinic: Mood, Memory, and Mobility The Department in partnership with the University of North Carolina, provides amulti- disciplinaryteam consisting of a geriatrician, physical therapist, occupational therapist, 4 pharmacist, and clinical social worker who evaluate patients at the local senior center. The purpose of this clinic is to evaluate the patient's mood, memory, mobility, and fall risk. The goal is to identify the inter-relationships of the 3 M's in the older adults life and mitigate impediments to continued independent living. During the 3M clinic visit, patients meet individually with each staff member. Finally, after reviewing the staffs assessments, the geriatrician meets with the patient and family to address medical concerns, review the team's assessment, and provide a written summary for the patient/caregiver. Immediately following the session, the summary is sent to the primary care provider with afollow-up phone call by the geriatrician. With an emphasis on retaining and/or improving functionality and quality of life, individualized wellness plans may include: physical therapy, exercise classes at the senior center, a review of the person's medications, counseling at the stigma-free setting of the senior center to improve mood, personalized plans for socialization and structure to maximize cognitive functioning and recommendations to consult medical specialists. The Department on Aging occupational therapist and clinical social worker encourage caregivers to participate in on-site caregiver groups, individual or family caregiver counseling, and care planning sessions. After experiencing professional services at a senior center, patients consider the center astigma-free hub for wellness, prevention, and ad-hoc counseling as they age in place. 3. Preventive Home Visits Recognizing in-home aide care as expensive, not sustainable in a mushrooming aging population, and inherently promoting dependency, the Department on Aging's Aging Transitions staff use in-home aides as only one component of amulti-faceted care plan. In 2001, the Department added a new "tool" for patient care, an occupational therapist, first in a county aging agency in North Carolina, whose goal is to maximize client independence. The occupational therapist provides an in-home assessment which includes performing functional and environmental safety evaluations. She then makes recommendations to the client and family for remaining safely and contently within the home environment for as long as possible. In many instances, individuals who believe they need an aide for bathing are instructed in bathroom equipment choices and proper use, thereby salvaging their independence and dignity, plus saving funds. The Department is currently partnering with the University to evaluate the impact of this approach on care costs, enhanced mood, physical functioning, and quality of life. The study focuses on the effects of preventive home visits to at-risk older adults age 75+ living in the community. This is a two-year grant funded by the National Institute on Aging. Approximately 55 community dwelling older adults have been visited by the Department's occupational therapist four times over 12 months to address issues that affect one's ability to maintain activities and occupations, as well as issues that put the participant at risk of decreased function and falls. Our academic-community partnerships also provide much needed geriatric training in wellness and preventive health for students from a variety of disciplines (pharmacy, social work, exercise science, occupational therapy, physical therapy, medicine, public health, nursing, etc) from UNC-CH, Duke, UNCG and NCCU. Data from these programs have been presented at local and national research and professional meetings. Our partnerships were developed to allow us to provide a continuum of care for our clients, institute up to date evidence based practice, and help train a health care workforce to meet the needs of tomorrow's seniors.