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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAging Board Minutes-02-14-2023 Orange County Advisory Board on Aging Tuesday, February 14, 1 -3 pm Seymour Center and Virtual MINUTES In attendance: Heather Altman, Colin Austin, Rachel Bearman, Ann Bradford (Board candidate) Jeff Charles, Jerry Gregory,James Harris, Saru Salvi, Vibeke Talley, Sandy Walker, Dick White; Staff: Myra Austin, Brandi Beeker, Leiha Edmonds, Mike Komives, Kendall Kopchick, Ryan LaValley, Shenae McPherson, Beverly Shuford, Cydnee Sims, Dawn Smith, Janice Tyler Absent Excused: None Absent Unexcused: None 1. Introductions and Announcements a. The Board watched the nclMPACT show Training Businesses to be Dementia Friendly, featuring our Dementia Friendly Business Program with OCDOA staff,Janice Tyler and Marie Dagger, and Rachel Bearman, Aging Board member and director of Meals on Wheels Orange County. b. Heather welcomed everyone and led a roundtable introduction c. Colin announced that he is in a production of the play, "The Secret Garden." He will send everyone the details 2. Approval of Minutes—January 10, 2023—with two changes: 1)Add "Orange County"to Advisory Board on Aging, and 2)Add "Minutes" to the title. Director's Report 3. Staff Updates a. Seymour Center Evening Facility Manager assistant—Tata Wright i. Has been hired and has started. We are happy to have this position and that it has been filled. b. Passmore Center Part-time Program Coordinator Assistant—Jeanine Gangloff i. Jeanine has been hired and will be starting soon c. Wellness Program Assistant—Interviews are in process 4. ncIMPACT show featuring our Dementia Friendly Business Campaign https://video.pbsnc.org/video/alzheimers- and-dementia-care-lwwqqi/Our story starts at 13:35 minute mark (see also, La.) 5. NC Association on Aging Conference—will feature three presentations from OCDOA a. The NCAoA Conference has not met in person since Mar 2020. Due to budget constraints the conference will be held at a local church, Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church, in downtown Charlotte. They have donated the use of their facility for the conference d. Three OCDOA's presentations were accepted for the conference: i. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU):A trending multi-generational housing option—Alison Smith ii. Staying Sharp: Brain Health Wellness—Latonya Brown and Suzanne Black iii. Engaging and Retaining Our Older Adults—Volunteer Engagement and Retention -Shenae McPherson and AIIie Crawford e. The NCAoA Conference will be held: March 13—15. This conflicts with the regularly scheduled March Advisory Board on Aging meeting which will be changed to March 7, 1—3 pm instead of March 14. 6. BOCC Retreat—Friday, February 24 a. The retreat will primarily focus on the strategic plan for the County. b. Janice will be there for the beginning of the retreat for the strategic planning section. New Business 7. Aging Board Annual Report to BOCC—February 16, Chair Heather Altman will represent a. Janice and Heather are going to BOCC to present the Annual Report. New Nursing home advisory committee chair to be there to speak on NHCAC. b. This is our opportunity to talk about the good work of the Aging Board and the department c. Janice shared the report to be presented.The Aging Board discussed the highlights that we want to focus on for the BOCC i. Focus: Statewide issue of supporting Direct Care Workers; expanding Medicaid; and Affordable and Accessible Senior Housing ii. Dance group in OC looking to develop a Continuing Care Retirement Community, "Fiddlehead," and will be meeting with Planning and Janice. iii. Important to highlight that Dementia Caregiver Trainings have continued.This program touches so many people and families. Excellent work along with the Dementia Business Training iv. Kicking off a volunteer based program of respite, Respite for All (RFA). RFA has been a faith- based program and is now moving to include secular settings. We are launching a caregiver day out program at Seymour. We will continue to encourage the faith-based community to start respite programs for their communities. A Seymour Center participant donated $10k toward the program. d. Discussion: i. Adding evening programming at the Passmore Center. As of now there isn't the demand for evenings at Passmore. Dawn Smith, Passmore Programs &Operations Manager, will continue to look toward starting evening programs if demand grows ii. Stress that we provide support for all caregivers of all needs, ex. stroke survivors,those with cancer, etc., not just support for caregivers of those with dementia. 8. Board vacancies f. Carrboro representative will be appointed Feb. 16. i. We anticipate that Ann Bradford will be appointed on at the BOCC meeting this Thursday. Vibeke has completed her term of being the Chair of NHCAC.Jacki Podger who has been actively involved with the Centers and the NHCAC for many years is also a candidate for the Advisory Board on Aging. Her application is in our Board's packet. Michael Joseph, is Saru's husband and has also applied for a spot on the board. 1. Plan to find a spot for Jackie now (vacancy#7) and Ann (at-large position #S). 2. We will not have a vacancy for Michael until after Jun 30, 2023 when Heather rotates off the board. 3. If we have another vacancy in the future, we would love to have someone to represent the Asian community. This person could come as a visitor until June 2024, unless someone resigns from the board before then. ii. The Board agreed to make the following recommendations: 1. For Jacki Podger to take a position on the board 2. Michael to take Heather's spot when she rotates off 3. Asking for an extension for Colin so that we do not have both leader positions rotate off iii. Review application for representation from Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee— Jacki Podger 9. Outreach Efforts- New radio show with WCOM. Need recommendations for show name a. Team: Beverly Shuford,Janice Tyler,Alicia Reid and show host, Heather Altman i. Secured a 1-hour spot on WCOM community access radio station. Aging related program, with sponsorship from OCDOA. Heather the host.The "team"will co-produce the show and will be training with WCOM. Predominantly a live show,with pre-recorded shows as there is need. Kicking off soon.The station's signal strength is small, but will also be streamed live online and archived on WCOM's website (www.wcomfm.org).The recordings can be used in other venues and become a podcast reaching an even wider audience. 1. Please email us on suggested topics and guests. ii. The board chose the name,Aging Well Together 10. Outside Agency Application Review—Need reviewers a. Saru,Jeff, Vibeke, Dick and Ann volunteered to serve as Outside Agency Application reviewers. b. All work must be complete by March 3.Janice will work with everyone to determine a date(s)to get together 2022-27 Master Aging Plan 11. MAP Workgroups Second Quarter Reporting g. Outdoor Spaces and Buildings—Myra Austin i. Strategy 1.1.1:Encourage advocacy efforts by including older adults relative to the planning and use of public outdoor spaces and buildings. 1. Actions:There has been contact with the county's municipalities and county boards regarding a dedicated space for older adults. Once notified, we will introduce a formal letter from Outdoor Spaces to Aging Advisory Board to county/towns for adoption of policy for an older adult on Advisory Boards that have input on Outdoor Spaces and Buildings.Also working on a formal invite in EP seeking input from communities and especially communities of color on how best to help them with the input and accessing information about participating in local government planning re: outdoor spaces and buildings. ii. Strategy 1.2.1:Increase accessibility, diversity, and safety to encourage inclusiveness in public outdoor spaces and buildings by older adults of all abilities. 1. Actions:Working with the OC Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to offer Pauli Murray documentary at Seymour 2/15. A different Park is highlighted quarterly in Endless Possibilities, Qtr. 2 was Fairview Park, Hillsborough. Low vision group surveyed regarding trail intersections... none reported to date iii. Strategy 1.2.2:Increase the availability of small-scale outdoor areas that promote wellness and community engagement with an emphasis on racially diverse communities and gathering spaces at the OC Senior Centers. 1. Actions:Currently working with the county's Capital Improvement Plan to fund an outdoor play/exercise area at the Seymour Center, exploring equipment,funding, etc. Outdoor areas at the Passmore and Seymour Centers have been made more comfortable and inviting...Garden at Seymour experiencing a revamp. Wellness signs ready to deliver to Town of Hillsborough for the bus stops and we are in dialogue with the Town of CH for bus stops where older adults are most riders and/or senior shuttle stops. Working on best way to list quiet meditative spaces for caregiver in EP or other community publications h. Transportation—Brandi Beeker i. Orange County Transportation clients aged 60 and over, or those with disabilities,traveling from rural to urban areas now qualify for EDTAP fare ($3, one-way). Previously they qualified for service under RGP,which was more than 4x the EDTAP fare, at$12.75 one-way, $25.50 round- trip ii. Planning for Transportation Information Fare began in Q2; event scheduled for Q3 on Friday, March 17 at Seymour Center. iii. Volunteer Driving Program had 13 new riders, received 108 ride requests, and was able to provide rides for 78 of those (73% match rate). i. Housing—Kendall Kopchick i. Chapel Hill Town Council approved affordable housing plan for$9 Million ii. Orange County proposed (since approved in January) revised Accessory Swelling Unit policy allowing ADU development to increase from 800 to up to 1500 square feet, or 80%of current structure. iii. PeeWee Homes opened a new duplex on Mitchel Street in Northside neighborhood iv. The Legion Road Committee has developed a plan for council to use 8-9 acres of the 36-acre parcel for affordable housing and the rest for a park j. Social Participation—Cydnee Sims and Dawn Smith i. Working away at building diverse partnerships and will be hosting a El Centro Hispano Golden Years Initiative on Mar 23 2:30-5pm ii. We have accomplished Program Coordinator Asst. at both sites, FT at Seymour, PT at Passmore iii. Thanks to VC55 we are rolling strong with volunteers from the local High Schools iv. We have decided to move away from incorporating a curriculum with the school systems and instead focus on offering a skit/play that will help our younger audience to understand older adults,the aging process and impacts of ageism in the community v. For homework, our workgroup will create a survey in partnership with GARE or UNC policy students to gather data to make sure we are placing emphasis on racial and cultural equity and to help identify barriers, if any,that prevent participation at our center. vi. Hats off to our most recent educational opportunity which was our Accessory Dwelling Units Program (well over 70 plus attendees)and thanks to AT, we are continuously offering Caregiver Dementia Education programs to educate our broader community about the aging process,the value of older adults and their needs. k. Employment—Mike Komives I. In January, I assisted 41 job seekers and three people who are considering starting their own business in Orange County. II. BNI regional networking groups—confirmed thirteen (13) local-area employers expressing interest in learning more about the Orange County Employment Services program to identify potential candidates; these employers want more information and will attend a briefing presentation. Dan Prendergast is assisting Mike Komives in this project. III. March 10 workshop: "Working and Volunteering After Retirement" will be offered at Durham Technical Community College/ Hillsborough—Orange County campus. Six different classes with expert presenters on each subject have been confirmed. IV. Domain Matrix Update—through January of 2023, completed and anticipated activities indicate Employment Services will achieve desired objectives: Objective 6.1. Match Job Seekers 55+with appropriate employment opportunities for all qualified Orange County residents including an emphasis on racially diverse communities. Objective 6.2. Expand opportunities for older adults to gain job-seeking guidance and job skills to secure living-wage employment, including traditional, alternative, and entrepreneurial options. Objective 6.3.Advocate for broad diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), especially regarding age and race, with local employers and business organizations. 1. Community Supports and Health Services—Shenae McPherson i. Objective 7.1: Develop supports and resources to promote mental/behavioral health 1. Strategy 7.1.1: Offer training to increase knowledge for community members and professionals a. 7.1.1a—offer at least 6 trainings ■ we've already offered 7 (including MHAD, Dementia Ed, etc) 2. Strategy 7.1.4: Develop and use a hoarding task force to support housing stability for older adults a. 7.4.1a—create a taskforce ■ we have had 3 successful meetings. The training for the taskforce is being developed with Dr. Annette Perot and Animal Services staff. II. Objective 7.3: Coordinate local efforts to enhance access to affordable health care supports 1. Strategy 7.3.1: Increase utilization of support services a. 7.3.1a. Understanding of how to use electronic health records (EHRs) is increased through coordination with partner agencies. ■ Roll out of medical alert bracelets with USB that includes mobile DNR, information on seizures etc—offering trainings and set up of mobile data III. Objective 7.4: Expand services to help older adults age in community a. Strategy 7.4.1: Expand available support for older adults from communities of color. ■ 7.4.1a.Accessibility to and participation in aging services for Asian older adults is increased through a partnership project between UNC-Apples Service-Learning Students. • 8 UNC students providing translation services, support and engagement. b. Strategy 7.4.4: Expand successful neighborhood connection ideas to reach RURAL neighbors ■ 7.4.4b. County agency programs are used to provide support and training for communities. ■ Community Outreach Specialist has provided information on services and supports at Cedar Grove Community Center monthly, engaging on average between 20-25 people m. Communication and Information—Beverly Shuford i. Strategy 8.1.1: Create and maintain a comprehensive Orange County Community Contact Database of multilingual health, faith-based, public, civic, and community organizations. 1. 8.1.1c. An Orange County Community Relations position that focuses on diversity and inclusion is created, with responsibilities including maintaining resources, relationships, and a comprehensive contact list. a. OC Community Relations Department has hired, Kristin Prelipp as Community Relations Specialist&Asst. PIO ii. Strategy 8.1.2: Further expand OCDOA communications to racially diverse and underserved communities. 1. 8.1.2b. Key programs, resources, and services are made available in Spanish, Mandarin, Karen, Burmese, and other emerging priority languages as feasible, using the translation tools on the OCDOA website and social media. a. Site map updated to be used for website information updating, deleting repeated info and dead-end links b. OC web platform upgrade complete 2. 8.1.2e.Tools, including contact forms,flyers, and signage, are created to support staff and front desk volunteers to welcome, interact with, and assist community members from diverse language backgrounds. a. Multilingual informational materials revised/translated to be evergreen and are available to staff, participants and marketing events iii. Strategy 8.1.4: Explore and expand non-electronic communication outlets. 1. 8.1.4a. OCDOA programs, services, and resources are shared with racially diverse and underserved communities and events. a. Tabled at eight events, offering resources/info in English, Spanish & Mandarin b. OCDOA Community Outreach Coordinator, Clayton Foster, has made contact with local community centers, providing resources and tabling events 2. 8.1.4c. Diverse radio stations,television stations, and newspapers are identified and used to advertise OCDOA information. a. New partnership with WCOM Chapel Hill/Carrboro's community radio station to offer a 1-hour show on all things aging. We are in the planning stage now and hope to launch the show in Q3 or Q4. Heather Altman will be the show's host. We are very excited about this new opportunity. Committee Progress Reports if needed 12. Senior Tar Heel Legislature (STHL)—Dick White a. Vibeke is now officially an alternate STHL representative. March 21-22 is the next meeting and will include a trip to the Legislature. Meeting location TBD. b. BOCC puts together their legislative package. MAID being passed on to the BOCC according to John, County Attorney 13. Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee a. Only three members on the committee and new members cannot be fully trained until the state finalizes the content of the training. 14. Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee-Vibeke Talley a. Visits are being made to nursing homes but we are still waiting on the training to be updated by the state so that volunteers can be fully trained and sent out into community. The BOCC is addressing the ombudsman about this. 15. Friends of the Passmore Center—James Harris:James had to leave and was unable to report. 16. Friends of the Seymour Center—No report Adjournment Next meeting: March 7,2023 from 1-3 pm—Passmore Center&Virtual Note:This meeting is being held on the first Tuesday, instead of our regular meeting time of the second Tuesday due to staff attending the NC Association on Aging Conference.