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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAging Advisory Board Minutes 060915ORANGE COUNTY ADVISORY BOARD ON AGING Minutes June 9, 2015 PRESENT: Heather Altman, Mary Altpeter, Virginia Brown, Peggy Cohn, Keith Cook, Teri Driscoll, Ed Flowers, Katherine Leith, Lorenzo Mejia, Donna Prather EXCUSED: Alex Castro, Winston Liao, Dick White STAFF: Sarah Edwards, Mary Fraser, Kathie Kearns, Janice Tyler The meeting was called to order at the Seymour Center by Chair Heather Altman. Following introductions the Chair asked for additional agenda items. Lorenzo Mejia inquired about the information fair being held Thursday at the Chapel Hill Library. Janice Tyler announced a fair for public housing residents at the Chapel Hill library next Thursday. Peggy Cohn stated that a Carrboro activist group is sponsoring a rally at 54 East Plaza for a disabled resident being forced to relocate due to the landlord no longer accepting housing vouchers. The minutes of the May 12 meeting were approved following the motion made by Peggy Cohn and the second by Ed Flowers. In her Director’s Report Janice Tyler announced that the OC Planning Department has convened a focus group of persons interested in the ‘tiny houses’ movement. Keith Cook asked to be notified of future meetings. The White House Conference on Aging has been announced for July 13. Most of the activities will be conducted virtually. Ms. Tyler plans to have the event streamed into the Seymour Theater. The new UNC Hospital in Hillsborough will be opened on June 18. The Volunteer Connect 55+ Assistant Director position has been posted with hopes of filling the vacancy before Vicki Hill’s retirement on June 30. Janice Tyler summarized the future plans for the Seymour Center campus as outlined in the Orange County Space Study that was adopted by the Board of County Commissioners on June 2. The first phase includes improving the access road and adding parking spaces. These improvements are scheduled to begin in the next fiscal year. The proposed Seymour facility expansion will be 15,000 sq ft. Advisory Board member reappointment and retirement was the next item on the agenda. Janice Tyler recognized Heather Altman and Virginia Brown for their years of service as they complete their terms on the Advisory Board on Aging. She reported that Winston Liao, Lorenzo Mejia and Dick White have been recommended to the County Commissioners for reappointment. Teri Driscoll has been nominated to fill one of the Advisory Board vacancies. A motion was made by Keith Cook and seconded by Ed Flowers to approve Alex Castro as the new Chair and Peggy Cohn as Vice-Chair. Motion carried. Mary Fraser began her Master Aging Plan update by stating that the Year 4 initiatives will be presented to the MAP Steering Committee on July 23. The list will be a compilation of the issues not addressed in previous three years. In Year 5 the focus will be developing the next MAP Plan Update. Items for consideration in Year 4 include: • Wayfinding/Walkability-Complete Streets: Alex Castro is working with a summer practicum student on a presentation to local officials on this subject. NCDOT is requiring that all communities have Complete Streets plans and the mobility issues of older adults needed to be included. • Coordinated Transportation: NCDOT is conducting a merger feasibility study at the request of the Orange County Manager. • Food Scarcity: continue working with Orange Congregations in Mission and Chapel Hill-Carrboro Meals on Wheels to expand service to all rural Orange County; practicum student exploring why some seniors are not being served. • Carolina Villages: Aging Advisory Board is losing link to this the Villages with the end of Heather Altman’s second term. • Homestead Exemption Tax: OC Board of County Commissioners continue to support an increase but it has not passed in the General Assembly • Programming for persons with physical and mental challenges • Long Term Care: increase options and quality of services; mental health and dementia care; encourage geriatric specialty teams with Cardinal Innovations. • Faith Based Groups: non-denominational spiritual counseling within the senior centers; end-of- life issues. • EMS collaboration: Sheriff’s Department sponsoring Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (SALT) program and initiating officer ride-along opportunities. • Long Term Care Learning Collaborative: next year’s focus will be on palliative care. • Aging Preparedness is the UNC Capstone Team theme for academic year 2015-16 • Advocate for an increase in the number of handicapped parking spaces • Advocate for an increase in crosswalk time • Support LTC direct care workers. • Determine the Department on Aging’s role in developing employment options for older adults. • Present MAP implementation reports to the Advisory Board bi-monthly. Following Ms. Fraser’s presentation a motion was made by Keith Cook and seconded by Peggy Cohn to approve the MAP Implementation report. The Advisory Board expressed its gratitude for the staff efforts. There being no further business the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be held on August 11 at the Central Orange Senior Center. Respectfully submitted, Janice Tyler, Secretary Report of: Orange County Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee Date: June 3, 2015 The OCNHCAC did not have a June meeting. None is scheduled until July 7, 2015. All of our meetings are held at the Seymour Center. One of our groups did do a site visit to Carol Woods on June 1 and it was another good visit. More site visits are scheduled throughout the month and we will be discussing those reports at our July 7 meeting. As a reminder, Lisa Levine, from North Carolina Alzheimers will be coming to our July 7 meeting. She will be speaking from 6-7 pm and her topic will be Engaging Residents with Dementia during our Facility Visits. We have invited the Orange County Adult Home Care CAC and some members from Project EngAGE have contacted us about attending. They are certainly are welcome. Lisa is an excellent speaker and has been a guest at many of the Triangle J meetings. Respectfully submitted, Teri Driscoll Update on Music in My Mind June 9, 2015 • Programs continue to use the individualized music playlists with residents and to work toward adding new participants and expanding existing playlists. • The next users’ group will be on Wednesday, June 17, 2015.