HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdvisory Board on Aging Minutes-06-14-2022 Orange County Department on Aging
Advisory Board on Aging
MINUTES
Tuesday,June 14, 2022; 1—3 PM
Passmore Center/ Hybrid
In Attendance: Colin Austin, Rachel Bearman, Jeff Charles, Jerry Gregory, James Harris, Vibeke Talley, Sandy
Walker; (Staff): Myra Austin, Clayton Foster (intern), Kendall Kopchick, Kim Lamon-Loperfido, Walter
Moczygemba (intern), Beverly Shuford, and Janice Tyler
Absent Excused: Heather Altman, Dick White
Unexcused: Lucinda Poole
1. Introductions and Announcements
a. In Heather Altman's absence, Colin Austin served as chair. Welcomed board members, staff and
Walter Moczygemba, MSW intern; and Clayton Foster, BSW intern. Kendall Kopchick will be
attending board meetings for Kim Lamon-Loperfido during her pregnancy and maternity leave
2. Approval of Minutes— May 10, 2022
a. Approved
Director's Report
3. Staff Updates— Dawn Smith, new Passmore Center Programs and Operations Manager
a. Dawn has been with OCDOA for 16 years and was selected to move into the position that Terry
Colville held.
b. Posting of Passmore Center Facility Manager and Program Assistant position
i. HR posted the position internally today. We hope to fill the position quickly
4. COVID Update and Department operations
a. We have had a number of COVID cases within our department recently. Most staff are
vaccinated and boosted. Participants may choose to wear masks or not.
b. Walter Moczygemba conducted a survey of lunch participants. A significant number of curbside
lunch participants are hesitant to return to indoor dining due to COVID. We will continue to
offer curbside lunch and hybrid programs
c. If employees are out with COVID they now need to take sick leave. They can work remotely if
they feel well enough to work, but are quarantining at home.
d. You are not considered fully vaccinated unless you get your V booster
5. Journal of Elder Policy Article— Mobilizing a Community to Develop a Comprehensive Master Aging
Plan
a. Sallie Allgood, PhD, RN, Ryan Lavalley, PhD, OTR/L, Cassandra Dictus, MPH, BSN, RN, Janice
Tyler, BA, and Cherie Rosemond, PhD. Author, Sally Allgood, was our PHD student before Cass
became our MAP intern. Everyone worked hard on the article, which is based on the 2017-22
MAP, and to get it in the journal. Janice stated that she was happy to share the article and for
our academic partners." Colin commended everyone and offered congratulations, stating that,
"this is a good documentation of what the Master Aging Plan is."
New Business
6. FY 21-22 Budget
a. Unspent NCDHHS Home and Community Care Block Grant (HCCBG) funds from another agency
were reallocated to OCDOA. The funds will be used to up fit the Seymour Center Theater for
livestream programming
i. June 21, 2022 the BOCC will approve the final budget
ii. The HCCBG funds a lot of programs within our department, DSS and Adult Day Health.
iii. Adult Day Health found they had $39k in funds they couldn't spend.These funds were
reallocated to OCDOA
iv. Money received from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES
Act) was used to up fit our great halls for livestreaming.
v. The NCDHHS Division of Aging wants at least three bids for the up fitting of the Seymour
Theater before making a decision to approve.
vi. Finally, this will require an Orange County budget amendment
7. FY 22-23 Budget
a. Requested additional hours for Food Service Coordinator funded by HCCBG — Not included in
the managers' budget
i. We have funding through the block grant, but it was not included in the budget. Isabel
will stay at her current number of hours (35 per week), but she has increased paperwork
due to an increase in lunch program participants
b. Lunch program
i. The bid process for catering services for next two years is complete
1. We will be changing caterers. The new caterer, Rymakees Cafe & Caterer, came
in with a lower bid. Rymakees is a minority, female owned business. Janice
reported they were very impressed with her food which will cost $7 per meal.
Caterer, Keshia Criss, mentioned that her current kitchen contract might be
ending and she would need a kitchen. Janice asked her if she would be open to
cooking food in our commercial kitchen at Seymour. In 2007 we weren't in the
position to have kitchen staff, but this is a good opportunity for her to use our
facility. If this works out, she will cook at Seymour and transport to the Passmore
Center. The food will be fresher and we will have a closer working relationship
with the caterer on-site. Indoor dining will go back to plating using our
dinnerware.
c. American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) through TJCOG-AAA. We are waiting on our contract from the
AAA from the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services. There is a portion of the funding that is
dedicated to home delivered meals. We will contract with MOWOCC for this service. We have
to meet the criteria for the ARPA funds, which includes putting together a plan for innovation
using the funds.
d. We will use a portion of our ARPA funds to contract with OCPT for senior center transportation
to get participants daily to the Senior Centers
i. There was a lot of discussion about transportation at Friends board meeting yesterday.
Particularly concerned for the central and northern regions of Orange County.
Transportation to the centers is $3 if you live within the Hillsborough city limits. If not, it
is $12.75 one way, our seniors cannot afford this. The BOCC and OC Manager's office is
looking for funding for this. We will use part of our ARPA funds until the funding is
figured out. We cannot use all of our funds for this; it isn't in the ARPA purview. We are
working with Finance to use any unspent money in our budget this year to fund this
service until the end of the fiscal.
ii. Orange County Transportation Services does not have the manpower or updated
vehicles to transport the folks more than twice a week.
iii. The suggestion was made to go through our employment services program to see if
there are persons who would be willing to apply/train/drive. Living wage going up to
$15.85 from $15.40, yet it is still difficult to find employees
iv. Janice will send talking points to James Harris to share with the Friends board
v. 13-15 people requesting rides right now. Approximately $60,000 is needed annually to
transport that number of participants 5 days a week.
vi. This is an important issue that needs resolved. Good transportation benefits the social
participation and wellbeing of our seniors
8. Aging Board appointments
a. One vacancy— Need representation from central and northern Orange County
b. Upcoming vacancy with Jenny Womack's resignation and move to western NC. This position
requires the person to live in Carrboro Town Limits
c. Grateful for our new board members
9. Age My Way NC survey- https://survey.cmix.com/69C2ABE3/G10DF6LT/en-US
a. Janice encouraged everyone to take the Age My Way NC survey. It is important as NC is signing
on to become designated an Age Friendly State. It's important, interesting and has a lot of
caregiver questions. AARP advocates well, very detailed. Share it others, the more the better
2017-22 Master Aging Plan
10. Completion of the Year-5 matrix of accomplishments along with fourth quarter workgroup meetings
a. We are finishing up our Year-5, Quarter 4 actions and accomplishments so that the final matrix
can be completed
11. Updating the MAP Evaluation from last summer with the Year-5 data — Board to receive a report in
Aug/Sept.
a. Cass Dictus, our MAP intern, will be putting in the data and evaluating to see how successful we
were.
b. Ripple Effect MAP on the wall in the Conference Room
c. Dialogue of how to get the BOCC to see that our MAP is a way to bring county government
together. Our Aging Board minutes, MAP, attachments go to every Commissioner
d. Cass will finalize the last year into the final report and talk about how effective we were over
the past 5 years
2022-27 Master Aging Plan
12. MAP presentation to the BOCC was moved to Sept. 13, 2022
a. A memo along with a copy of the plan was included on the June 7 BOCC agenda
b. During our presentation in September we will include part of the past 5 year evaluation. We
hold ourselves accountable to do what we said we would do and our evaluation will show this
c. Commissioners retreat coming up and they asked each department to send anything that we
had done to reach their goals. OCDOA was able to share a lot of things that we had done to
help reach the County goals
d. Hoping that our presentation and evaluation highlights that we need to prepare for the number
of older adults that we will have in the next few years and beyond, and what we are doing to
support them. Everyone needs to be involved
13. MAP workgroups to prioritize work for Year 1 of 2022-27 MAP
a. What can we accomplish in year 1? Workgroups have started prioritizing Year 1 strategy
indicators and prioritization will continue as groups meet quarterly. Board and workgroups
should be thinking about what AARP funds we might need to put toward any of our priorities
Committee Progress Reports if needed:
14. Dementia Friendly Business Campaign — No report
15. Senior Tar Heel Legislature— Dick White— No report until next meeting
16. Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee—Visitation is still not allowed. We prepared a letter
for Commissioner Green to share with the AAA of our county's concern of not allowing CAC members
in for visits.
17. Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee—Vibeke Talley reported that Long term care
omdbudsmen are visiting the facilities, but the advisory committees are still not allowed to do site
visits.
18. Friends of the Passmore Center—James Harris—Transportation was the big issue at the Friends
meeting. James and other Transportation parties spoke to Sally Green at the MAP Steering Group
about Transportation and she was very interested as was Commissioner Hamilton.
19. Friends of the Seymour Center—Janice reported that the Friends held their Books and Games Sale, and
that it was successful. Senior Games was successful; both boards support the Sr. Games
Adjournment
No meeting in July.
Next meeting: August 9, 2022 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. — Passmore Center and Virtual