Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAging Advisory Board Minutes 111114ORANGE COUNTY ADVISORY BOARD ON AGING Minutes November 11, 2014 PRESENT: Heather Altman, Alex Castro, Peggy Cohn, Winston Liao, Sandra Nash (representing Ed Flowers) Donna Prather, Dick White, EXCUSED: Mary Altpeter, Ed Flowers, Lorenzo Mejia STAFF: Eileen Apicella, Mary Fraser, Kathie Kearns, Janice Tyler The meeting was called to order at the Central Orange Senior Center by Chair Heather Altman. Winston Liao was introduced as a newly-appointed Advisory Board member. The minutes of the October 14 meeting were approved following a motion made by Dick White and a second by Alex Castro. Mary Fraser presented a summary of the Music In My Mind project activities in the absence of an Advisory Board liaison. The Long Term Care Collaborative has chosen this project as its focus for this year’s Quality Service Awards. She announced that the Alive Inside documentary is now available on Netflix. The Chair suggested that a screening be scheduled prior to the start of the December 9 Advisory Board meeting. It was agreed that those interested members will meet at Carol Woods for lunch at 12:30pm. The film will be shown @ 12:45. The Advisory Board meeting will follow from 1:45 to 3:15. An email confirmation will be sent as soon as possible. Alex Castro announced that the Orange United Transportation Board is recruiting new members. Rural representatives recently met with staff from the NC Department of Transportation to discuss cyclist safety. Nursing Home Advisory Committee representative Sandra Nash stated that two new members are being recommended to the Board of County Commissioners for appointment. She summarized recent changes in facility administrators. Winston Liao asked how frequent turnover impacts accreditation. In her report on Carolina Villages Heather Altman noted that there has been interest in membership from Hillsborough, Durham, and Chatham County. Five new members have joined its advisory board and the interim executive director has been made permanent. The Friends organizations did not have official representation at today’s meeting. The Central Orange Friends are sponsoring a cruise to New England and Canada in the fall of 2015. They also co-sponsored this morning’s Veterans Day Breakfast. The funds raised by the Goat Parade Gala this Friday evening at Galloway Ridge will be divided between the Friends of the Seymour Center and the Chatham County Council on Aging. Heather Altman reported that the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services has received federal funding to support statewide Community Resources Connections activities. The Chatham-Orange organization must make a decision on future funding for its organization in the next fiscal year. Mr. Castro also reported that the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Meals On Wheels has doubled its meals delivery in the four years. The volunteers have increased to meet the demand but the agency is in need of additional space and meal funding. Project EngAGE alumnae Norma White is working with the Orange Congregations In Mission to expand home-delivered meals service in northern Orange County. Janice Tyler began her Director’s Report by updating the Advisory Board on the progress being made for the transfer of the Chatham County VITA service to its Council on Aging. Chatham will apply for IRS support separately in future years but the Orange County Department on Aging will continue to provide the training for both counties. Also, students from UNC’s School of Public Policy have spent this semester gathering information about the Department’s RSVP division and the impact of discontinuing its federal funding as of March 31, 2015. A summary of the students’ findings will be presented to staff and RSVP advisory council members on November 19. Mary Fraser reported that a delegation of Japanese service providers interested in American housing options for older adults visited Orange County on November 5. They visited the Seymour Center and Carol Woods and shared their country’s model for multi-generational day care in a homelike setting, their lack of accessible housing, and their challenge with hospitals serving as their long term care facilities. Janice Tyler continued that the Department’s Housing Expo held on October 25 was very successful with 20 resource booths as well as eight presentations; this may become the basis for future Aging Resource Fairs. And, despite the rainy weather on November 1, more than 100 persons participated in the UNC School of Pharmacy’s student-sponsored 10th Annual Aging In Stride 5k event. Alex Castro announced that Habitat for Humanity will hold a dedication this Friday for a new duplex built for seniors and managed by the Town of Chapel Hill. Discussion followed on other affordable housing issues. Ms. Tyler announced that the second Project EngAGE class is entering its ninth week of training while year one’s graduates are still meeting monthly. She will be holding orientation for the three recently- appointed Advisory Board members in the near future. The Board of County Commissioners will receive the County space study findings at its November 18 meeting. She concluded her report by stating that the annual Thanksgiving Celebration will be held on November 21 at the Central Orange Senior Center. Discussion of the Advisory Board’s Annual Report to the Board of County Commissioners prompted discussion of possible state budget cuts and the need to inform local legislators of the need for continued aging services funding. A position paper based upon the information gathered for the Annual Report will be helpful in this education process. The Chair encouraged including human interest stories with the statistics in the report. For the Master Aging Plan update Mary Fraser reported that she met with Alex Castro and Eileen Apicella to review the initiatives specific to transportation in Year 3: rural public service expansion and complete streets policy promotion. Janice Tyler suggested that the complete streets suggestions could be recommended to the Board of County Commissioners for their next legislative agenda package. For the faith-based initiative the Project EngAGE graduates are organizing a March 5 event and inviting the 155 religious organizations that exist in Orange County. Heather Altman announced that next Wednesday Dr. Gary Gunderson will speak at Carol Woods on Faith and Health, the Memphis Model. Next Tuesday is National Memory Screening Day with screenings held at each Senior Center. Winston Liao added that November is also COPD month, with most over age 65. There being no further business the meeting was adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Janice Tyler, Secretary