HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdvisory Board on Aging Minutes 05-10-2022_final Orange County Department on Aging
Advisory Board on Aging
MINUTES
Tuesday, May 10, 2022; 1—3 PM
Seymour Center/ Hybrid
Attendance: Heather Altman, Benjamin Austin (visitor), Colin Austin, Rachel Bearman, Jeff Charles, Jerry
Gregory, Vibeke Talley, Sandy Walker, Dick White, Jenny Womack; (Staff) Myra Austin, Kim Lamon-Loperfido,
Walter Moczygemba (MSW Intern), Beverly Shuford and Janice Tyler.
Absent: Lucinda Poole, James Harris
1. Introductions and Announcements
a. New board members—Sandy Walker and Lucinda Poole
b. Board Reappointments— Heather Altman and Vibeke Talley
2. Approval of Minutes— March 8, 2022 and April 12, 2022
a. March minutes were approved with the correction of adding Dick White as a reviewer the
Outside Agency Funding applications
b. April minutes approved with the following corrections: Change meeting location to the
Passmore Center, add Jerry Gregory to attendance and correct the spelling of visitors Lan and
Jing Huang
Director's Report
3. Update on TJCOG —AAA Monitoring visit
a. TJCOG completed their auditing visit in two days. Janice reported that we did very well with no
compliance issues
4. COVID Update and Department operations
a. OCPT transit services to the Centers
i. At the last board meeting it was announced that we were gearing back up to bring bus
riders back, but that OCPT did not have funding. The County Manager directed OCDOA
to use unspent departmental funds to fund service through June. The bus service still
has not resumed, but we are hopeful that it will start next week. On July 1, we will not
be able to pull money from different line items to fund this service. This service has
been requested to be included in the OCPT FY 22-23 budget to be funded by the BOCC
or a grant. If the funding is not found, the director has talked with TJCOG-AAA about
spending a portion of our ARPA funding on this service. This is not a sustainable option.
We have people who need transportation and depending on where they live a roundtrip
ride is either$6 or$25.50. According to the OCPT interim director offering this service 5
days per week is difficult, as the bus fleet is old and there is a lack of bus drivers. This
service is for socially isolated older adults who want to come to the Centers, but do not
have transportation. OCPT is offering transportation for medical appointments.
b. Within our department, we have had a few cases of COVID recently
c. Health Department reports that the booster rate adoption for age 65+ is lagging behind the
initial vaccination rate for that age group. The Health Department is creating a video featuring
older adults answering the question, "I got my booster because..." to encourage adults age 65 +
to get their booster (Jeff Charles volunteered to be recorded). If you have not gotten your 1st
booster you are not considered fully vaccinated
d. Both centers are fully open. We are still not up to our pre-covid numbers, but numbers are
increasing. We will continue to offer virtual and hybrid programs for those reluctant or unable
to come in person. Lunch program is still being offered in-person and curbside
5. Older Americans Month Proclamation accepted at May 3rd BOCC meeting—Theme is "Age My Way"
a. Two special events honoring Older Americans Month - "We Are Here For You"
i. Saturday, May 14, 10 a.m. — 1 p.m. Passmore Center
ii. Saturday, May 21, 10 a.m. —2 p.m. Seymour Center
6. Staff Retirement—Terry Colville, Passmore Center Programs and Operations Manager. Job has been
posted for internal candidates and closes on Monday, May 16, followed by interviews
7. NC Institute of Medicine Healthy Aging Task Force: Meetings from May— December to develop
recommendations to inform policies supporting healthy aging in NC. Janice was asked to serve on this
task force. The first meeting was held this morning. Transport, social isolation, falls prevention and
senior hunger were identified as top priorities. A report will be prepared for the NC General Assembly
on how to age healthier. Based on the numbers in the new MAP, we have to do everything possible to
keep ourselves healthy. The 85+ demographic is growing faster than any other group.
New Business
8. 2022-23 Budget Update
a. Last Tuesday the County Manager presented her budget to an in-person Department Directors'
meeting. This was the first time the Department Directors had met in-person in 2 years
b. We requested additional hours for the Food Service Coordinator funded by HCCBG, however
this was not included in the managers' budget
i. There is a need to increase our Food Service Coordinator to full-time as our meal counts
have doubled during the pandemic, as well as the required paperwork for this grant
funded service
c. Lunch program funding and ARPA
i. We have the funding to get through the end of the fiscal year. The county has allocated $119k ARPA
funds for next year to keep the lunch program at the level that it is. There is a concern when ARPA
funding runs out nationwide what will happen to all the programs and services that have been started
as a result of these additional funds. When the curbside meals end, will those taking advantage of that
come back to in-person dining?
9. Aging Board appointments: One vacancy— need representation from central and northern Orange
County. Upcoming vacancy with Jenny Womack's resignation and move.
a. Sandy Walker, new member, we are so glad that you are here. Sandy is currently a pediatric
nurse at CH Children's Clinic and has worked with older adults in the community. Welcome!
b. Lucinda Poole was also appointed leaving us with one vacancy. The board expressed again the
need for more diversity on the board, including diversity of location (central/northern OC)
c. Will need to replace Jenny Womack on the board. She is relocating this summer to western NC
to start an OT program at Appalachian State University. This vacancy requires that you live in
the Carrboro Town limits.
10. Age My Way NC survey- https://survey.cmix.com/69C2ABE3/G10DF6LT/en-US
a. The survey goes along with the State signing onto bean age-friendly state designation.
Encourage everyone to take the survey. The desired end result is for policy makers to make NC
a more livable place for everyone. Email to board so that they can access and complete the
survey. Janice will email the link.
2022-27 Master Aging Plan
11. MAP completed —Time to celebrate the year-long process!
a. Thank you to everyone that helped in this process. Special thanks to Beverly Shuford and
Melissa Blackburn for design work; MAP interns Cass Dictus and Kenesha Wood; all the
workgroup leaders and our racial equity team. Love the new redesign and professional look
12. The MAP is on our website for public comment and review. If you have comments, please let Janice
know
13. MAP presentation to the BOCC for acceptance on May 24, 7 pm. The presentation is at the top of
agenda, all are invited to attend. We can all be very proud of the work done and yet to be done. This is
truly a community wide plan. All groups are having their 4t" quarter meeting to fill in the final quarter
information for the 2017-22 MAP. The Ripple Effect MAP has been hung on the wall in the Conference
Room at the Seymour Center
14. Comments and Reflections
a. How do we use the MAP for funding opportunities? It is used for everything from budget prep,
setting work priorities, looking for grants, guide for our commissioners and other organizations
that we work with. MAP shows that people want it, 200+ people worked on it. Partners may
use the great resources of the MAP data for their grant writing, reporting, and as a guide for
planning programs and services.
b. Let's think big as a board. A lot of valuable information is in the MAP that could turn into grants,
this is our plan and we can demonstrate the need and desire by the community.
i. Time is an issue for writing and applying for grants, we are not grant writers
ii. Maybe board members can keep an eye open for larger scale grants and helping with
the writing
iii. Grant writers in OC might be looking to get involved. Advertise for retired grant writer
volunteers
Committee Progress Reports if needed:
15. Dementia Friendly Business Campaign— Kim Lamon-Loperfido, March meeting focused on updating the
DFB training video. Teepa Snow is interested in helping with that project. If the organizations you are
affiliated with are interest in training or renewing please email us those contacts. Advertising
promoting DFB multiple places
16. Senior Tar Heel Legislature— Dick White reported that the group is meeting in person for the first time
in two years on the 12t" & 13t" of June. Agenda looks aggressive: Friends of the Senior Tar Heels to
have a more aggressive fund raising, by-laws being updated and evident as to duties, prioritized issues
with experts speaking to priorities on Zoom, including insurance and expanding Medicare/Medicaid in
NC. STHL going through the five major issues before the June 12t" meeting. Offering virtual meetings in
the future for the distant counties who are underrepresented can participate. Dick cannot attend, will
see if alternate delegate Keith Cook can attend.
17. Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee - No report
18. Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee—Vibeke Talley
a. Request to draft a letter from Commissioner Sally Greene to TJCOG-AAA Board concerning CAC
members still prohibited from visiting long-term care facilities per the State Long Term Care
Ombudsman. Why is it taking so long that we cannot get in when all others are back in visiting.
It is discouraging to members of the committee who want to serve but cannot. Requested Mary
Warren to put it on the AAA board agenda on the 17t". Came up on the commissioner's meeting
again, very concerned with the lack of visits. Why can the general public visit but the committee
cannot? Nationally CMS says that you have to let people in.
19. Friends of the Passmore Center—James Harris
20. Friends of the Seymour Center
21. We need Direct Care Workers. We have 10 families that need in-home help, but none of the agencies
that we contract with have enough workers. $15.80 paid to workers in the new budget, we have the
funding, but there is no one in our community to do this work. Sandy will try to get information of
aides and share. Consumer directed care nationally $500 per quarter for families to hire non-family
member for respite is also an option. Of the 30+ private caregivers on our Direct Care Worker list only
13 renewed their names on the list.
Adjournment
Next meeting: June 14, 2022 from 1:00-3:00 p.m.— Passmore Center and Virtual