Podcasts about older americans act

Ria Overholt, Community Services Director for Missoula Aging Services stops by the Trail1033 studio to chat with Mike smith about March for Meals and the current state of funding for the meals on wheels program. March for Meals is an annual month-long fundraising campaign to raise money for Meals on Wheels in Missoula county. Missoula Aging Services (MAS) promotes the independence, dignity and health of older adults and those who care for them. Last year, more than 123,000 meals were delivered to older Missoulians through Meals on Wheels. Now is the time for Trail1033 listeners to join forces with MAS to celebrate more than 50 years of success and to protect this critical program that continues to enable independence, and improve health by combating food insecurity, malnutrition, and social isolation. The annual March for Meals commemorates the historic day in March 1972 when President Nixon signed into law a measure that amended the Older Americans Act of 1965 and established a national nutrition program for Americans 60 years and older.  Visit missoulaagingservices.org to donate and learn more about volunteering, or to get help for yourself or a loved one or neighbor. 

The Older Americans Act (OAA) is a landmark legislation passed with Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 to provide critical support and services to older people in the United States. With Patricia D'Antonio, GSA's Vice President of Policy and Professional Affairs, and Amy Gotwals, USAging's Chief of Public Policy and External Affairs, this Policy Profile Podcast explores the OAA's history, impact, and future. Join us as we delve into the OAA's programs, successes, and today's challenges.  Resources Senate Version of Older Americans Act Reauthorization  USAging: Older Americans Act Reauthorization 2024-2025  Administration for Community Living  Leadership Council on Aging Organizations (LCAO) Chair's Letter on Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act Eldercare Locator  Transcript Speaker Amy Gotwals, BA, MA Legislative Affairs, USAging, Chief, Public Policy and External Affairs Host Patricia D'Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP, GSA, Vice-President of Policy and Professional Affairs  

"Skilled nursing facility." "Post-acute care facility." "Rehabilitation hospital." Whatever they're called, they all mean the same thing: what most of us think of as a nursing home. The time may come when you or someone you love needs that level of care — and that need can be sudden, like after a fall or accident.When that happens, you can end up in a whole new world that operates by different rules — rules that may not be explained to you. That's why you'll want to listen as host Jan M Flynn chats with our returning guest, elder care manager and consultant Kira Reginato.As an elder care manager and consultant, Kira has served hundreds of older adults and their families in a variety of settings: hospitals, residential care and skilled nursing facilities, hospices, Alzheimer's adult day care programs and Meals on Wheels.  Kira is the author of the book "Tips for Helping Your Aging Parents… without losing your mind." We'll also hear from Dorothy Guajardo, another elder care specialist and owner of A to Z Gerontology serving Sonoma and Marin counties in California. She has some eye-opening stories about what can happen when nursing home patients or their loved ones don't know their rights.So stay tuned — because when it comes to nursing homes, what you don't know can hurt you.Show NotesFor more information about Kira Reginato, visit her website at www.Callkira.com  and check out her YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyO7atbCToRbKmnFI6EZGAgKira is the author of the book Tips for Helping Your Aging Parents...Without Losing Your Mind – click the link to purchase a copy.To learn more about Dorothy Guajardo and the services she provides, visit A to Z Gerontoloty at https://atozgerontology.com/about-us/Interested in finding a care manager for yourself or your family? Visit the national Aging Life Care organization at www.Aginglifecare.orgFind an Ombudsman in your state: The National Association of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs (NASOP) is a nonprofit organization that was formed in 1985. NASOP is composed of state long-term care ombudsmen representing their state programs created by the Older Americans Act: https://www.nasop.org/Or contact the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) by going to: https://ltcombudsman.org/The National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) provides support, technical assistance, and training to the 53 State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs and their statewide networks.Support the show

Opponents of the Trump Administration are calling on people to take collective acton on Friday, February 28th and simply to spend nothing.In other news, area seniors mobilized this weekend around the need to re-authorize the Older Americans Act.In Ukiah. Last week  on Wednesday, the  City Council  voted unanimously to include an airport runway project in the Capital Improvements Plan.

Send us a textWhat if the future of senior care lies in the seamless integration of technology and human compassion? Get ready to explore this fascinating intersection in our latest episode of the Senior Care Academy podcast. Aaron and I delve into the trends shaping senior care in 2024, as the industry recalibrates after the COVID-19 disruptions. We uncover the significant demand for senior care services despite the stagnant growth in caregiver numbers. Join us as we highlight insights from the Utah Symposium on Aging Care, which inspire fresh approaches to meet these challenges and underscore the government's role in supporting aging in place through initiatives like the Older Americans Act.The promise of technology holds immense potential for aging populations, and we are thrilled to share how it's being embraced worldwide. From the heartwarming innovation of Paro, the therapeutic robotic seal, to the capable assistance of RoBear, the nurse robot, we spotlight the ingenious solutions transforming senior care. Japan's pioneering efforts in addressing demographic challenges offer a model for others, especially the U.S., where home care expenditure is notable. Embracing technology isn't just an option; it's a necessity for enhancing the quality of life for seniors and their caregivers.Beyond tech, we discuss the enriching concept of community integration, moving away from isolating seniors in facilities towards a vibrant intergenerational living model. This approach not only fosters a sense of purpose but also combats loneliness through diverse activities. We explore practical steps like adopting smart home technologies to support senior independence without the intimidation of full-time care. As we embark on this exciting series of industry insights and updates, we invite you to share your thoughts and suggestions for future topics. Let's navigate the evolving landscape of senior care together.On this episode, we touched on...• The importance of returning to normalcy in senior care post-COVID• The overwhelming preference for independent living among seniors• The role of AI and technology in enhancing elder care• Challenges to technology adoption in the senior demographic• Global trends in aging populations and their implications• Strategies to combat senior loneliness through community engagement• Discussion on future housing solutions for seniors and support systemsTimestamp to help you navigate the podcast:1:33 – Return to normalcy2:50 – COVID had a good impact on the senior care industry6:30 – AI trend for senior care12:19 – Integrating AI to the industry14:30 – Internet can help disconnected people to be connected22:10 – Upskilling the workforce using AI24:10 – NORC (natural occurring retirement community)27:13 - Combating senior's loneliness27:50 – Find senior's niche community28:27 – You dont have to be the innovator, you have to be the integratorWatch our episode with Ezra Torres hereSupport the show

It's nothing short of amazing the array of services available to older adults, and their caregivers, through the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging. In this special episode, we continue our celebration of the Agency's 50th anniversary by speaking with Jody Barker, Director of the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging, and Andy Gunning, Executive Director of the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG), which houses the Agency on Aging. They share their insights on why this milestone is so significant and catalog the many services available. They discuss the agency's funding sources, the importance of the Older Americans Act and Older Coloradans Act, and the wide range of services and contractors they provide to support seniors. Jody and Andy also explain how adults can access or qualify for these services, the challenges involved, and opportunities for volunteering.Finally, they offer a glimpse into the future of the PPAAA and its continued role in serving older adults in the Pikes Peak region.Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado and All About Dignity is our moderator. Access services, volunteer, donate, or learn more at:Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aginghttps://PikesPeakAreaAgencyonAgingOr call 719-471-2096Pikes Peak Area Council of Governmentshttps://ppacg.org/PEARLS Program of Coloradohttps://PEARLSProgramofColorado

Nearly everyone will age or be in a caregiving role for aging relatives at some point in their life, yet relatively few major donors or foundations make aging an explicit priority. In this episode, Phil and Grace discuss the importance of enabling everyone to age with dignity with Ramsey Alwin, president and CEO of the National Council on Aging, and Chad Federwitz, manager of Pitkin County Senior Services in Aspen, Colorado. Ramsey and Chad offer insight into the numerous opportunities for donors to support aging programs, from research and advocacy to local community efforts and discuss the vital role that senior centers and community programs play.  Additional Resources National Council on Aging (NCOA) Grantmakers in Aging Information on the Older Americans Act for advocates Eldercare Locator - find services for older adults and their families

Hosts Will Larry and Chad Pytel interview Brock Dubbels, Principal UX and AI Researcher at CareTrainer.ai. Brock discusses how CareTrainer.ai leverages AI to address the current care crisis in elderly populations. He highlights the growing demographic of individuals over 70 and the significant shortage of caregivers, exacerbated by COVID-19. CareTrainer.ai aims to alleviate this by automating routine tasks, allowing caregivers to focus on building meaningful relationships and providing personalized, compassionate care. The platform utilizes AI to manage tasks such as documentation, communication, and monitoring, which helps caregivers spend more time engaging with patients, ultimately enhancing the quality of care and reducing caregiver burnout. Brock elaborates on the specific tasks that CareTrainer.ai automates, using an example from his own experience. He explains how AI can transform transactional interactions into conversational ones, fostering trust and authenticity between caregivers and patients. By automating repetitive tasks, caregivers are freed to engage more deeply with patients, encouraging them to participate in their own care. This not only improves patient outcomes but also increases job satisfaction and retention among caregivers. Brock mentions the alarming attrition rates in caregiving jobs and how CareTrainer.ai's approach can help mitigate this by creating more rewarding and relational caregiving roles. Additionally, Brock discusses the apprenticeship model CareTrainer.ai employs to train caregivers. This model allows new caregivers to learn on the job with AI assistance, accelerating their training and integrating them more quickly into the workforce. He emphasizes the importance of designing AI tools that are user-friendly and enhance the caregiving experience rather than replace human interaction, and by focusing on customer obsession and continuously iterating based on feedback, CareTrainer.ai aims to create AI solutions that are not only effective but also enrich the entire caregiving profession. CareTrainer.ai (https://www.caretrainer.ai/) Follow CareTrainer.ai on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/caretraining-ai/). Follow Brock Dubbels on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brockdubbels/). Visit his website: brockdubbels.com (https://brockdubbels.com/). Follow thoughtbot on X (https://twitter.com/thoughtbot) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/). Transcript: WILL:  This is the Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots podcast, where we explore the design, development, and business of great products. I'm your host, Will Larry. CHAD: And I'm your other host, Chad Pytel. And with us today is Brock Dubbels, Principal UX and AI Researcher at CareTrainer.ai, which is transforming health care and caregiving with a human-first approach to artificial intelligence. Brock, thank you for joining us. BROCK: Hey, thanks for having me, guys. I'm excited to talk about this. CHAD: Brock, let's get started with just diving into what CareTrainer.ai actually does. You know, so many businesses today are getting started with or incorporating artificial intelligence into their product offerings. And I know that it's been something that you've been working on for a long time. So, what is CareTrainer? BROCK: Well, CareTrainer is an opportunity in the midst of a crisis. So, right now, we have what's called a care crisis for the elderly populations. If you were to look at the age of the North American population and look at it over the next 10 years, about 65% of our population will be over the age of 70. And right now, we are understaffed in caregiving by almost 20%. Caregivers, especially after COVID, are leaving at about a 40% clip. And enrollment in these care programs is down 9%, but yet that older population is growing. And in the midst of this, we've just recently had an executive order called the Older Americans Act, which states that we actually have to reduce the ratio of caregivers to patients, and we need to give more humane interaction to the patients in these facilities, in homes and help them to retain their dignity. Many of them lose their identity to diagnosis, and they're often referred to as the tasks associated with them. And what CareTrainer attempts to do is take many of the tasks out of the hands of the caregivers so that they can focus on what they're good at, which is building relationships, learning and understanding, acting with curiosity and compassion, and demonstrating expert knowledge in the service to caring for patients, either in homes, facilities or even post-acute care. WILL: You mentioned your hope is to take some of the tasks away from the caregivers. Can you go a little bit deeper into that? What tasks are you referring to? BROCK: Let's think about an example. My mom was a public health nurse, and she worked in child maternal health. And these were oftentimes reluctant counseling sessions between she and a young mother or a potential mother. And if she were sitting there with a clipboard or behind a computer screen and looking at the screen, or the clipboard, and doing the interview with questions, she would probably not get a very good interview because she's not making a relationship. It's not conversational; it's transactional. And when we have these transactional relationships, oftentimes, we're not building trust. We're not expressing authenticity. We're not building relationships. It's not conversational. And we don't get to know the person, and they don't trust us. So, when we have these transactional relationships, we don't actually build the loyalty or the motivation. And when we can free people of the tasks associated with the people that they care for by automating those tasks, we can free them up to build relationships, to build trust, and, in many cases, become more playful, expose their own vulnerability, their own past, their own history, and, hopefully, help these patients feel a little bit more of their worth. Many of these people worked meaningful lives as school teachers, working at the fire department, working at the hardware store. And they had a lot of friends, and they did a lot for their community. And now they're in a place where maybe there's somebody taking care of them that doesn't know anything about them, and they just become a person in a chair that, you know, needs to be fed at noon. And I think that's very sad. So, what we help to do is generate the conversations people like to have, learn the stories. But more importantly, we do what's called restorative care, which is, when we have a patient who becomes much more invested in their own self-care, the caregiver can actually be more autonomous. So, let's say it's an elderly person, and, in the past, they wouldn't dress themselves. But because they've been able to build trust in a relationship, they're actually putting on their own blouse and slacks now. For example, a certified nursing assistant or a home health aide can actually make the bed while they're up dressing because the home health aide or certified nursing assistant is not dressing them or is not putting the toothpaste on the toothbrush. So, what we're doing is we're saying, "Let's get you involved in helping with restorative care." And this also increases retention amongst the caregivers. One of the things that I learned in doing an ethnography of a five-state regional healthcare system was that these caregivers there was an attrition rate of about 45% of these workers within the first 30 days of work. So, it's a huge expense for the facility, that attrition rate. One of the reasons why they said they were leaving is because they felt like they weren't building any relationships with the people that they were caring for, and it was more like a task than it was a care or a relationship. And, in fact, in many cases, they described it as maid service with bedpans for grumpy people [chuckles]. And many of them said, "I know there's somebody nice down there, but I think that they've just become a little bit hesitant to engage because of the huge number of people that come through this job, and the lack of continuity, the lack of relationship, the lack of understanding that comes from building a relationship and getting to know each other." And when we're talking about taking the tasks away, we're helping with communication. We're actually helping with diagnosis and charting. We're helping with keeping the care plan updated and having more data for the care plan so that nurse practitioners and MDs can have a much more robust set of data to make decisions upon when they meet with this patient. And this actually reduces the cost for the care facilities because there's less catastrophic care in the form of emergency rooms, prescriptions, assisted care, as well as they actually retain their help. The caregivers stay there because it's a good quality of life. And when those other costs go down, some of the institutions that I work for actually put that money back into more patient care, hiring more people to have more meaningful, humane interactions. And that's what I mean about taking the tasks off of the caregiver so that they can have the conversations and the relational interactions, rather than the transactional interactions. CHAD: One thing I've heard from past guests and clients that we've had in this space, too, is, to speak more to the problem, the lack of staff and the decline in the quality of care and feeling like it's very impersonal causes families to take on that burden or family members to take on that burden, but they're not necessarily equipped to do it. And it sort of causes this downward spiral of stress and quality of care that impacts much bigger than just the individual person who needs the care. It often impacts entire families. BROCK: Oh yeah. Currently, they're estimating that family, friends, and communities are providing between $90 and $260,000 worth of care per person per year. And this is leading to, you know, major financial investments that many of these people don't have. It leads to negative health outcomes. So, in a lot of ways, what I just described is providing caregiver respite, and that is providing time for a caregiver to actually engage with a person that they're caring for, teaching them communication skills. And one of the big things here is many of these institutions and families are having a hard time finding caregivers. Part of that is because we're using old systems of education in new days that require new approaches to the problem. And the key thing that CareTrainer does is it provides a guided apprenticeship, which means that you can earn while you learn. And what I mean by that is, rather than sitting in a chair in front of a screen doing computer-based training off of a modified PowerPoint with multiple-choice tests, you can actually be in the context of care and earning while you learn rather than learning to earn. CHAD: Well, at thoughtbot, we're a big believer in apprenticeships as a really solid way of learning quickly from an experienced mentor in a structured way. I was excited to hear about the apprenticeship model that you have. BROCK: Well, it's really exciting, isn't it? I mean, when you begin looking at what AI can do as...let's call it a copilot. I thought some of the numbers that Ethan Mollick at Wharton Business School shared on his blog and his study with Boston Consulting Group, which is that an AI copilot can actually raise the quality of work, raise the floor to 82%, what he calls mediocrity. 82% was a pretty good grade for a lot of kids in my classes back when I was a Montessori teacher. But, in this case, what it does is it raises the floor to care by guiding through apprenticeship, and it allows people to learn through observation and trial and error. And people who are already at that 82nd percentile, according to Mollick's numbers, increase their productivity by 40%. The thing that we're not clear on is if certain people have a greater natural proficiency or proclivity for using these care pilots or if it's a learned behavior. CHAD: So, the impact that CareTrainer can have is huge. The surface area of the problem and the size of the industry is huge. But often, from a product perspective, what we're trying to do is get to market, figure out the smallest addressable, minimum viable product. Was that a challenge for you to figure out, okay, what's the first thing that we do, and how do we bring that to market and without getting overwhelmed with all the potential possibilities that you have? BROCK: Yeah, of course. I start out with what I call a GRITS model. I start out with, what are my goals? Then R, let's review the market. How is this problem being addressed now? I, what are my ideas for addressing these goals, and what's currently being done? And T, what tasks need to be completed in order to test these ideas? And what steps will I take to test them and iterate as far as a roadmap? And what that allowed me to do is to begin saying, okay, let's take the ideas that I can bring together first that are going to have the first initial impact because we're bootstrapping. And what we need to be able to do is get into a room with somebody who realizes that training caregivers and nursing is something that needs a review, maybe some fresh ideas. And getting that in front of them, understanding that that's our MVP 1 was really important. And what was really interesting is our MVP 2 through 5, we've begun to see that the technology is just exponential, the growth and progress. Our MVP 2 we thought we're going to be doing a heck of a lot of stuff with multimedia reinforcement learning. But now we're finding that some of the AI giants have actually done the work for us. So, I have just been very happy that we started out simple. And we looked at what is our core problem, which is, you know, what's the best way to train people? And how do we do that with the least amount of effort and the most amount of impact? And the key to it is customer obsession. And this is something I learned at Amazon as their first principle. And many of the experiences that I brought from places like Amazon and other big tech is, how do I understand the needs of the customer? What problems do they have, and what would make this a more playful experience? And, in this case, I wanted to design for curiosity. And the thing that I like to say about that is AI chose its symbol of the spark really smartly. And I think the spark is what people want in life. And the spark is exploring, and it's finding something. And you see this kind of spark of life, this learning, and you discover it. You create more from it. You share it. It's enlightening. It's inspirational. It makes people excited. It's something that they want to share. It's inventing. It's creation. I think that's what we wanted to have people experience in our learning, rather than my own experience in computer-based training, which was sitting in front of a flashified PowerPoint with multiple choice questions and having the text read to me. And, you know, spending 40 hours doing that was kind of soul-killing. And what I really wanted to do was be engaged and start learning through experience. And that's what came down to our MVP 1 is, how do we begin to change the way that training occurs? How can we change the student experience and still provide for the institutional needs to get people on the floor and caring for people? And that was our first priority. And that's how we began to make hard decisions about how we were going to develop from MVP 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 because we had all the big ideas immediately. And part of that is because I had created a package like this back in 2004 for a five-state regional care provider in the Midwest. Back then, I was designing what could only be called a finite game. I'm designing in Flash for web. I'm doing decision trees with dialogue, and it's much like a video game, but a serious game. It's getting the assessment correct in the interactions and embedding the learning in the interaction and then being able to judge that and provide useful feedback for the player. And what this did was it made it possible for them to have interactive learning through doing in the form of a video game, which was a little bit more fun than studying a textbook or taking a computer-based test. It also allowed the health system a little bit more focus on the patients because what was happening is that they would be taking their best people off the floor and taking a partial schedule to train these new people. But 45% of those that they were training were leaving within the first 30 days. So, the game was actually an approach to providing that interaction as a guided apprenticeship without taking their best people off the floor into part-time schedules and the idea that they might not even be there in 30 days. So, that's kind of a lot to describe, but I would say that the focus on the MVP 1 was, this is the problem that we're going to help you with. We're going to get people out of the seats and onto the floor, off the screen, caring for people. And we're going to guide them through this guided apprenticeship, which allows for contextual computing and interaction, as we've worked with comparing across, like, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, Grok, trying these different approaches to AI, figuring out which models work best within this context. And, hopefully, when we walk in and we're sitting with an exec, we get a "Wow," [laughs]. And that's the big thing with our initial technology. We really want a wow. I shared this with a former instructor at the University of Minnesota, Joe Gaugler, and I said...I showed him, and he's like, "Wow, why isn't anybody doing this with nursing and such?" And I said, "Well, we are," you know, that's what I was hoping he would say. And that's the thing that we want to see when we walk into somebody's office, and we show them, and they say, "Wow, this is cool." "Wow, we think it's cool. And we hope you're going to want to go on this journey with us." And that's what MVP 1 should do for us is solve what seems like a little problem, which is a finite game-type technology, but turn it into an infinite game technology, which is what's possible with AI and machine learning. WILL: I love, you know, you're talking about your background, being a teacher, and in gaming, and I can see that in your product, which is awesome. Because training can be boring, especially if it's just reading or any of those things. But when you make it real life, when you put someone, I guess that's where the quote comes from, you put them in the game, it's so much better. So, for you, with your teacher background and your gaming background, was there a personal experience that you had that brought out your passion for caregiving? BROCK: You know, my mom is a nurse. She has always been into personal development. By the time I was in sixth grade, I was going to CPR classes with her while she was [inaudible 19:22] her nursing thing [laughs]. So, I was invited to propose a solution for the first version of CareTrainer, which had a different name back in 2004, which we sold. That led to an invitation to work and support the virtual clinic for the University of Minnesota Medical School, which is no longer a thing. The virtual clinic that is the medical school is still one of the best in the country, a virtual stethoscope writing grants as an academic for elder care. And I would have to say my personal story is that at the end of their lives, I took care of both my maternal grandmother in her home while I was going to college. And then, I took care of my paternal grandfather while I was going to college. And, you know, those experiences were profound for me because I was able to sit down and have coffee with them, tell jokes, learn about their lives. I saw the stories that went with the pictures. And I think one of the greatest fears that I saw in many of the potential customers that I've spoken to is at the end of a loved one's life that they didn't learn some of the things that they had hoped from them. And they didn't have the stories that went with all the pictures in the box, and that's just an opportunity missed. So, I think those are some of the things that drive me. It's just that connection to people. And I think that's what makes us humane is that compassion, that wanting to understand, and, also, I think a desire to have compassion and to be understood. And I think that's where gaming and play are really important because making mistakes is part of play. And you can make lots of mistakes and have lots of ways to solve a problem in a game. Whereas in computer-based training and standardized tests, which I used to address as a teacher, there's typically one right answer, and, in life, there is rarely a right answer [laughs]. CHAD: Well, and not really an opportunity to learn from mistakes either. Like, you don't necessarily get an opportunity on a standardized test to review the answers you got wrong in any meaningful way and try to learn from that experience. BROCK: Have you ever taken one of those tests and you're like, well, that's kind of right, but I think my answer is better, but it's not here [laughter]? I think what we really want from schools is creativity and innovation. And when we're showing kids that there's just a right answer, we kind of take the steam out of their engine, which is, you know, well, what if I just explore this and make mistakes? And I remember, in high school, I had an art teacher who said, "Explore your mistakes." Maybe you'll find out that their best is intentional. Maybe it's a feature, not a bug [laughs]. I think when I say inculcate play or inspire play, there's a feeling of psychological safety that we can be vulnerable, that we can explore, we can discover; we can create, and we can share. And when people say, "Oh, well, that's stupid," and you can say, "Well, I was just playing. I'm just exploring. I discovered this. I kind of messed around with a little bit, and I wanted to show you." And, hopefully, the person backs off a little bit from their strong statement and says, "Oh, I can see this and that." And, hopefully, that's the start of a conversation and maybe a startup, right [laughs]? CHAD: Well, there are so many opportunities in so many different industries to have an impact by introducing play. Because, in some ways, I feel like that may have been lost a little bit in so many sort of like addressing problems at scale or when scaling up to particular challenges. I think we trend towards standardization and lose a little bit of that. BROCK: I agree. I think humans do like continuity and predictability. But what we find in product is that when we can pleasantly surprise, we're going to build a customer base, you know, that doesn't come from, you know, doing the same thing all the time that everybody else does. That's kind of the table stakes, right? It works. But somebody is going to come along that does it in a more interesting way. And people are going to say, "Oh." It's like the arts and crafts effect in industrialization, right? Everybody needs a spoon to eat soup, a lot of soup [laughs]. And somebody can make a lot of spoons. And somebody else says, "Well, I can make spoons, too." "And how do I differentiate?" "Well, I've put a nice scrollwork design on my spoon. And it's beautiful, versus this other very plain spoon. I'll sell it to you for a penny more." And most people will take the designed thing, the well-designed thing that provides some beauty and some pleasure in their life. And I think that's part of what I described as the spark is that realization that we live in beauty, that we live in this kind of amazing place that inspires wonder when we're open to it. MID-ROLL AD: When starting a new project, we understand that you want to make the right choices in technology, features, and investment but that you don't have all year to do extended research. In just a few weeks, thoughtbot's Discovery Sprints deliver a user-centered product journey, a clickable prototype or Proof of Concept, and key market insights from focused user research. We'll help you to identify the primary user flow, decide which framework should be used to bring it to life, and set a firm estimate on future development efforts. Maximize impact and minimize risk with a validated roadmap for your new product. Get started at: tbot.io/sprint. WILL: You mentioned gamifying the training and how users are more involved. It's interesting because I'm actually going through this with my five-year-old. We're trying to put him in kindergarten, and he loves to play. And so, if you put him around a game, he'll learn it. He loves it. But most of the schools are like, workbooks, sit down; focus, all of those things. And it probably speaks to your background as being a Montessori teacher, but how did you come up with gamifying it for the trainee, I guess you could say? Like, how did you come up with that plan? Because I feel like in the school systems, a lot of that is missing because it's like, like you said, worksheets equal that boring PowerPoint that we have to sit down and read and stuff like that. So, how did you come up with the gamifying it when society is saying, "Worksheets, PowerPoints. Do it this way." BROCK: I think that is something I call the adult convenience model. Who's it better for: the person who has to do the grading and the curriculum design, or the kid doing the learning? And I think that, in those cases, the kid doing the learning misses out. And the way that we validate that behavior is by saying, "Well, you've got to learn how to conform. You've got to learn how to put your own interests and drives aside and just learn how to focus on this because I'm telling you to do it." And I think that's important, to be able to do what you're asked to do in a way that you're asked to do it. But I think that the instructional model that I'm talking about takes much more up-front thought. And where I came from with it is studying the way that I like to learn. I struggled in school. I really did. I was a high school dropout. I went to junior college in Cupertino, and I was very surprised to find out that I could actually go to college, even though I hadn't finished high school. And I began to understand that it's very different when you get to college, so much more of it is about giving you an unstructured problem that you have to address. And this is the criteria under which you're going to solve the problem and how I'm going to grade you. And these are the qualities of the criteria, and what this is, is basically a rubric. We actually see these rubrics and such in products. So, for example, when I was at American Family, we had this matrix of different insurance policies and all the different things in the column based upon rows that you would get underneath either economy, standard, or performance. And I think it was said by somebody at Netflix years ago; there's only two ways to sell bundled and unbundled. The idea is that there were these qualities that changed as a gradient or a ratio as you moved across this matrix. And the price went up a little bit for each one of those qualities that you added into the next row or column, and that's basically a rubric. And when we begin to create a rubric for learning, what we're really doing is moving into a moment where we say, "This is the criteria under which I'm going to assess you. These are the qualities that inform the numbers that you're going to be graded with or the letter A, B, or C, or 4, 3, 2, 1. What does it mean to have a 4? Well, let me give you some qualities." And one of the things that I do in training companies and training teams is Clapping Academy. You want to do that together? WILL: Yeah, I would love to. BROCK: Would you like to try it here? Okay. Which one of you would like to be the judge? WILL: I'll do it. BROCK: Okay. As the judge, you're going to tell me thumbs up or thumbs down. I'm going to clap for you. Ready? [Claps] Thumbs up or thumbs down? CHAD: [laughs] WILL: I say thumbs up. It was a clap [laughs]. BROCK: Okay. Is it what you were expecting? WILL: No, it wasn't. BROCK: Ah. What are some of the qualities of clapping that we could probably tease out of what you were expecting? Like, could volume or dynamics be one? WILL: Yeah, definitely. And then, like, I guess, rhythm of it like music, like a music rhythm of it. BROCK: Okay. In some cases, you know, like at jazz and some churches, people actually snap. They don't clap. So, hands or fingers or style. So, if we were to take these three categories and we were to break them 4, 3, 2, 1 for each one, would a 4 be high volume, or would it be middle volume for you? WILL: Oh, wow. For that, high volume. BROCK: Okay. How about rhythm? Would it be 4 would be really fast; 1 would be really slow? I think slow would be...we have this cultural term called slow clapping, right [laughter]? So, maybe that would be bad, right [laughter]? A 1 [laughter]? And then, style maybe this could be a non-numerical category, where it could just be a 1 or a 2, and maybe hands or slapping a thigh or snapping knuckles. What do you think? WILL: I'm going off of what I know. I guess a clap is technically described as with hands. So, I'll go with that. BROCK: Okay, so a 4 would be a clap. A 3 might be a thigh slap [laughter]. A 2 might be a snap, and a 1 would be air clap [laughter]. WILL: Yep. BROCK: Okay. So, you can't see this right now. But let's see, if I were to ask you what constitutes a 12 out of 12 possible, we would have loud, fast, hand-to-hand clap. I think we could all do it together, right [Clapping]? And that is how it works. What I've just done is I've created criteria. I've created gradients or qualities. And then, we've talked about what those qualities mean, and then you have an idea of what it might look like into the future. You have previewed it. And there's a difference here in video games. A simulation is where I copy you step by step, and I demonstrate, in performance, what's been shown to me to be accurate to what's been shown to me. Most humans don't learn like that. Most of us learn through emulation, which is we see that there's an outcome that we want to achieve, and we see how it starts. But we have to improvise between the start and the end. In a book by Michael Tomasello on being human...he's an anthropologist, and he studies humans, and he studied other primates like great apes. And he talks about emulation as like the mother using a blade of grass, licking it, and putting it down a hole to collect ants so that she can eat the ants. And oftentimes, the mother may have their back to her babies. And the babies will see the grass, and they'll see that she's putting it in her mouth, but they won't see the whole act. So, they've just [inaudible 33:29] through trial and error, see if they can do it. And this is the way an earlier paper that I wrote in studying kids playing video games was. We start with trial and error. We find a tactic that works for us. And then, in a real situation, there might be multiple tactics that we can use, and that becomes a strategy. And then, we might choose different strategies for different economic benefits. So, for example, do I want to pay for something with pennies or a dollar, or do I want a hundred pennies to carry around? Or would I rather have a dollar in a game, right? We have to make this decision of, what is the value of it, and what is the encumbrance of it? Or if it's a shooting game, am I going to take out a road sign with a bazooka when I might need that bazooka later on? And that becomes economic decision-making. And then, eventually, we might have what's called top site, which is, I understand that the game has these different rules, opportunities, roles, and experiences. How do I want to play? For example, Fallout 4 was a game that I really enjoyed. And I was blown away when I found out that a player had actually gone through the Final Boss and never injured another non-player character in the game. They had just done the whole thing in stealth. And I thought that is an artistic way to play. It's an expression. It's creative. It's an intentional way of moving through the game. And I think that when we provide that type of independent, individual expression of learning, we're allowing people to have a unique identity, to express it creatively, and to connect in ways that are interesting to other people so that we can learn from each other. And I think that's what games can do. And one of the hurdles that I faced back in 2004 was I was creating a finite game, where what I had coded in decision trees, in dialogue, in video interactions, once that was there, that was done. Where we're at now is, I can create an infinite game because I've learned how to leverage machine learning in order to generate lots of different contexts using the type of criteria and qualities that I described to you in Clapping Academy, that allow me to evaluate many different variations of a situation, but with the same level of expectation for professionalism, knowledge and expertise, communication, compassion, curiosity. You know, these are part of the eight elements of what is valued in the nursing profession. And when we have those rubrics, when we have that matrix, we begin to move into a new paradigm in teaching and learning because there's a much greater latitude and variety of how we get up the mountain. And that's one of the things that I learned as a teacher is that every kid comes in differently, but they're just as good. And every kid has a set of gifts that we can have them, you know, celebrate in service to warming up cold spots. And I think that sometimes kids are put into situations, and so are adults, where they're told to overcome this cold spot without actually leveraging the things that they're good at. And the problem with that is, in learning sciences, it's a transfer problem, which is if I learn it to pass the test, am I ever going to apply it in life, or is it just going to be something that I forget right away? And my follow-ups on doing classroom and learning research is that it is usually that. They learned it for the test. They forgot it, and they don't even remember ever having learned it. And the greatest gift that I got, having been a teacher, was when my wife and I would, I don't know, we'd be somewhere like the grocery store or walking out of a Target, and a couple of young people would come up and say, "Yo, Mr. Dubbs," And I'd be like, "Hey [laughs]!" And they're like, "Hey, man, you remember when we did that video game class and all that?" And I was like, "Yeah, you were so good at that." Or "Remember when we made those boats, and we raced them across the pool?" "Yeah, yeah, that was a lot of fun, wasn't it?" And I think part of it was that I was having as much fun doing the classes and the lessons as they were doing it. And it's kind of like a stealth learning, where they are getting the experience to populate these abstract concepts, which are usually tested on these standardized choice tests. And it's the same problem that we have with scaling a technology. Oftentimes, the way that we scale is based on conformity and limited variation when we're really scaling the wrong things. And I think it's good to be able to scale a lot of the tasks but provide great variety in the way that we can be human-supported around them. So, sure, let's scale sales and operations, but let's also make sure that we can scope out variation in how we do sales, and how we do customer service, and how we do present our product experience. So, how do we begin to personalize in scope and still be able to scale? And I think that's what I'm getting at as far as how I'm approaching CareTrainer, and how I'm approaching a lot of the knowledge translation that we're doing for startups, and consulting with larger and medium-sized businesses on how they can use AI. CHAD: That's awesome. Bringing it back to CareTrainer, what are some of the hurdles or cold spots that are in front of you and the business? What are the next steps and challenges in front of you? BROCK: I think the big thing is that I spend a good two to three [laughs] hours a day reading about the advances in the tech, you know, staying ahead of the knowledge translation and the possible applications. I mean, it's hard to actually find time to do the work because the technology is moving so fast. And, like I said, we were starting to build MVP 2, and we realized, you know what, this is going to be done for us in a little while. You know, it'd be cool if we can do this bespoke. But why not buy the thing that's already there rather than creating it from scratch, unless we're going to do something really different? I think that the biggest hurdle is helping people to think differently. And with the elder care crisis and the care crisis, I think that we really have to help people think differently about the things that we've done. I think regulation is really important, especially when it comes to health care, treatment, prescription safety. I think, though, that there are a lot of ways that we can help people to understand those regulations rather than put them in a seat in front of a monitor. CHAD: I think people respond to, you know, when there's a crisis, different people respond in different ways. And it's a natural tendency to not want to rock the boat, not introduce new things because that's scary. And adding more, you know, something that is scary to a difficult situation already is hard for some people. Whereas other people react to a crisis realizing that we got into the crisis for a reason. And the old ways of doing things might not necessarily be the thing to get us out of it. BROCK: Yeah, I totally agree. When I run into that, the first thought that comes to my head is, when did you stop learning [laughs]? When did you stop seeking learning? Because, for me, if I were to ever stop learning, I'd realize that I'd started dying. And that's what I mean by the spark, is, no matter what your age, as long as you're engaged in seeking out learning opportunities, life is exciting. It's an adventure. You're discovering new frontiers, and, you know, that's the spark. I think when people become complacent, and they say, "Well, this is the way we've always done it," okay, has that always served us well? And there are a lot of cultural issues that go with this. So, for example, there are cultural expectations about the way kids learn in class. Like, kids who come from blue-collar families might say, "Hey, you know what? My kid is going to be doing drywall, or he's going to be working fixing cars, or he's going to be in construction, or why does he need to do this? Or why does she need to do that? And, as a parent, I don't even understand the homework." And then, there are the middle-class folks who say, "You know what? I'm given these things. They need to be correct, accurate, and easy to read. And that's my job. And I don't see this in my kids' curriculum." And then, there are the creatives who say, "Hey, you know, this has nothing to do with where my kid is going. My kids are creative. They're going to have ambiguous problems that they have to come up with creative solutions for." Then you get to the executive class where, like, these elite private schools, where they say, "My kid is going to be a leader in the industry, and what they should be doing is leading groups of people through an activity in order to accomplish a goal." And those are four different pedagogical approaches to learning. So, I'm wondering, what is it that we expect from our caregivers? And I've got kind of a crazy story from that, where this young woman, [SP] Gemma, who was a middle school student, I gave her the option, along with my other kids, to either take a standardized test on Greek myths, or they could write their own myth. And she wrote this myth about a mortal who fell in love with a young goddess. Whenever they would wrap and embrace and kiss, a flame would occur. One day the mother found out and says, "Oh, you've fallen in love with a mortal. Well, here you shall stay. This shall be your penance." And she wrapped her in this thread, this rope, and dipped them in wax so they would be there forever. But then the flame jumped to the top, and that is how candles were created. And I read that, and I was...and this is, like, you know, 30 years ago, and I still have this at the top of my head. And I was like, "Gemma, that was amazing. Are you going to go to college?" And she says, "No." "No? Really? What are you going to do?" "I want to be a hairstylist." And, in my mind, my teacher mind is like, oh no, no, no, no. You [laughs] need to go to college. But then I thought about it. I thought, why wouldn't I want a smart, skilled, creative person cutting my hair? And, you know, people who cut hair make really good money [laughter]. And the whole idea is, are we actually, you know, empowering people to become their best selves and be able to explore those things? Or are we, you know, scaring them out of their futures with, you know, fear? Those are the big hurdles, which is, I'm afraid of the future. And the promise is, well, it's going to be different. But I can't assure you that it's not going to come without problems that we're going to have to figure out how to solve. And there are some who don't want the problems. They just want how it's always been. And I think that's the biggest hurdle we face is innovation and convincing people that trying something new it may not be perfect, but it's a step in the right direction. And I think Hans Rosling in Factfulness said it very well. He said, "Things are better than they were before, but they're not great." Can we go from good to great? Sure. And what do we need to do? But we always are getting better, as long as we're continuing to adapt and create and be playful and look at different ways of doing things because now people are different, but just as good. CHAD: Brock, I really appreciate you stopping by and bringing your creativity, and energy, and playfulness to this difficult problem of caregiving. I'm excited for what the future holds for not only CareTrainer but the impact that you're going to have on the world. I really appreciate it. BROCK: Well, thank you for having me and letting me tell these stories, and, also, thanks for participating in Clapping Academy [laughter]. WILL: It was great. CHAD: If folks want to get in touch with you or follow along with you, or if they work in a healthcare organization where they think CareTrainer might be right for them, where are all the places that they can do that? BROCK: You can reach me at brock@caretrainer.ai. They can express interest on our website at caretrainer.ai. They can reach me at my personal website, brockdubbels.com, or connect with me on LinkedIn, because, you know, life is too short not to have friends. So, let's be friends [laughs]. CHAD: You can subscribe to the show and find notes for this entire episode along with a complete transcript at giantrobots.fm. WILL: If you have questions or comments, email us at hosts@giantrobots.fm. CHAD: You can find me on Mastodon at cpytel@thoughtbot.social. WILL: And you can find me on Twitter @will23larry. This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot and produced and edited by Mandy Moore. CHAD: Thank you again, Brock. And thank you all for listening. See you next time. AD: Did you know thoughtbot has a referral program? If you introduce us to someone looking for a design or development partner, we will compensate you if they decide to work with us. More info on our website at: tbot.io/referral. Or you can email us at: referrals@thoughtbot.com with any questions.

More than half of the people who are blind in this country are over the age of 55. For many seniors with vision loss, the only funding that is available for service delivery comes from a source which has not seen an increase in funding for two decades and is estimated to meet only 3 percent of the resource needs. Services to seniors without vision loss are provided under the Older Americans Act. That law is scheduled to be reauthorized by the end of September of this year. Right now it does not do a lot for people who are blind. How can we change this? What do we want to see in the reauthorized law? It is expected that the population of people who are seniors and legally blind will double by 2040 or so! What will that mean and what can we do about it? Tuesday Topics is excited to welcome folks from ACB'S special interest affiliate the Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss (AAVL) to bring us up to speed on where we are and on what ACB and other organizations of and for the blind are trying to do. It's urgent that you tune in so you can help to make a difference in a variety of ways. The Florida affiliate of ACB just passed a resolution and every state can do what Florida promised they would do! Find out more at https://acb-tuesday-topics.pinecast.co

“Meaningful relationships and social connections are essential components of our overall health” —Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN, FNP, FGSA, FAAN   Many of us deeply value our connections to family, friends, and our wider community, understanding that these relationships are crucial for our mental and emotional health. Renowned athletes like Michael Phelps have emphasized the importance of these connections, highlighting how they support our overall well-being.  Join me in this episode as we explore the significance of these bonds, in line with the celebration of the Older Americans Act and Older Americans Month. EMBRACE NEW PASSIONS AND ACTIVITIES Bring more joy and connection into your life by trying new things you enjoy. Join a club, take a class, or explore activities in your area. These experiences not only add excitement to your life but also help you make new friends. GIVE BACK AND TEACH Stay involved in your community by giving back. Volunteer, join community projects, teach, or mentor others. These activities connect you with people of all ages and let you make a big difference in your community. BUILD AND DEEPEN RELATIONSHIPS Spend time with people. Make new friends and strengthen your bonds with family, friends, coworkers, or neighbors. These connections are the bedrock of a supportive community and contribute greatly to your sense of belonging and happiness. ORGANIZE INTERGENERATIONAL GATHERINGS Bring people of all ages together by hosting a game night across all generations. Board games or card games are perfect for bringing young and older adults together, sharing stories, and exchanging knowledge. ATTEND AND COORDINATE MUSIC EVENTS Music is a powerful way to unite people. Check out a musical event in your community, like a park concert, a local band's gig, or a music festival. These gatherings offer a great opportunity to enjoy good music and good company. Each of these actions not only enhances your own life but also strengthens the community around you. In a world where connections can sometimes be brief, making a conscious effort to engage deeply and meaningfully has never been more important. So, let's get involved, stay connected, and continue to support each other every step of the way. RESOURCESJoin AgeWiseU to find a get all of my handouts and related content on Alzheimer's disease and more at MelissaBPhD.com/join  ------------------------------------------------------- About MelissaBPhD Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN, FNP, FGSA, FAAN. I am a nurse, nurse practitioner with over 25 years of experience caring for older adults and their families.  Below are 4 ways to connect with me and support the podcast: BECOME AN AGEWISEU: Visit my website at https://melissabphd.com/join/ and sign up for free as an Insider or upgrade to being a MVP. Updated weekly, AgeWiseU MVP is a digital hub of over 175 hours of curated content, resources, helpful links and courses designed for caregivers of people living with dementia; adult children caring for aging parents; and anyone wanting to learn more about brain health and healthy aging! MVPs are also invited to join me for a members-only monthly live webinar! BECOME A YOUTUBE MEMBER: Get early access to my podcast episodes and join me for a members-only monthly live webinar! SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, SHARE, AND LEAVE A REVIEW: SUBSCRIBE to this YouTube Channel; LIKE the podcast by giving this episode a thumbs up; SHARE this episode with others; and LEAVE A REVIEW. These things only take a minute of your time, but they really do help increase my rating and ranking; but more importantly, these actions help other people find the podcast.  JOIN THE FACEBOOK COMMUNITY: If you are on Facebook, feel free to join my private community here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thisisgettingold

Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.  (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Biden gives State of the Union address, focuses on legislative achievements ahead of November election. Sweden formally joins NATO alliance in Washington ceremony. Jury hears opening arguments in trial of father of school shooter, he's charged with involuntary manslaughter. US to build temporary port in Mediterranean to increase aid to Gaza. San Francisco Mayor London Breed gives State of the City Address. Senate panel holds hearing on reauthorization of Older Americans Act. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 7, 2024 Biden gives State of the Union address, focuses on legislative achievements ahead of November election. appeared first on KPFA.

In the thirteenth episode of season 2, Dr. U. Grant Baldwin, DBH, Director of the Doctor of Behavioral Health program at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, explores the critical link between social and structural drivers of health and their profound impact on the aging population. Tune in to learn about innovative interventions that effectively pave the way for improved well-being among older adults. Panelists include: Meredith Chillemi, MSG, MHA, has a background working in various social service and health care settings, including Life Plan Communities, a managed care plan and programs funded by the Older Americans Act, including home delivered meals, shared housing and case management. Prior to joining LeadingAge California, Meredith served as Director of Supportive and Health Services at LifeSTEPS, overseeing the organization's affordable housing Aging in Place initiatives, long term services and supports collaborations and the award-winning Older Adult RN Coaching Program. Meredith holds Masters' Degrees in Gerontology and Health Administration from the University of Southern California and was an undergraduate at UCLA. She is also a graduate of the UCLA Health Care Executive Program and the LeadingAge California Emerge Leadership Program. As the LeadingAge California Director of Regulatory Affairs, Meredith manages relationships with state agencies and departments and she also engages with the State on the implementation of numerous initiatives, including CalAIM. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/disruptors-at-work/support

Community nutrition is a rotation in every dietetic internship. It may look different for each intern but you need to have exposure and a basic understanding of programs and resources available in our communities that promote and support good nutrition.  As a dietitian, you need to know how to help people who don't have access to good nutrition. Even if you don't work in public health, having knowledge of these programs will help your clients and patients. Plus...they might show up on the RD Exam.  This is what you'll learn in this episode: An overview of different programs available to the public that provides nutrition including access to food as well as education on healthy eating A review of programs for children and older Americans Here's a glance at this episode: [02:10] A review of WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and the services this organization provides [05:19] An overview of the National School Lunch Program and why it's such an important program to promote learning for children in school [07:30] National School Breakfast Program and the nutrient criteria it must meet in order to be in compliance with regulations  [08:05] National Snack Program and who is eligible for this program [09:00] The Summer Food Service Program for children during the summer months and how this helps promote increased nutrient intake [09:42] An overview of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program [11:20] A discussion of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and some examples to help you correctly answer questions pertaining to this program on the exam [12:36] What is provided through the Headstart program [14:55] A review of SNAP or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and why this program is so helpful to millions of Americans [16:40] Services provided by the Seniors Farmers Market Program [17:13] Congregate Meal Program which is under the Older Americans Act and who can benefit from this program [13:55] A brief overview of Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS)

CICOA? “What”, you may ask, “is CICOA”? Stay tuned. When I lived in Marin County in Northern California, I had the honor to be asked and chosen to be on the board of directors for an organization called The Marin Senior Coordinating Council, aka Whistlestop Wheels. During my tenure on the board, I learned a great deal about seniors, senior living and what was at that time called “the silver tsunami” or the upcoming influx of seniors as our population grows older. This episode gives you and me the opportunity to meet Tauhric Brown, president and CEO of CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions. I got to meet Tauhric through accessiBe as his agency has chosen to use our company's products to make its website more inclusive for all. Tauhric will describe for us not only what CICOA does, but he will delve a great deal into some of the issues our aging population faces and how his and other similar Indiana agencies are doing to assist and enhance living for our senior population. You will learn much about the growing crisis concerning seniors in our world. Tauhric will also discuss things we all can do to help promote better and more active lives for seniors including recognizing that even as people age they should not and do not lose value in our workforce. By the way, Tauhric also tells us that he and Cicoa staff receive regular positive feedback about how accessiBe makes for a better website experience for all. I hope you will find this episode informative, inspiring, and relevant to you and everyone you know. About the Guest: Tauhric Brown, president and CEO of CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions, uses his strategic vision and experience in the elderly and disability service industry to expand CICOA services and collaborative partnerships to better meet the needs of these vulnerable populations. Before joining CICOA in 2020, Brown served as the chief operating officer for Senior Services, Inc. in Kalamazoo, Mich., and he formerly held positions as an owner/operator for a multi-carrier wireless retail company and in the U.S. Army. Inspired by his family and upbringing, he made the switch to the nonprofit world to fulfill his dream of improving the lives of others. Brown holds a master's degree in management and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Colorado Technical University in Colorado Springs, Colo. In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf and watching University of North Carolina basketball. He and his wife, Laura, collectively are the parents of six adult children and have three grandchildren. Ways to connect with Tauhric: Facebook: @CICOAIndiana Instagram:@CICOAIndiana LinkedIn: CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions (20+) Tauhric Brown | Facebook linkedin.com/in/tauhric-brown-8a85765 About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i  capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.     Michael Hingson  01:16 Well, hi, everyone. Welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset and to day, we get to talk with Tauhric Brown, who is the CEO of CICOA aging. I get it right yet. Aging and in home services. And there's a lot to go over with that and we will get to it. And and tar Tauhric . Tauhric also has a great sense of humor. And he'll yell at me for not necessarily pronouncing his name right. But that's okay. Because it's fair if he does that, but I agree with him. Geez, you can call him anything just not late for dinner me the same way. Right. So welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Tauhric Brown  02:12 Thank you so much, Mike. It's a pleasure to be here with you and your audience.   Michael Hingson  02:17 Well, we're glad you're here. And so now I have to ask right from the outset. The CICOA, what does that mean?   Tauhric Brown  02:27 What a great question. So when we first started, so CICOA actually was it stood for Central Indiana Council on Aging. And as our agency has evolved, and the city or the central Indiana Council on Aging was no longer an item we kept sicko of, because there's some brand equity in that. But we added aging and homes solutions behind CICOA. Yes, sir. It's CICOA. actions is our actual name.   Michael Hingson  03:04 Right? So it's your right the brand, although I'm I'm sure a lot of people won't necessarily remember that. But nevertheless, you get the brand and, and it also gives you a name that people can ask about.   Tauhric Brown  03:23 Absolutely. To talk a little more about our agency, if you don't mind, I'd love to tell the audience a little bit about who we are, how we were founded and what we do.   Michael Hingson  03:35 I'd love to do that. And I'd also love you to spend some time just telling us about you. But let's start with the agency. And we'll go from there.   Tauhric Brown  03:43 Very good. I always like to start with the agency. I'm not a person that oftentimes likes to talk about myself. I get a little embarrassed about that. But we'll talk about me specifically. But our agency is a national or a nonprofit social service organization. And we're based in Indianapolis. We were formed from a piece of legislation that President Lyndon Johnson signed in 1965 called the Older Americans Act. And what the Older Americans Act as it created did is created a framework that every county in the United States would have a planning and service agency that is developing provisioning and even delivering services in the homes of older adults that are designed to keep them living independently for as long as possible. It also provided appropriation to certain emerging needs of older adults things like nutritious meals, meal sites, transportation, face management and some other organizations. We are one of 15 Area Agencies on Aging here in Indiana. There used to be 16 of them. But But several years ago, one of the organizations combined with another area agency on aging. So that's how you get 15 Different agencies, but 16 planning and service areas. We at sicko were founded in 1974. And we'll be turning 50 years of age next January, which is very exciting, a little about what we do. We care for older adults and people with disabilities, again, by providing solutions, answers and services that are designed to keep them living independently. We know that about 90% of our community members want to stay in their own environment as they age, but many of them are uncertain whether their resources will hold up, or whether their health will hold out. And so, you know, our role as a convener and connecting agency is really all about putting those individuals in the best scenarios that will allow them to age in place for as long as possible. When you have the services. I'm sorry, go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Yes, so some of you know some of those additional services that I maybe didn't mention. Initially, our case management information and referral is one of the the, we call that the front door or accessed to our service areas or our services, senior meals. As I mentioned, transportation other one that I did mention home repairs and mind modifications and caregiver supports. And so we currently are doing those services through funding through our older Americans act, as I mentioned, through the Medicaid aged and disabled waiver program, through several social security block grants, the state funded Choice Program. And of course, our Sequoia foundation is our philanthropic arm that is consistently out trying to find other opportunities for us to better serve our older Hoosiers. We've gotten into some non traditional funding opportunities, though, since my arrival and prior to my arrival. And some of those non traditional funding partnerships exist with health insurance companies, with programs of all inclusive care for the elderly programs, affectionately known as pace. We've got a few hospital based contracts, we're generating revenue with individuals who have the financial means and ability to pay for a quality service. And then we've got a great innovation and data and research department that is creating social enterprise concepts to help us better diversify our revenue and provide more opportunities and solutions for other community based organizations like us.   Michael Hingson  08:24 So you have clearly become well versed and are able to talk about all this, how long have you been involved with the CICOA?   Tauhric Brown  08:37 Yeah, so I began my tenure here as the president and CEO, January 6 of 2020. But I had spent the prior eight years in Michigan working for a senior and disabled service provider called Senior Services. So I've been in the industry and in this space, almost 11 years now, but I've been here it's CICOA. Only a little over three years,   Michael Hingson  09:07 when you talk about it very well, needless to say, and, and I appreciate I appreciate the really in depth description of of what the agency does. I was on the board of an organization when I lived up in the Marin County Area in California called whistle stop, which later changed its name to VIV Alon, and I've never understood why they did that. They did that after I left but they left the brand behind was also the Murrin senior Coordinating Council. whistlestop was an agency that provided among other things, paratransit and so on, but that was a well known name and they just completely abandoned it's I never did figure out why they did that. But hey, whatever. Everyone has their ways to go. Well tell us a little bit more about us. Since I brought it up, starting out and so on, where are you from originally? And all those kinds of things?   Tauhric Brown  10:07 Yes. So originally, I'm from Atlanta, Georgia, when I was around seven years old, so my mom's entire career she spent in big farm. And we shoot, we were living in Atlanta. And she got a call from pharmacy up, John, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. And that's what took us from Atlanta, Georgia, to Kalamazoo, Michigan. At the tender age of seven, I was seven, my sister was eight. And what I really looked forward to Mike was every summer, Mama would always send my sister and I back to Atlanta, to spend six, six and a half, seven weeks with our grandmother, who happens that my oldest aunt Eunice was born disabled, so she lived with our grand life. So when people talk to me about they asked me, Tarik, where does your passion for older adults and people with disabilities come from? It started there. But right, I didn't know that's what was happening at that young age. But the lessons learned and the things that, you know, that I got to listen to was just fascinated by the conversations my grandmother would have with her friends and other family members. She ran the family from her recliner mic, let me tell you, she, she would sit there and direct all the aunts and uncles and the cousins and nephews and on what they needed to do and how they needed to do it. So. So I'd like to think that that passion really started in me at a very young age. When I graduated high school, I took a different path than most people do. Most of my peers ended up going straight to college, and, you know, starting their careers, four years or so after that, I went into the United States Army and served on active duty for the initial nine and a half years, or first nine and a half years when I got out of the military, or when I got out of high school. And so you know, I was a young kid, 19 years old, was married and had a son and no marketable skills. And so, you know, I really needed to find a way to provide for my family. And I had all known that, you know, I had several uncles, my grandfather served in the military. So there was that deep history of serving in our Armed Forces that I got from them. So you know, joined the United States Army right out of high school, and then kind of got my college schooling done through online platforms, and things like that throughout that nine and a half years. And so, you know, once I transitioned out of the military, the first job, I'll say the first real job I had was in retail, and I worked in the wireless industry for several years. I owned a Verizon dealership for nine of the 15 years that I was in the wireless retail industry, and had a lot of fun, interacting with consumers selling you know, things. But I got to a point around 2010, where I thought, you know, God probably put me here to do things a little more impactful. And I started looking for perhaps some opportunities that really got to my passion of older adults and people with disabilities. And so that really is what took me from the retail world into the not for profit sector back in 2012. As I said, I moved into my role here at Sokoto a couple of months before. COVID hit us before we went through the global pandemic. And, you know, prior to departing Michigan, you know, I had served in capacities at Senior Services as a business development director, Chief Operating Officer, it was a period of time where I was kind of straddling as interim CEO and COO while the board was looking, you know, for the CEOs replacement. So it was a great time that I spent there, but I have loved being here in Indianapolis, and leading this high functioning organization known as sicko. It has been a true pleasure and honor to serve these individuals that I get to work with every day for the betterment of the consumers that we serve in our communities. I married to my lovely wife, Laura and Laura and I were highschool sweethearts, but we didn't marry right out of high school. So Lauren, I reconnected. It's probably been about 14 years ago now, and have been married now for 12. So we have a blended family. So there's six total adult children, three grandchildren with the most recent one being born last New Year's Eve, so little Emery just turned a little turn one years old, the end of December of last year, and it's just doing really well. So that's a little about me.   Michael Hingson  15:41 Well, you went to the military right out of school. Where did you serve? Was it mainly in the US? Or did they send you to other places to see the world?   Tauhric Brown  15:55 Yeah, I actually did. My first duty station was Stuttgart, Germany. So I was stationed in Germany from 90 to 93. And for those who may recall, that was the period where the first Desert Storm, yeah, conflict kicked off. And so I was in Germany when that happened. And then in 93, I came back to the States, and I was stationed in Maryland, at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland for three years. And then in 96, I ended up going to the Middle East, I got to spend a year in Doha, Qatar, when I think that was an interesting role. And it was an interesting environment. And it's because my name is Arabic. They pronounce it their todich. And so they thought I was initially Middle Eastern, when they would hear my name. And so it was a really interesting experience. And I got to meet a lot of great folks. And then I came back stateside for that last year and a half, and I was stationed in Lansing, Michigan, at the Great Lakes recruiting battalion, I was kind of the personnel Sergeant overseeing 52, recruiting stations, again, I got the to have that tough job of assigning new recruiters coming in to our command to the one of the 52 stations. And then also, you know, ensuring that those who were coming off of that recruiting duty getting them successfully back to their next duty station in what we used to call mainstream army, right, because recruiting was one of those roles were the goal of the that that arm is really to drive more, more enrollments, more individuals in the service, but it wasn't permanent. Most recruiters would serve a two to three year run before they would go back into their primary Military Occupational Specialty to do work there.   Michael Hingson  18:03 Well, you served the US Senate, I think nine and a half years in the military, that clearly was different than a lot of people did, or have done. And then you came back and you went off and did other other kinds of things. Do you think that your military experience in your career helped you? And how do you think that has benefited you? And, and and address your attitudes about life going forward?   Tauhric Brown  18:31 Yeah, I would say absolutely. Mike, it has a significant impact on who I am. You know, the first thing that the military put in me was structure and discipline. And then, you know, the next lessons learned that I've carried with me for forever, were the, you know, the way to lead people leading from the front. So the military taught me leadership, but it taught me leadership from the lens of leading from the front, which is to say, I'm never going to ask somebody to do something that I'm not willing to roll my sleeves up and do myself. That has helped me tremendously throughout my career in various positions and roles that I have had. But the military absolutely had a tremendous amount to do with who I am and how I go about my day to day you know, weekly, bi weekly, monthly, etc.   Michael Hingson  19:38 That is pretty cool. It's it's interesting. I come to the same philosophy but from a different point, as I think about it and listening to you and that is that for me, I also don't think I should expect people to do things that I haven't done and I shouldn't expect people to do a job that I'm not willing to do. For me, though, it wasn't the military that that brought that around to my point of view, because I didn't ever get to serve in the military, but rather, for me, it's, I won't know about the other jobs unless I perform them, I'm not going to see other people doing. And so I don't get a lot of that information. And being a curious soul. For me, it's always been, I got to do it, so that I know about it, because I can't talk intelligently to other people about what they're doing, and so on. Unless I understand it, I won't understand it unless I do it personally. And that has led me to the same philosophy that you have. And I am a firm believer in the fact that people should not undertake a job. Or they shouldn't be telling other people about jobs that they haven't experienced in some way themselves, because it's the only way to gain empathy.   Tauhric Brown  20:56 That's right, that's 100%. Correct.   Michael Hingson  21:00 And I think it's just the only way to do it. It's why it makes it really fun when people and I have conversations about blindness and so on, one of the things that I get to say is, well, you know, you talk about it, but you've never tried it. So I understand that most people won't, necessarily, but don't judge what you haven't tried or that you really don't know about. And that, of course, is a challenge and a subject that we all get to deal with. And now of course, we're talking with you about aging, and so on. And aging as we grow in population, but as we grow closer because of communications. And because we have such a big baby boomer era, aging is definitely more of something that's on our mind. So you being in that that whole world. Tell us a little bit more about how you think that the whole concept of aging is kind of changing how our landscape is changing, not only here in the US, but globally. Yeah,   Tauhric Brown  22:09 no, and that's a great question. So I'll start out by throwing a few facts out there that people may not realize, are baby boom generation, right? It's a global phenomenon. And closer to home every single day, 10,000 people in the United States turn 65 years of age. Next year in 2024, every member of the baby boom generation will be at least 60 years old. And by 2030, every member of the baby boom generation, least 65. This is what the industry is known as in what we call as the silver tsunami, which is basically idle wave. Yeah, the tidal wave of older adults. In 2030, there'll be more people in America over the age of 65, than children under the age of 15. And so where does that bring us? Well, it brings us to a point of change, development, strategic thinking has to be done. And so after I had been here a year, I sat down and I wrote out a 20 year vision, a vision of where I saw our organization being able to be 31, December 2041, close of business. And much of much of this design work, Mike really was about things in our control. In other words, it wouldn't be realistic, right to develop such a lofty plan, taking into consideration and focusing only on external factors, because external factors, as we all know, change so often. But what you can do is develop that vision and plan predicated on what's in your control as an organization, what you can modify and maintain inside your walls. And so that 20 year vision really is to envision the COA serving as a model for manage long term services and support, launching research initiatives to give us more data that will help us make more and better business decisions based on what the data is telling us. And then finally, it's about using innovation as a catalyst for success, and I always like to say the future will be about filling voids. In addition to connecting people to resources, the more and met needs we discover and the more services and products we can provide to get at those unmet needs, the more clients we know will gravitate to us and stick to us. Right I remember when I was in retail, I always used to say to my sales teams, don't just sell the phone, sell the the don't just sell the handset, sell the handset, some accessories, and some other items that will help this consumer be sticky to this product and only this product in the world we operate in here at Sekolah. It's the same mindset, right? We know that if we can bring more solutions to the table, that we have a great chance of not only improving quality and quantity of life for the people we serve. But we also know that it makes it makes us a koa a stickier organization for them as a customer, the more items that you can address for a person, the longer they're going to stay with you, they're going to be loyal to you. And that is extremely key in the work that we do.   Michael Hingson  26:17 So what creates loyalty for sekolah? You're you're in a different environment than a profit making company where you're selling physical items as such, but you're still looking for loyalty. What is it that's going to keep people loyal to sekolah? Or to any request or to any agency for that matter?   Tauhric Brown  26:41 I think in the work and the work that we do, Mike, it's really about having a great pulse of the of your satisfaction with the populations you serve. In other words, is that customer service? Top notch Are you doing your best at at making that environment, easy for a customer to navigate the work that we do and the systems that we work in gaining access, sometimes to services or connecting with the right entity is a challenge and a struggle sometimes for boats. And so if you can reduce and eliminate that struggle or challenge, that is a way to make an individual more loyal to your agency. And then in addition to that, it's connecting them, maybe there are things that we don't necessarily offer or provide. But we have a connection, we've got a partner that does do that kind of work. And so it's connecting that individual to the additional collaborative partner that you've got to help them address the need that they that they have. And that needs to be addressed. So I think it really starts with developing and delivering a great customer service experience, one that as that client saying, you know, sekolah really provided a wow, customer experience for me, they've been able to provide me with so many solutions and answers and services that have kept me living in my home for as long as possible. So that's really what it looks like for me when I say how do you make that consumer loyal to you. And then you know, you hope that over time you start to believe or you start to develop more connections from those interactions you have with customers. In other words, we see clients who've had a great experience telling a few of their friends about that experience. And then before long, we've got those folks reaching in and leaning into us for that trusted and dependable guidance, solutions, answers and provisioning of services so that they can remain independently at home as well.   Michael Hingson  29:16 How many people do you serve today? So   Tauhric Brown  29:20 we we are interacting with roughly I'll say on any given year, we probably have contact with about 30,000 Plus community members. And that and that could be a host of different things, Mike, it might be an information and referral call where someone might have needed access to a resource in the community but didn't know where to turn to get access to it. It might be these are consumers that are direct recipients of services that we have provisioned with a a subgrantee partner or it's a service we You provide directly. And so that's how we go about that piece of our agency and business.   Michael Hingson  30:09 You know, it's interesting, listening to you and thinking about all of this, the world's changing, you know, we're getting a lot more technology and medical sciences, doing so much to help people and make people more durable and help people live longer, and so on. What, how are the priorities that are seeing your population changing? I'm sure that it's different now in terms of what people want, or what they're they're doing or capable of doing, than it was 20 and 30 years ago, and that also is going to evolve. So how are the priorities changing?   Tauhric Brown  30:52 Yeah, I think the priorities are, are changing both inside our environment, and outside our environment, right. And I'll start with inside the environment, things are changing inside the environment, where as an organization, we have to teach each other how to do more with less. In other words, what that means is an organization like ours, I mentioned earlier, we have many of our revenue streams are state and federal resources. And so while those state and federal resources, they do increase a little bit year over year, sometimes though, it is not enough to meet that consumer demand. And so we have to teach ourselves how to do more with less building and redundancies into our roles, cross training our staff to be able to handle not just the things that they're used to doing day in and day out. But really getting them to embrace that mindset of we must be able to cross train across functions, so that in the event, someone needs help, we can tap you on the shoulder and say, Hey, we need your help here. So internally, things are changing quite rapidly in that space. And then externally, it really is more about the changing in the systems that we operate in. One great example that I'll talk about is here in Indiana, our Medicaid waiver program is not a two day a managed care program. It is a fee for service model. But Indiana has designed a Medicaid long term services and supports managed care program that we'll implement middle of next year calendar year 2024. And so that that shifts that change from a fee for service model to a managed care model creates significant shifts in how our work will be done, and what our role will be. And so you have to have vision on the external environment, and what's happening there. And as long as your internal environment aligns to those changes and shifts that are externally happening around you, you should be able to be a trusted and continued resource for funders, external stakeholders and consumers that you're serving, as well as keeping your staff thriving and happy in doing the work that they do for the community members. We have a ability to serve day in and day out.   Michael Hingson  33:53 Sure, but briefly, so what is the difference between case management model and a fee for service model? So how, how is all that going to change?   Tauhric Brown  34:04 Yeah, so a fee for service model with a Medicaid waiver program. It generally means this, the state is the overseer of that program. And there aren't necessarily paths in spending for services that the state is is looking at, in a managed care environment for Medicaid. In a managed care model, it is a capitated model. So that means that there will be a cap on the amount of resource that a member can utilize or can have in services each and every month. It also means that the state is shifting the risk from the state State of Indiana, two health insurance or health plans, managed care organizations. And so the managed care organization arm, the org the entities that are at risk for adjusting or more I'll say monitoring and auditing the spend for these members to ensure that members are not receiving more services than what that per member per month monthly allocation is. And so that's really the primary differences in a Medicaid fee for service product and a Medicaid managed care product. Okay, it's about risk shifting. And it's about oversight.   Michael Hingson  35:48 To does that mean that services in one sense might decline or become less because now, less funds will be available to spend, or any given individual?   Tauhric Brown  36:02 So I would say I don't know that I would coin it exactly that way. Mike, I think the way that I would explain that it is with capitation in place, and understanding that, you know, you can't go above that and be reimbursed by a funding source. So in a fee for service model, you can be reimbursed no matter what level of service that you provide, right a managed care environment, you can go over that capitated amount. But understand there aren't additional reimbursements coming into that managed care organization to offset those extra services that are being rendered. So I say that to say, there could be some scenarios where a member or a participant, their service plan exceeds that per member per month rate, they're going to be some of those very high cost high acuity consumers, they're gonna be those very low cost consumers in a managed care environment, what you're really trying to do is making sure that the majority of your Census is within that capitated amount, so that you're not absorbing more financial risks as a as an insurance company. So the best way to answer your question is, could there be services that might be reduced? That's a possibility. But we don't know that to be 100%. Accurate. And then we also know that there could be some scenarios where an individual service plan is much more costly than what that per member per month allocation is.   Michael Hingson  37:59 What do you do in those cases? So what well, what what what does what does somebody do in those cases?   Tauhric Brown  38:08 Yeah, the in that scenario, Mike, the health plan or the managed care organization is at risk, they have to cover that amount. Okay, what has to cover that amount and not expect any additional resources from the state to reimburse those agencies delivering those services in the home.   Michael Hingson  38:30 And what I was really getting at it was was kind of that very thing. So now the insurance industry is going to have to recommend recognize they don't have a blank tech check to just charge whatever they want, which means that they need to be a little bit more responsible, perhaps in terms of figuring out what, what they're going to charge and how that's going to work. So it's making it a little bit more of a maybe responsible or responsive process.   Tauhric Brown  39:02 It absolutely does. And, you know, for me, Mike, what's really been interesting and eye opening for me is I've been through a managed care implementation in Michigan. So when I first came here to Indiana, managed care was not, excuse me manage care in this program. Hadn't been talked about a whole lot. We started hearing about it in December of 2020. And so for me, I like to think I had a little more of a unique perspective into what might be happening or what that design might look like here because of that lived experience in Michigan.   Michael Hingson  39:45 Yeah, experience always helps. No question about that. No question. I want to come back a little bit to something I asked about earlier talking about priorities. The whole system but for seeing years for the aging population? How are their demands and priorities changing? And by that, I mean, I understand that people want to stay in their home as long as possible, and so on. But our people as they're getting older, wanting to, for example, stay in the workforce, do other kinds of active things be contributors, as opposed to just being at home? And how do you help companies, for example, recognize that there really is a lot of value in people who have a lot of experience rather than just always trying to get the young person because you can pay them less, but you then lose all the tribal knowledge, if you will, an experience that a more senior or aging population might bring to what they do.   Tauhric Brown  40:53 Yeah, no, that's a great question. workforce is always near and dear to my heart, particularly with our older adults. And so you know, for me, I, I've been intentional, we at succo have been intentional about developing great relationships with workforce development partners, who are out there kind of working on behalf of individuals, maybe 55. And better to get them back to work. And what I've always said is, listen, our older adults have a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience, that we certainly want to continue to be a part of learning and growing with them. Sometimes we've got individuals who are, you know, been through that first career but still have some desire in the pepper to, to really continue to work and we find value in employing them at Sekolah. We have some individuals who have retired and have taken more of a volunteer role with the CICOA as either a community member or a committee member board member, volunteers that are consistently helping with telephone reassurance calls to other older adults to check on them. So from my perspective, I always like to preach, hire older, older adults hire those individuals who have the knowledge, expertise, and that passion still burning within them. Gotta hire those folks and keep them striving and working. Because that institutional knowledge and what they bring to the table, Mike, you can't put a price on. So I encourage other leaders in my space in the nonprofit space and in the for profit sector. So really focus more intentionally on developing some great relationships with workforce development partners, who are seeking to replace older adults that are still out here looking for jobs. I think one of the things that, you know, that I constantly think about in that space is, you know, we we do what we call a community assessment survey of older adults every four years. And on the most recent one that concluded last year, one of the key findings was that older adults, by and large, still feel that they have a ton to contribute in the workforce, but they feel that they're underemployed or unemployed. And so though, that that tells thought leaders like myself and others, we can address that we can make that situation a little bit better by being more intentional, and being having the courage to offer that position to someone who may not be young or someone who might have a ton of experience for those roles that they have an interest in applying for and working in, in our respective agencies.   Michael Hingson  44:15 And again, isn't the number of people who fit into that category going to do nothing but increase because we're helping to keep people healthier, longer, thriving actively longer. And through organizations somewhat at least like AARP, talking consistently about that, although AARP hasn't done a lot it seems to me with disabilities, whether they're disabilities with people who have had them for a long time, or who are seeing their bodies change in one way or another, but nevertheless, in General Medical Sciences working to keep people working and air well Active longer and so on, which means that the number of people who are going to fit into this category is going to grow.   Tauhric Brown  45:06 That's right. That's right. There will be a, I'll say there won't be a shortage of talent, Mike. And US leaders have to do our jobs and have the courage to put those individuals to work, get them back in that workforce, providing and sharing of their times and talents.   Michael Hingson  45:27 How do we do that? How do we get companies, especially with lots of young people to recognize the value that experience brings? Because so often, it seems to me, we tend to forget that we forget that it isn't just about what the innovators at a younger age know. But the experience that more of our aging population, bring the can stabilize and help enhance the organization? How do we get people to understand that?   Tauhric Brown  46:02 Yeah, I think, elevate our voices and continue to do that work. You know, there's, there's this whole that I used to say, education and awareness, and I still use that terminology today, I find the more organizations, the more people hear it, the more it becomes committed to memory. If there's one thing that I've learned through all my travels, it's that the average person has to hear something at least five times before it's committed to memory. And so it's not just to say at once, Mike, but to continue to reinforce that message, utilizing the various communication vehicles that you have at your disposal. It could be email, it could be a video, it could be a phone call, but it's to continue to pepper our communities with knowledge so that they're very aware that there is this population out here that continues to have a lot to give, and that we should really be connecting with those kinds of organizations like AARP or others, that are helping place individuals into the workforce or back into the workforce. And being intentional about that. Right. It's, it's, it's really continue to reinforce the message. But ultimately, Mike, as as leaders, we have to say, I am going to be intentional, my organization is going to be intentional about this particular thing. And so you know, that it's, it may sound simple, it's not an easy task, because it's just it's that consistent reinforcement that oftentimes people forget about,   Michael Hingson  47:55 well, emotionally, we have to change our mindset. You know, we're used to the image of people get older, and they just sit around because they can't do anything. And we've got to change our emotional mindset to recognize that isn't the way it is anymore. And it's been changing right along.   Tauhric Brown  48:15 Well, and I and I started out, you know, when we started this podcast, I said, I used to watch my grandma run the family from her recliner, let let let me say she was doing that at 90. Okay, so this is not, you know, so So to your point, Mike up. Yeah, I mean, people still have that passion and desire. You're talking to someone who watched a 90 year old woman, run the family from her recliner. So it's very true what you say that, that the folks out there do still have a lot to give. But again, I always go back to organizations and leaders have to say we are intentional about this. And not just say it but do it.   Michael Hingson  49:05 Tell me about the the venture studio at Sequoia in terms of how it's dealing with business problems and so on.   Tauhric Brown  49:14 Yeah, I'm not thank you for that question. So our venture studio Oh,   Michael Hingson  49:17 that's just because you gave it to me?   Tauhric Brown  49:23 No, I bet your studio, our venture studio really was created to build scalable revenue generating hitting enterprises. But the way we do this is we have a vice president of innovation, who's walking alongside staff members, we call those staff members enterpreneurs, not entrepreneurs. Intrapreneurs. And what happens is that intrapreneur will approach Jonathan and talk through a concept that they have and that concept we want it to be The aligned to succos mission right, providing those needed answers solutions innovations to older adults in the communities we serve. And so Jonathan walks alongside those staff members and collaborates partners to ideate. prototype and launch these new solutions to better meet the needs of the vulnerable populations we serve. It allows us to leverage that 50 plus years of experience in the elderly and disability services industry with today's vision to design and build the future of home and community based care. And so we're designing these products and services buy in for not typically represented by venture capital initiatives. We have a few companies in our portfolio. The first one that I'll share and talk about is do wet. Do wet is a for profit. SAS company, it is a subscription service as a subscription. Tech spin off that has created a platform for connecting clients with home health care agencies, home care aides and nurses. It provides the fastest way for care coordinators and care managers to identify providers that can take a new care plan. It's the easiest way for providers to grow their business big, because there's some data. There's some business intelligence as part of that platform that a homecare agency might decide, you know, based on the number of referrals in this zip code, we want to expand into that zip code. So they have great opportunity to grow their business. And it's the best way for individual clients to choose who they want to provide care in their homes. In 2021, duet received an aging Achievement Award from us aging, which is the National Trade Association mission that the area agencies on aging across the country belong to. The second venture that we created and launched is called post book. And post book is our newest product that launched November 16, of 2022. And what this says is it's a postcard exchange with writing prompts. And at the end of the years writing, you have a keepsake journal that you can put on your bookshelf for generations to look at family members to see, etc. Post book was created by one of our staff members again, one of those intrapreneurs at the start of COVID. When all the schools shut down and businesses closed, and people were working remotely, one of our leaders, that's Nicola was trying to find something to fill the time of her kids when they were out of school. And so what she had them start doing was she had them start writing postcards to grandma and grandpa in Pennsylvania, grandma and grandpa would then send, you know, write back and send it back to them. And the entrepreneur had an aha moment. What if we created and designed a product where we wrote the prompts, it's a beautiful sunny day outside, write to your pen pal about what what you're feeling today, or how that makes you feel, and send that postcard off. And so post book was born out of that interaction. So just a very cool story of how post books started or how it came to be. And then the Coming Soon, is Twain health. And Twain health will be our second SAS product. And what tween health is, is it's a closed loop referral platform that is really designed to integrate clinical care and social care entities so that you can ensure on discharge from hospital or from physician's office or, you know, rehab facility, that when that individual goes back home, not only are there medically needed clinical services in place, but also those social determinants of health services are in place as well. So we're really excited about this product also.   Michael Hingson  54:33 Are any of these programs, hiring people in the aging population to run coordinate or be involved with them? Are they are they also serving as mechanisms for employing seniors? They are   Tauhric Brown  54:50 serving as mechanisms for employment, but not at this particular point, Mike, so I'll say that as post book is a very new Who company do what has it sits on the outside of sekolah. So it has its own CEO and its own staff, that team is hiring individuals to work. Some of them may be older, older individuals, some may be younger. Post book really is not we don't have specific employees in that entity just yet. We're trying to scale it up a little bit more through some business to business sales opportunities we have before building out our cadre of staff that will be working directly in post book. And then Twain health hasn't even launched yet. It is something that will most likely be legally formed by the end of this month, and ready to launch, I'd say early April. And so again, that the same kind of thing, we really want to have some, some pre sale, I'll say pre pre sales success before launching so that as we begin to hire staff to begin having conversations with potential business to business suitors of this brought up, that we can have squarely in mind, we want to offer these kinds of opportunities to all agents, not just to this population or that population to all ages. But yes, one of our interest is and our older adults, absolutely   Michael Hingson  56:40 any opportunities down the line as you're expanding and progressing to actually explore creating services and mechanisms to truly bring more of the aging population, to into the workforce to to actually create jobs or go out and seek lots of jobs?   Tauhric Brown  57:06 Yeah, I think I think you know, what you're referring to is we're doing quite a bit in that space of creating some stronger communities through effective outreach and things of that nature. I think, you know, you can't I'll start out by saying, you know, we can't access what we don't know, right. So there's a lot of information out there that we're really trying to pull together. And I always love to look at the data. And as I shared with you, Mike, the data indicates that, you know, from from a more recent survey done of our older adult population, that many older adults are, are interested in still working and and you know, being in the workforce. And so I think making yourself available as an organization that really is out there leading the charge, leading from the front, letting individuals know, right, having relationships with senior centers, again, with any kind of organization that is moving down that road of employing older adults, or employing individuals with disabilities, because that's another area that we have an interest in our workforce, just so you're aware, we do have a large percentage of our workforce are considered or our age 55 and above. So that's a great thing to be in the space that we're in and have a workforce that that's got a nice percentage of individuals that I would consider, you know, our older population or older workforce. But but but that, that that's not enough, you have to continue to do that work and continue, as I said, being intentional about wanting to to be in a position to hire our older adults and people with disabilities in our workforce. So I think the things that organizations have really got to start thinking about is is your organ or is your physical location, is it isn't it accessible? Right? Because that that will determine how much interest you garner from those populations. So are you assessable you know, does does the environment meet ADA standards, all those things have to be looked at and checked into before you can really do your level best of re employing or employing people in your organization. It's going to be very difficult to do that kind of work. If a company is not ATA compliant or they're not viewed as accessible by the populations that you're trying to reach. Bruton higher, I think with us having great relationships and faith based communities is a great recruiter recruiting, stream or angle, if you will, to help hire, I'll say our older populations for working. And so we we've gotten great relationships with some wonderful faith based partners, that that help us in that space. I think where we recruit, or where we put our openings has expanded quite a lot. In the last three years, I remember when I first started the the primary place where we would post our jobs would be indeed, and now we've seen that expand to multiple vehicles, right, that do by and large talk to different segments of our populations. So that we are again, able to receive talent across the spectrum, and not just from one source that we might have posted open roles in before.   Michael Hingson  1:01:09 Yeah, and it's, it's an ever expanding world. And, you know, one of the things I was just thinking is that GNP interesting to start offering a service that seniors could fill, the service would be as consultants to help companies determine and how accessible or what they need to do to create more accessibility or inclusive and welcoming environments, that'd be a good thing to do full idea, Mike,   Tauhric Brown  1:01:38 I thought about that, thank you for giving that one to me, I'm writing that one down,   Michael Hingson  1:01:43 it's yours. And it just seems like it would be interesting, you know, to bring people in and create a mechanism. And it could be a way to bring some money to, to pay people but also into the organization to actually consult and get the experts that is the people who deal with it every day to to be able to go in and look at companies if and I would think that we're seeing a growing population of companies who also do care about access and accessibility. There are lots that don't, which is part of what we have to deal with. But I would think that it is a growing population. And if you created an environment and that kind of have a class of people and a kind of a mechanism in the agency to do that, that might be a really exciting thing that could be very visible and very helpful all around.   Tauhric Brown  1:02:37 I agree with you. And that's why I say I love that you said that I wrote that down.   Michael Hingson  1:02:44 Well, we've been doing this a while but there is one more question. Probably the most probing question of the day and you're going to have to answer it. You all like University of North Carolina basketball, and I haven't heard you once say that you live in North Carolina lower lived in North Carolina. So let's get to the meat of that.   Tauhric Brown  1:03:04 So yes, I am a tried and true love my Tar Heel. Yeah. The love started when I was I think I might have been nine or 10 years old. And I was watching a basketball game. And I and I always say the first thing that caught my eye was the baby blue colored uniforms that that was the first thing that caught my eye. But what I really gravitated to was this four corners offense that coach Dean Smith, right. He's the long standing coach of the Tar Heels that he was running back then in the 80s and early 90s. And so I started watching North Carolina then and never stopped. I watched them through the Michael Jordan era, the James worthy era. But after I graduated high school, and right before I left to go to the military, my mother did leave Kalamazoo, Michigan right after, right after high school, and she relocated initially to Greenville, North Carolina. So there was about a two year period a year year and a half period where I did physically live in Greenville, North Carolina with my mom. And then of course when I would come home on leave from overseas, I would always go to North Carolina to see her. So while I'm not from there while I didn't attend that university, I have always loved watching the North Carolina Tar Heels. They're not having a great year this year, but but there's still my team out there you   Michael Hingson  1:04:50 can and should be. I my favorite my favorite North Carolina basketball story is there used to be a TV show on CBS called without a trace, the FBI oriented kind of show and I flew into North Carolina one Thursday night to do a speech the next day. And I got to the hotel and I figure, okay, I'm going to unpack what am I going to do while I unpack and I figure I'll turn on the TV and watch without a trace what the heck. Turn on the TV just before eight o'clock. Eight o'clock comes along and the announcer comes on and says without a trace will not be seen tonight at its regular time because we're going to provide the broadcast of the North Carolina State University of North Carolina basketball game because it was right time getting close to March Madness, right. Yeah. And if you want to see without a trace you can tune in Sunday morning at 2am. Not doing that. But but North Carolina loves its basketball counties. They've got three major teams Duke NC State and UNC. And it is it is so incredible. And to to have done that I saw I watched the game I do have to say I don't even remember who won that game that year. But but it was it was fun and just kind of entertaining had these great expectations and all of a sudden crashing down. It's the basketball game. They love basketball like Kentucky loves football. Yeah, well. It's okay. It's kind of fun. Well, this, Tauhric , this has really been fun. And I really appreciate all the information. We haven't even talked about the fact of you all got introduced to us through accessiBe.   Tauhric Brown  1:06:47 That's right. Yes, we did. Yeah, we didn't get it. We didn't talk about that. No, we did.   Michael Hingson  1:06:53 So you guys are using it. And it's working? Well.   Tauhric Brown  1:06:57 It is working beautifully. Again, it's just another opportunity to be more accessible to individuals that need us, Mike. So you know, when when we first found out or when Dana first talked to me about this, someone, this is a wonderful idea. I love that we're doing this. And we've gotten some really positive feedback. And you know, for us, we always think about so what's next? But right, what's that next? Next thing that we need to be thinking about to further enhance our accessibility to individuals in that digital social world? So but but so far, I've been extremely pleased with our relationship with accessiBe.   Michael Hingson  1:07:46 Well, we were all here to provide whatever support you need. And we appreciate that. Well, I want to thank you, again for being here. If people want to reach out and learn more about sekolah, and maybe reach out to you, and, and so on, how do they do that?   Tauhric Brown  1:08:04 Yep, so I think the best way for individuals to connect with us, they can visit our website, and that is www dot CICOA. C I C O A.org. And they'll be able to access our website there, or they can contact us at our aging and disability resource center. And that number, I'll give the toll free number 1-800-432-2422. And then, if someone has an interest and would love to connect with me directly, they can send me an email that email addresses T Brown T B R O W N@cicoa.org.   Michael Hingson  1:08:53 And CICOA is again is spelled   Tauhric Brown  1:09:01 C i C O A.   Michael Hingson  1:09:04 Perfect. Well, I really appreciate you taking so much time to talk with all of us. I think this has absolutely been educational and it has also been fun. And I've been a great guest and I love it and hopefully one of these days we'll get a chance to be back there and meet you in person. I hope love that Mike, we'll have to do it. And yes, sir. You listening appreciate you listening to us today. Please give us a five star rating wherever you hear our podcast. You're also welcome to go to www dot Michael hingson h i n g s o n.com. That's m i c h a e l h i n g s o n.com/podcast. And hear all of our episodes and wherever you go and listen to us. Please give us a five star rating. We'd appreciate it if you know and Tauhric  is you as well. Anyone knows anyone who ought to be a guest or you think would be a good guest on unstoppable mindset. Please reach out. You can also email me at Michaelhi M I C H A E L H I at accessiBe,  A C C E S S I B E.com. And as Tauhric  would tell you, if you go to accessibe.com, there is a link that you can click on and where you can actually do an audit of your website or any website to see how accessible it is. That's free. So go check it out, see what what it will tell you about how usable your website is by persons with disabilities. Again, Tauhric , one more time, thanks very much for being with us. We really appreciate it. And we'll have to do more of this in the future.   Tauhric Brown  1:10:45 It's my pleasure, and I'm looking forward to it. Thank you so much.   Michael Hingson  1:10:53 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com. accessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Jason and Amy discuss the entirety of the Older Americans Act, why the Federal Government decided to create it, and how each section of the Act The post Inside The Senior Alliance: The Older Americans Act with Amy Gotwals (Ep 30) appeared first on The Senior Alliance.

In this episode, Jason Maciejewski, CEO of The Senior Alliance, talks to Amy Gotwals, Chief, Public Policy and External Affairs of U.S. Aging. Jason and Amy discuss the entirety of the Older Americans Act, why the Federal Government decided to ...Read More The post Inside The Senior Alliance: The Older Americans Act with Amy Gotwals (Ep 1.30) appeared first on The Senior Alliance.

Meals on Wheels has been more important than ever the past couple years as seniors became more isolated during the pandemic. But what is Meals on Wheels, and how does it work? And how do you or your loved ones qualify? Michelle McMahon is the executive director of Meals on Wheels in Denton County, Texas, and she's joined by Senior Nutrition Program Manager Kristine Herrera to discuss all the ins and outs of Meals on Wheels. You'll learn: How it's funded - How seniors qualify - How often meals are delivered - What's included - How the volunteer program works And more. It's a labor of love that does more than deliver meals. Thanks to generous donations and grants, seniors not only receive a nutritious, warm meal – they receive friendly check-ins from members of the community. This provides relief to family members of seniors who may not get to see their loved ones as often as they'd like. Topics discussed: - Meals on Wheels - Congregate meals - Funding / donating to Meals on Wheels - Volunteer work - Senior community - Senior socialization Takeaways from this episode: - Meals on Wheels is free for seniors and mainly funded through the federal government's Older Americans Act. But to serve more people, they rely on supplemented donations and grants. - Seniors qualify for delivery when they're over age 60, live alone, and are homebound. Social workers also do a candidate assessment when they receive a senior referral. - Senior living facilities sometimes host congregate Meals on Wheels, which offers an enriching experience providing socialization to a population that's often lonely. - Meals and Wheels gives peace of mind to distant family members because sometimes the delivery is the only contact seniors have. - Senior Paws is a donation-based program that partners with Meals on Wheels of Denton County to deliver dog and cat food to home bound seniors with pets. To find out more about volunteering with Meals on Wheels in Denton County, call: 940-382-2224 Visit the website to learn more or donate: www.mowdc.org Senior Paws: http://mowdc.org/senior-paws-for-pets/ Episode 14: Finding purpose as we age: https://www.loriwilliams-seniorservices.com/aging-in-style-podcast/episode/78a00db4/014-finding-your-purpose-at-any-age To suggest a topic, be a guest or to support the podcast, please email Lori@Loriwilliams-seniorservices.com For more senior resources and to sign up to the newsletter, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/LoriWilliamsSeniorServices/ https://www.instagram.com/theloriwilliams/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/theloriwilliams/ https://loriwilliams-seniorservices.com/aging-in-style-podcast/

In 1965 the Older Americans Act was passed in Congress to create and strengthen services to older citizens. Amended in 1973, the legislation created the Area Agencies on Aging – a national network of state-based regions to plan and implement needed critical services. Cindy Farson has led the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging – or as we all like acronyms – COAAA – for 28 years and is turning the page on her career. Guiding this 8 county agency, Cindy has brought vision and growth to our communities. Today we are going to both look back and look forward, tapping into her incredible insight and wisdom on the next steps to “aging gracefully”. What was happening to seniors in the 1960s and '70s that moved the Older Americans Act to the forefront? Now, forty years later, the number of seniors significantly rose, and their needs increased. COAAA serves approximately 30,000 clients with a $10 million budget to cover 8 Ohio counties. We are coming out of a pandemic that dramatically changed the needs of seniors, their safety, and health. Where are we now? What are the top concerns on your list? What is happening to our seniors, their housing, transportation, and health? And how is COAAA addressing those needs? COAAA has an enormous job in reaching seniors or their family members/caregivers. Without clear communication streams, many seniors would not be able to benefit from all of your programs and services. COAAA has an incredible network to share information. However, what is your greatest fear/frustration with finding those who need you? And how is technology helping/hurting your efforts? Money is always an issue. Services to seniors can be costly, particularly for personal/health care. Where are we on funding? Do federal and local legislators understand the issues? Do we need to re-think funding models and look for dollars elsewhere (e.g. greater local tax levies)? If so, where? Housing in Central Ohio continues to create untenable situations for families, and for seniors - rent increases, lack of housing, aging of the housing stock are all situations we face in Central Ohio. Yet, we have a proliferation of new building developments for senior housing. Do you have advice for our listeners on housing trends – what happens if a senior needs housing now and what about 5 years from now? There are so many other “hot button” issues for seniors – such as transportation. Our community is very lucky to also have some newer services available for seniors to meet those demands, including the “Villages” concept and “Age Friendly” communities which are dependent upon volunteers. Will programs utilizing volunteer teams be the answer to senior needs? Cindy has been a mentor and role model for so many individuals who have moved into careers serving seniors. It is difficult to convince younger individuals – students and young adults – that a career in senior services can be a fulfilling opportunity. She shares her thoughts on the value and advantages to pursue work in senior services – the types of opportunities (e.g. from administrators to caregivers), industries (e.g. for-profit, nonprofit, governmental), and future needs? https://apps.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hcs.cfm (U. S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved senior housing consultants (Ohio)) https://www.n4a.org/ (National Association of Agencies on Aging) http://www.ohioaging.org/ (Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging) - o4a is a nonprofit, statewide network of agencies that provide services for older Ohioans, people with disabilities and their families. http://coaaa.org/cms/resources/aging-in-place/villages (Central Ohio Network of Villages) https://agefriendlycolumbus.org/ (Age-Friendly Columbus | We are Columbus, happy, healthy and strong) https://www.facebook.com/SeniorRTColumbus (Senior Services Roundtable) - The Senior Services Roundtable is a clearinghouse of information and ideas to assist seniors in central Ohio,...

Know Your Elderly Affairs Department. The host for this show is Larry Grimm. The guest is Lot Lau. After Congress passed the Older Americans Act in 1965 money was available at state and local levels to address the needs of aging Americans. How was that money applied to the community of Honolulu? Meet Mr. Lot Lau and learn. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6mNt8XzF6dCBruXz5Sr5g8t Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

The Older Americans Act is the foundation of our aging network. In this episode of Leverage, we take a closer look at its history and promises for the future. Richard Browdie, Guest Editor of Winter 2021-22 Generations Journal: The Older Americans Act, interviews Edwin Walker, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging. Listen as Mr. Walker reflects on the achievements of OAA, interactions with Congress, and how prepared we really are for our aging society.

Meals on Wheels has been more important than ever the past couple years as seniors have isolated during the pandemic. But what is Meals on Wheels, and how does it work? And how do you or your loved ones qualify? Michelle McMahon is the executive director of Meals on Wheels in Denton County, Texas, and she's joined by Senior Nutrition Program Manager Kristine Herrera to discuss all the ins and outs of Meals on Wheels. You'll learn: -How it's funded - How seniors qualify - How often meals are delivered - What's included - How the volunteer program works And more. It's a labor of love that does more than deliver meals. Thanks to generous donations and grants, seniors not only receive a nutritious, warm meal – they receive friendly check-ins from members of the community. This provides relief to family members of seniors who may not get to see their loved ones as often as they'd like. Topics discussed: - Meals on Wheels - Congregate meals - Funding / donating to Meals on Wheels - Volunteer work - Senior community - Senior socialization Takeaways from this episode: - Meals on Wheels is free for seniors and mainly funded through the federal government's Older Americans Act. But to serve more people, they rely on supplemented donations and grants. - Seniors qualify for delivery when they're over age 60, live alone, and are homebound. Social workers also do a candidate assessment when they receive a senior referral. - Senior living facilities sometimes host congregate Meals on Wheels, which offers an enriching experience providing socialization to a population that's often lonely. - Meals and Wheels gives peace of mind to distant family members because sometimes the delivery is the only contact seniors have. - Senior Paws is a donation-based program that partners with Meals on Wheels of Denton County to deliver dog and cat food to home bound seniors with pets. To find out more about volunteering with Meals on Wheels in Denton County, call: 940-382-2224 Visit the website to learn more or donate: www.mowdc.org Senior Paws: http://mowdc.org/senior-paws-for-pets/ Episode 14: Finding purpose as we age: https://www.loriwilliams-seniorservices.com/aging-in-style-podcast/episode/78a00db4/014-finding-your-purpose-at-any-age To suggest a topic, be a guest or to support the podcast please email Lori@Loriwilliams-seniorservices.com For more senior resources and to sign up to the newsletter please visit: https://www.facebook.com/LoriWilliamsSeniorServices/ https://www.instagram.com/theloriwilliams/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/theloriwilliams/ https://loriwilliams-seniorservices.com/aging-in-style-podcast/

Mr. Larry Curley is Executive Director of The National Indian Council on Aging (https://www.nicoa.org/), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1976 by members of the National Tribal Chairmen's Association who called for a national organization focused on the needs of aging American Indian and Alaska Native elders. The mission of NICOA is to advocate for improved comprehensive health, social services and economic well-being for American Indian and Alaska Native elders. Mr. Curley is a member of the Navajo Nation with over 40 years of experience working in the aging and healthcare fields. He has worked with Congress, other branches of the federal government, and national organizations on aging to develop support for programs affecting elder American Indians. After receiving his master's degree in public administration at the University of Arizona, along with a certificate in gerontology, Mr. Curley worked as a gerontological planner at an Area Agency on Aging in Pima County, Arizona, where he was instrumental in establishing a county public fiduciary program. As a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., he successfully advocated for the passage of Title VI of the Older Americans Act, an amendment which he wrote. Mr. Curley directed the Navajo Nation's Head Start program, one of the five largest Head Start programs in the country, and has served as a nursing home administrator of a tribal, long-term care facility, a hospital administrator in northern Nevada, and as a college instructor at the University of Nevada-Reno and Eastern Washington University. Mr. Curley was named as the assistant dean of the Four Corners region for the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine. He's also served as the public representative on the American College of Physicians Clinical Guidelines Committee, and as the director of program development for the Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services in northwest New Mexico.

In the season one finale, Bruce and Chris are joined by Barbara Horstmeyer, founder of the Senior Planning Group. They explore all the variables that go into the senior moving process that make up a ‘life care planning firm. We also discuss how important it is to have a central group or person that can help guide you through all of these variables. How can families work together to help their aging parents? Plus Barbara shares how VA Benefits and the ‘Older Americans Act' can offer substantial financial assistance to seniors who are moving.Barbara Horstmeyer is the founder of the Senior Planning Group. She can be reached at 866-670-0888 or online at seniorplanninginc.com.Bruce Nemovitz is a Senior Real Estate Specialist and can be reached at brucesteam.com or at 262-242-6177.

Larry Curley has felt the destructive force of US government policy on Native Americans first-hand. A member of the Navajo Nation he lives with the legacy of dislocation and stripping of identity caused by the Removal Act of 1830 and the Assimilation Act of 1887. He has directly experienced the Termination Act of 1953 and Relocation Act of 1956 as blunt instruments of a federal power grab. As a young and fearless advocate in 1978, he drafted Title VI of the Older Americans Act, requiring federal funding for elders to be deployed to tribes instead of states. And to guarantee that elders were taken seriously by policy makers he founded and now leads the Native Indian Council on Aging. NICOA is a force to be reckoned with. During the pandemic, which stole 5000 Native lives, predominantly seniors, its leaders adapted by advocating through Zoom. They are now gearing up for an in-person conference to build a policy agenda focused on the physical, mental and spiritual needs of Native elders. It will be based in wisdom, respect and advanced by collective action. Next stop: Capitol Hill.   

Under the Older Americans Act, all states must have a nursing home ombudsman program. This ensures that nursing home residents across America can get help if they need it. By collecting data on nursing home neglect and abuse, complaints can be organized based on frequency and severity. They'll also highlight aspects of care that need improvement. In today's episode, Nicola speaks about: What is the ombudsman program The importance of ombudsmen in any nursing home facility Why you should conduct a thorough investigation before signing up your aging parents at a nursing home facility. ...and so much more! Connect with Nicola: LinkedIn: Nicola Robinson Connect with Olivia: Facebook: Olivia Smith Instagram: @ocsmith960 Check out the SR Law Group: Website: www.srlawgrp.com LinkedIn: SR Law Group Instagram: @srlawgrp Facebook: SR Law Group Tweeter: @srlawgrp Let's continue the conversation in our Free Facebook group!:  Black Parents Aging  

For resources, transcripts, and more information visit: https://www.adalive.org/episode93 The “graying” of America is continuing at an accelerated pace. In the past 10 years, there has been a staggering 35% increase in the total number of people in the United States aged 65 and over, now at 52.4 million people. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the over-65 population will be 77 million by the year 2035 – when, for the first time, the number of older people will be larger than the number of children under age 18. For many of us, aging means daily living can become more difficult. Aging also increases the likelihood of acquiring a disability and the likely result that more people will be eligible for protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Plan to join us for this thought-provoking episode of ADA Live! in recognition of May as Older Americans Month. Our guest, Nick Nyberg, Programs & Planning Division Chief with the Alabama Department of Senior Services, will discuss the Older Americans Act of 1965 and its impact on the services and supports for older people, what these supports can be, and much more.

Joanne Rideout talks with US Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici about the renewal and enhancement of the Older Americans Act, federal legislation that funds many services for seniors nationwide.

Joanne Rideout talks with US Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici about the renewal and enhancement of the Older Americans Act, federal legislation that funds many services for seniors nationwide.

Older adults have continued to receive much needed services and many new ones during COVID19, with the help of Area Agencies on Aging.  These agencies were started in the late 1960's as part of the Older Americans Act.  Over the years, thanks to advocacy, more funding has come available to add services like counseling, vision support and much more to a program that originally focused on food and transportation.  During COVID19, even more support has been provided by these agencies and their community partners.  Mr. Jody Barker, Director of the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging shares many of the ways this region stepped up. Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado.  The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer.  Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging.     Transcript: Cynthia: This is Aging with Altitude, welcome to all. This podcast is brought to you by the Pikes Peak Area Council of Government's Agency on Aging. We strive to provide answers, assistance, and advocacy for our elders. Thank you for joining us today. Our topic today is COVID-19 Now. I am your host, Cynthia Margiotta, a geriatric social worker and volunteer with the Pikes Peak Area Council of Government's Area Agency on Aging. With me today is Jody Barker.   Jody Barker: Thank you, Cynthia.   Cynthia: Thank you for coming. A little bit about Jody... Jody is the director of the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging, which serves three counties: El Paso County, Park County, and Teller County in Colorado. He has served in many roles in his twenty-two-plus years in senior service organizations in Colorado. Among those roles have been editor of the Life After 50 newspaper, the director of operations for a home care agency, Central Colorado Regional Director of the Alzheimer's Association, and director of the Colorado Springs Senior Center. Jody's greatest joy is matching services with seniors and their families or enabling staff and services to do so. Jody has served on various boards and commissions over the years and currently is on the Colorado Commission on Aging, appointed by Governor Hickenlooper. I'm impressed!   Jody Barker: Thank you, Cynthia.   Cynthia: Well, thank you, Jody! I have known you through several of those organizations, all are so great.   Q: So, let's get started with our first question about COVID if you don't mind? Jody, how are you at the Area Agency on Aging? How are you still meeting the needs of our community?   Jody Barker:   A: Well thank you, Cynthia, it is a pleasure to be with you today. When the governor's order began in early March, we knew that we would have to continue operating even if we had to close our doors. March 17th, St Patrick's Day, as a matter of fact, we packed up what we needed to serve our community. That included telephones and paperwork and our computers and we began to work remotely. So, even a sense March, even with our doors closed to the physical building, we are still 100% operational. We have even added services that I'd like to share with you later. The exciting thing is that our staff has taken this as a really exciting challenge. We continue to answer all phone calls, we're reaching out to our clients, we're reaching out to past clients, we are reaching out to our community to continue to serve them every day.   Cynthia: It's amazing how much you're doing and I can't wait to talk about that. As the emergency orders have changed we are seeing changing guidelines. As of today which is June 3rd, 2020, in case you're listening to this a little bit further down the road, we are at the Safer at Home stage or in the Vast Great Outdoors.   Q: What does that mean?   Jody Barker:   A: There's a lot of interesting thoughts around the changes in the orders that have been provided by Governor Polis. Originally, as you know, we were in a Stay-at-Home order. It was necessary for all involved to really flatten that curve. This way, we could really understand more about the disease and how it was affecting our community. Of course, because covid affects upper respiratory issues, it has been very challenging for older adults, especially those with underlying health conditions. The Stay-at-Home order was crucial, to begin with. As those in leadership, especially those in the healthcare field, began to understand more about the disease in early May they changed the order to Safer-at-Home. This allowed us to have a little more movement, like maybe going to the grocery stores or getting out and about to pick up a restaurant order instead of sitting in a restaurant to eat. That was was crucial.   Now, with this most recent phase, The Vast Great Outdoors, it simply is an encouragement for people who are able to enjoy the outdoors. Here we are now, on the very front end of summer and this week has been more like summer than June! It feels more like July and August kind of weather. It is very hot! The great thing about this new phase is that it is an encouragement to people who are able to get out and go to their local parks with appropriate social distancing or maybe go for a walk in their neighborhood. There was concern earlier on about even just stepping outside your home. Now, people are encouraged to open those windows and get some fresh air and to lessen the social isolation that was so important early on. Now, we want to encourage people who can, to get out there. There are actually a couple of exciting changes with our providers who are helping to promote the new orders that we will touch on.   Cynthia: It is so important to get some fresh air and to get a little exercise, even if it's just walking around the block to take take the dog for a walk. I mean, I have a neighbor who takes his wheelchair and he goes and walks his dog. I think it's important to do that!   Jody Barker: Even in my neighborhood here in town when we are able to get out for a walk, we see so many people out walking their dogs or going to the park. It is people of all ages, you know? So it's really exciting to see people moving about! It's an interesting change from the last two months but when we think about what it truly means for older adults, it's crucial. This is because the older Americans Act, which is a major source of our funding to the AAA, was written in 1965 to reduce social isolation. That is the primary directive around our funding and our programming. Imagine what that's had to look like in the last two months with the Stay-at-Home and even the Safer-at-Home safer orders in place. People we have served in a variety of areas, whether that's senior center programs, transportation to doctor visits, transportations to church or classes at the Senior Center, lunches at the Senior Center, all of those had to change on a dime. All of that was intended to help protect the safety, health, and well-being of older adults, as well as the rest of the community. But, it's probably been most difficult on our older population because someone who lives at home, to begin with, and maybe looks forward to that three to five days lunchtime with their friends at the Senior Center, suddenly are being asked to stay at home. That can be extremely challenging to their health and mental well-being.   Cynthia: Yeah, absolutely! We could talk about that for hours, gotta get out gotta be involved as much as a person is able.   Jody Barker: Exactly! An interesting comment came to me a few weeks ago from one of our volunteers who said she was talking with some neighbors. One of her neighbors, who is an older adult, said, "you know, I feel useless because I'm used to volunteering and now, I'm not allowed to. I feel useless." And so, one of the things that our advisory committee is working on is actually not only volunteering for seniors but involving those seniors in that volunteer project. This is to give people a purpose and to give people activities and things to look forward to. I know what will touch on it here in a little bit, but there's so much going on to not just serve the seniors but incorporate the seniors into the process. We're all working on this together.   Cynthia: In a sense, that's serving them.   Jody Barker: Absolutely!   Cynthia: You know you've known me for a while and I'm a big advocate of volunteerism. I think it's a very important part of being part of the community. I think, you know, if you can when you retire don't go sit on a chair! It drives me crazy! If you can, go out and volunteer. If you can't go anywhere, find a way to volunteer from home. People can write notes or they can make phone calls. I can talk about it for hours...   Jody Barker: I think what we have to remember is that there are opportunities for outreach, not just to our older population but for those older adults to participate in that process. Maybe there's an assisted living or retirement community or a skilled nursing facility in your neighborhood. Call those places and say "I'd like to write someone a letter." You have no idea how much of a positive impact that person can make.   Because maybe you live at home but you might have three or four rooms to move about in. But someone right now, during this time, who lives in assisted living or a skilled nursing facility is being asked to stay in their room. Their meals are delivered to them, their activities are brought to them in the hallway, and they are being asked not to leave their room due to social distancing.   So even just taking the time to write a note to an older adult who lives in a community near you could make a world of difference. You don't have to ask permission, you don't have to be part of a larger group, to do that. You can pick up the phone, you can write that letter on your own, and it will be such a positive impact on the staff and on the residents.   Cynthia: Just the thought of me being in a room for a month... I'm an extrovert and I would have no hair because I pulled it all out. I absolutely think those are wonderful things we can do. I mean, we can even write a note to our neighbor. It doesn't have to be an official volunteer program.   Q: So tell me, what are some of the service delivery changes and supports that have been implemented that you have found interesting or effective or both?   Jody Barker:   A: That's a great question! As you might imagine, as we started hearing more about this virus and as it began to grow, even at the end of February, before we closed our physical building, before the Stay-at-Home orders came from the governor, some of our providers were already beginning to make plans and make changes to their service delivery. For example, one service provider who many of you will know is Silver Key Senior Services. They are the primary meal site provider for El Paso County. So, when you think of meal sites, you're thinking of Colorado Springs Senior Center, Fountain Valley Senior Center, and the Mountain Mennonite Church in Palmer Lake. Those places receive meals from Silver Key Senior Service's kitchens. They're hot and fresh meals that get delivered to people who come into a congregate site. These people meet up with their friends. They might come early for a class or stay late for a concert. That is their time to get together. As you might imagine, as soon as that Stay-at-Home order came into place in mid-March, that service had to stop.   So, what did Silver Key do? Silver Key immediately implemented appropriate social distancing. They increased their home-delivered meals. They increased their pantry of delivered meals instead of people coming in via transportation on a Silver Key bus, going to the pantry to do their own shopping, and then get back on the bus to go home. Silver Key tried to reduce that contact in their pantry. The pantry is big until you start putting 15 people with shopping carts in there. You know, it can get very crowded. It is shoulder to shoulder sometimes. To avoid this, what they started doing is packing up those pantry boxes and delivering those to their regular pantry clients.   That was one thing that they did, another thing that they did is they converted those congregate meal sites into what are called grab and go sites. For example, every Monday at the Colorado Springs Senior Center, the Silver Key Senior Services blue meal truck shows up. Instead of daily pickup, they prepare multiple meals and flash freeze them. This way, clients have all five meals for the week. Clients also have the opportunity to pick up fresh produce, dairy products, and things like that depending on what silver Key has on hand or what has been donated.   The Senior Center, normally provides classes such as educational classes, moving for better balance, tai chi, and more. Those are the kind of programs that we fund with the Older Americans Act and Older Colorado Act dollars that we administer. For obvious reasons, they had to close as they were not allowed to do congregate-type programs like those physical classes. So what they did was they started making calls of reassurance. The YMCA and the Colorado Springs Senior Center host over 16,000 members who are over 60 years of age. So, staff and volunteers began picking up the phone and calling in to check on their constituents. In addition to this, they created what they call a phone buddy program. Silver Key would invite someone to the program and have that person tell a little bit about themselves. They would then collect a little bit of information from an older adult who is interested. They then paired volunteers with participating older adults. So, think of it almost like a pen pal program, but by phone. The Senior Center has begun to host those pairings of phone buddies. Instead of Senior Center staff making those calls out daily, weekly, twice a week, those phone buddies can now be a lifeline to one another. All they have to do is pick up the phone to check in with each other, talk about common interests, and that kind of thing.   Silver Key is also providing some meals to people who do not have access to the Senior Center to pick up their own meals. They're delivering those meals on a case-by-case basis. The Fountain Valley Senior Center, as you know, is one of those congregate meal sites. They have now become and one of the Silver Key grab and go sites. Under the front of the building, they have set up a drive-through system. People line up in their cars and they can pick up the meal, they can pick up information, they can check-in and see how they're doing. One of the exciting things that I heard about, as it relates to Fountain Valley Senior Center, was that the city of Fountain did not layoff their staff, but sent a great many of them home to work remotely. This is because they did not have the same functions during that early stay-at-home process. Someone from the city government contacted the Fountain Valley Senior Center director, Jolene Hausman, and said what can we do? How can we help at this time? And they began with 20 city employees making those calls of reassurance. These employees were making over 100 calls a day. At first, it was only going to be a couple of weeks. Now, it is becoming an ongoing project because the seniors love it and staff from the city love it. Now, Jolene is talking about when things slow down, she would like to have a barbecue so the city employees can meet their phone buddy. The Senior Center is actually been talking about putting on something when it's safe to do so. So that those phone buddies can meet one another.   It's just been really neat to see those programs, even some of the smaller programs like Teller County Senior Coalition, based out of Woodland Park. This group has provided fresh fruits, vegetables, and even restaurant meals to their clients. This way clients are getting choices and variety, not just the same box of food every week. There is just a lot of neat things going on.   Unfortunately, some of our providers were limited. Providers who were contracted with us to provide certain services like transportation, suddenly found themselves not allowed to provide their service. So, they reached out in other ways like helping with telehealth or counseling services to make sure that people's needs are being met.   The irony in all of this is that it's changing almost daily, and definitely weekly, as our providers determine what needs must be met. Providers are determining what the outreach needs to look like as they plan for the future. Right now, we don't know what congregate programs are going to look like for the next few months or the long term. However, I would encourage people to take a look at the Colorado Springs Senior Center website at epymcappymca.org.   On the website, they can find the Colorado Springs Senior Center. They have already begun art classes using the online zoom system. So, zoom, if you're not familiar, is really more of a teleconferencing system where you can log in and see each other if you have a smartphone or a computer at home. Using the camera on your computer or smartphone, you can see one another and you can see your teacher. They began art classes using that online platform last week and they had something like 16 or 20 people from all over join that class. So, they are going to be doing a variety of both free and fee-based classes as they begin to look at what serving the community needs to look like with these new circumstances.   Cynthia:   Q: These are some mighty changes, yes?   Jody Barker:   A: Yes! These changes are distinctly different than what we traditionally thought of about senior services. I'm really excited that so many of our providers are looking at how they can continue to serve the needs of our community in a new way.   We have about half a dozen services that we provide directly out of our offices by our staff. These services include family caregiver support services. We are also going to be doing our own support groups via zoom and by electronic media. The exciting thing about this is that it means we can provide services to those who are caring for older adult family members, spouse, or parent. Instead of just the caregiver coming to a support group, he or she can invite family members from across the nation to join the caregiver in that support group. We now have the electronic technology in place to be able to do that. So, real silver linings are coming out of the challenges that we've faced due to COVID-19.   Cynthia: Yeah! You know national support groups would be an asset ongoing.   Jody Barker: Absolutely!   Cynthia:   Q: I like that idea! Will there be issue-specific support groups, or will they be more generalized?   Jody Barker:   A: I believe they're going to start somewhat general to begin with, but there is discussion around some more specific topics. So, if someone has a specific challenge or need in a certain area that person will be able to sign up for that specific support group. To expand on that, you know the Colorado Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association is also doing something very similar. It may be nationwide, but they're beginning to do a lot more online support groups for that very reason. Again, it's one of those silver linings that has come out of the changes that we are having to make as we do our best to meet the needs of our constituents. Even though we can't be face to face, we're taking advantage of technology to meet those needs.   So, even internally, where we would normally have a Medicare class here in the office, right now everything is converted to the webinar. We were able to have more of those classes and are able to partner with other agencies in town so that we can make sure we get the word out. Because these classes are done by webinars, we don't have to worry about partner space and social distancing. It gives the people a lot more flexibility in getting the resources that they need, as well.   Cynthia: I take the Medicare 101 class almost every year and I'll tell you I don't know how Roma does that! There seems to be a different rule every year with Medicare, so I think those would be great classes!   Jody Barker: Absolutely, absolutely! You know, if our listeners are interested in getting more information about those classes, they can go directly to our website at PPACG.org and click on the aging banner. That will take them to a variety of pieces of information where they can sign up for those webinars. If you're not sure about that, you can also call us directly at 719-47120964712096. That phone number is manned during regular office hours and it is very likely that you would need to leave a detailed message with your contact information and name so that someone will get back to you. Our staff is fully operational.   Cynthia: And for those of you who don't have a paper with you, we're going to repeat all of these wonderful sites at the end. Jody is watching me take notes here so that I get them right, which won't happen so you'll have to correct me.   Q: Next question, what thoughts and discussions have come up around serving different populations such as rural areas, different ethnicities, lower-income, and, of course, our seniors?   Jody Barker:   A: As you might imagine, the Area Agency on Aging primarily focuses on our population who is 60 years and over. That's who the Older Americans Act was written specifically to provide services to. Most of the conversations we have are around that. However, we do partner with several other agencies like the Independent Center, the Resource Exchange, and others like that which provide services to adults with disabilities. So sometimes there's some crossover in information. So, if someone's not sure who best to call, always feel free to call us at that main number (4712096) and we will help guide you. You know, we will ask a few questions and determine if that is a service that would come from us, or if it's a service that might come from one of our providers, or if we should be referring you to a partnering agency. It's always good to have that phone number in mind. That's the primary phone number here at the office and it will also lead you to our senior information assistance network staff.   As you may know, we also have a yellow book that we just got printed! COVID did not stop us, it delayed us a little bit. Really, COVID didn't stop us. Those are now being delivered. Even if you're used to coming to the office to pick those up, you can still do that! We were the generous recipients of two newspaper-style boxes that are located at our parking lot. So you can drive right up and pick up both our yellow book and our Adult Medicaid and VA Guidebook. We still have those available, even though we might not be here in the office. I wanted to make sure we talked about that.   Conversations around serving other parts of our population can really be a challenge. You know, zoom and Skype and similar platforms like that, as it relates to technology, not all of our seniors have those capabilities. That can sometimes be a challenge. Despite the state budget shortfalls that we're expecting, there is still discussion about how to bring broadband to our rural areas. That discussion has not stopped. So, for those of you might who live in a more rural area and don't have access to the Internet, know that you're not forgotten. That still continues to be a high priority for many of our legislators. With that being said, we're just looking at greater opportunities to work with partners. As you may know, even though AAA serves primarily three counties, that's our region (region four) for the state of Colorado. Our S.H.I.P that's our State Health Insurance Program, counselors actually serve more counties than that. So we typically work with partners in those outer regions anyway. This extends all the way down to the New Mexico border, to make sure that we're reaching those populations. Right now, it's a continued and ongoing conversation. I can't really say that we've figured out how best to do it, but it's certainly important for us to make sure that we're remembering those populations as we're figuring out how best to reach those areas. A couple of opportunities that we're exploring is greater reach into eastern El Paso County, for example. So some of our providers, including Invida who run a bus service, have reopened their rural area bus services. So if you live in the Calhan area, that bus service has restarted. Or if you live in the southeastern portion, along Hwy 94, Invida has restarted that route as well. There's increased outreach and increased opportunities to get engaged. Now we're just looking at all those opportunities to see what that's going to look like in the future.   Cynthia: Good for you. You got to keep working!   Jody Barker: We have not stopped. Like I said, even from the day that we had to physically close our doors, we continue as a staff. Our providers out in the region continue to serve. As I said, some of that is changed. The service delivery might look a little different but know that we're all still working on this making sure that our seniors and their families have the services that they need or know that they have access to services.   Cynthia: I'm sure some of these changes are going to be ongoing.   Jody Barker: That the expectation, yes! Because we don't really expect to have traditional congregate programs for some time yet. Now, even as we're speaking here on June 3rd, this afternoon there's going to be a presentation by the governor's office around what the next phase of opening may look like. It is intended to be specifically focused around senior services. Right now, a lot of those recommendations are coming to us as things to consider. The requirements are really following the guidelines of the health departments in particular regions around the State.   Cynthia:   Q: Do you know where people can listen to that? Will it be on TV?   Jody Barker:   A: This is very last minute, we were just alerted to this about an hour before we began this conversation. So I don't know where it will be if it will be recorded, if it's going to be a press conference, or if it's going to be just service delivery information. I don't know yet but as we know more we will certainly update our website. You can also go to the El Paso County Health Department website to keep track of things like that, as well.   Cynthia:   Q: What has the collaborations and leadership looked like across Colorado?   Jody Barker:   A: That's really been exciting to be part of in this time. Despite the challenges in the State of Colorado's State Unit on Aging, which is a division of the Colorado of Department of Human Services, has been extremely helpful. I'm also part of an organization that includes all of the AAA directors around the state. So collaborating between the State Unit on Aging and the Area Agency on Aging has been really exciting to be part of right now. There's a lot of discussions, there's a lot of questions, there's a lot of idea sharing, and that collaboration has been really positive. We've also included the in those conversations service providers so that they can hear and ask questions directly of our state office as well. It's been very positive right now. There has been a lot of flexibility in how we're able to use not just our regular funding but some of the emergency funding that we're starting to see come into our area.   Cynthia:   Q: Then what does planning look like going forward? Where can people get information and resources?   Jody Barker:   A: As part of the Governor's discussion this afternoon, we expect to hear some recommendations and potential guidance around what reopening phases might look like. It's going to take some time though, so we don't really know. We would ask people to be patient around that because there are a lot of unknowns that we are all dealing with. Even just two weeks ago our messaging was very different than it is today because things are changing so often. I would encourage people to go to or call, the El Paso County Health Department if they have questions. They can also contact their direct service providers if they are already a client of Silver Key, Invida, or Fountain Valley Senior Center. Those providers are getting the same information that we are. Of course, they can always contact us here through our main phone number: 4712096 that we talked about. As I said, that's our senior information and assistance hotline. Typically, you can leave a message anytime, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Our operating hours are typically from about 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. We try to get back to you just as soon as we can or forward your voicemail to the appropriate staff member who will call back. There are two areas right there. We're trying to continue to keep our information as up-to-date as possible.   Cynthia: You know family members that are out of the area, I just want to add 719-471-2096. You can call about services for mom and dad! Yeah, you are very welcome to do that.   Q: My last question here, is well second to last, but some of us would like to continue getting updates on COVID?   Jody Barker: Specifically, around COVID-19, there's a lot of information out there online, on the news, on TV, and on the radios. Sometimes it's a little challenging to really understand what's real. Yes, that's a good way to put it, what's real? I would encourage people to follow up with the county health department in their area, whether that's here in our area, El Paso County Health Department. Teller County has its health Department. Park County has its own Health Department. I would encourage them to find a way, whether by website, phone calls, or regular media information, to get connected so that they can get that direct source of information about what's most crucial for their area. As you might imagine, around the State every County typically has a Health Department. Their rules and requirements might be a little bit different and their expectations and recommendations might be a little different from County to County. I would encourage people to get connected with their specific county. Don't look at information from a neighboring state, don't look at information necessarily even from a neighboring county, it could be very different. Find the one in your area and stay connected. That way, you can get the most accurate information anytime. For us here in El Paso County, as I said, it's just simply ElPasoCountyHealth.org.   Cynthia: I think that would be a better place to find things then, I don't want to insult Facebook, but Facebook. Some folks might hear it from the wrong person and they would put that on Facebook and it may or may not be true.   Jody Barker: Correct, the El Paso County Health Department has medical professionals who are specialists in disease control, population information, and what's going to be best for our area. That's really where I would recommend people get directed for that very specific disease information.   Cynthia: Every area is a little different.   Q: Now, let's talk a little bit about the new programs and the providers that you have started here over at the Area Agency on Aging?   Jody Barker:   A: Sure! As I mentioned earlier, we have about a half dozen programs that we provide out of the Area Agency on Aging that include our senior information and assistance program that we've referenced. It also includes our family caregiver support center, that's where we do some of our support groups and caregiver support, just like it sounds. We also do this senior insurance and assistance program that's our S.H.I.P. program. We also are the region's ombudsman office and the ombudsman, if you're not familiar with that terminology, is simply an advocate for older adults. In our case, the ombudsman specifically advocates for those who live in long-term care facilities like assisted livings and skilled nursing facilities. So our ombudsman serves in that area as well. We also, through some of our funding, are able to provide homemaker and personal care services. Those are our primary services internally.   Now, our partnering with agencies that we contract with might be some of those like we've mentioned, such as Silver Key Senior Services. A lot of people think of Silver Key as meals-on-wheels, the congregate meal programs, and transportation, but they do so much more! We're very proud to partner with them. Some of the other services that they do, like case management and so on so. We also have providers who provide additional homemaker services or respite care for those family caregivers. For example, we partner with Colorado Legal Aid, which provides legal services free for folks. We also provide some services around visually impaired services, dental and dentures, mental health screening and counseling, caregiver counseling, home safety renovations. As you might imagine, more people are staying at home. Actually, we've seen an increase in requests for grab bars, railings, and that kind of thing. So we're proud to contract with several other providers like that. We are also able to provide nutritional counseling and education. So, if someone wants to receive nutrition education, they can simply pick up the phone and call their primary provider like Silver Key, in our area, or the Teller Senior Coalition. We will get you routed, but you can call Silver Key directly. We received that education and then those health and exercise classes we talked about that are provided at the senior centers and other congregant programs. Again, some of those have changed. You know how that works has just had to change because of COVID-19. There's a lot of exciting ways that our providers have reached out to make those changes to continue to reach their constituents and clients in making sure that social isolation is reduced as much as possible.   Cynthia: There's a lot more going on in this office than the few employees that are sitting in the building when that was possible.   Jody: Exactly and even for us, even though we have our regular programs, because of COVID-19 we also started doing what we call "calls of reassurance". Some of our providers do that as part of their programs, but we started doing that as well. As you might imagine, someone who may have come in in February to have questions answered around Medicare, suddenly find themselves without transportation and unable to go grocery shopping. You know, we're asking them to stay at home or be safe at home, and maybe they don't have access to those some of those services. So we took it upon ourselves to begin working backward through our contacts and making sure that clients that we had served, for whatever reason in the past, know that they can call us for questions. They can use us for referral services to get referred to other services throughout the community and ultimately just to be reassured that they know that they can call us at any time. As you might imagine, our providers have seen an uptick in those who signed up for services because folks are trying to stay safe and healthy. If that means receiving a few meals a week versus going to the grocery store than those people are reaching out for those services. So it's been really exciting not just working with our staff here as we've made those changes, but also working with our providers who are juggling and making those changes and adding to those services.   Cynthia: Making those changes! It's a great idea. I'm just going to repeat some of the different things that were brought up if you have paper and pencil. One is if you're interested in the yellow book, there's a website where you can also look and see the website. So for those of you who are family out of the area, you might look at that website is ppacg.org yellowbook. Or, you can call the phone number to talk to someone and you might need to leave a phone number and message but that phone number is 719-471-2096. You can get that information along with the Medicaid Veterans Benefits Book. You can stop by here, at our office, and pick up yellow books as well as the Medicaid book. They have a little kiosk outside. The location is not really a difficult location to understand. We are located about two blocks north of Colorado Ave on Chestnut, and you go through these big gates which are open during the day, I don't know at night. During the day, you can just drive through and you'll find it in there. That's where the offices are as well. Whenever it opens, you can always come to visit during that time. Another one that Jody mentioned was the YMCA ppymca.org. They're doing online and zoom art classes and other classes as well.   Jody Barker: They're going to be doing some exercise classes, art classes, as well as some presentations.   Cynthia: That is so great.   Q: Then, are there others that you wanted to bring up that I missed?   Jody Barker:   A: Sure, yeah! As you might imagine, all of our providers are listed on our website. The easiest way like, like Cynthia mentioned, is just going directly to ppacg.org and clicking on the aging button. That really gets you into the Area Agency on Aging portion of the website where you could find an electronic copy of the yellow book, an electronic copy of the Medicaid program, and an electronic copy of the VA benefits guidebook. You can also find listings of our service providers. There some that are local that will provide the largest percentage of our programs and organizations like Silver Key. You can also just go to silverkey.org or you can call them directly. If you're calling locally, the number is 719-884-2300. They will route you to the appropriate department, depending on the service you need. If you're calling for a family member and you're out of state or out of the area just remember the 719 area code. Again, that phone number is 884-2300. You're always welcome to call us here. As I said, leave a detailed message, your name, and telephone number, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. We will ask a few questions and we're happy to get you referred to the right services. You can save yourself a lot of time. Sometimes it can be challenging to go through the amount of information that's available to us so we're going to help you with that. Give us a call directly and we would love to do that on your behalf and get you pointed in the right direction.   Cynthia: Wonderful, thank you so much. I appreciate your time here with me Jody. That's the show and thanks to all for being with us today! Take good care of yourself.  

Policy Lessons from COVID “Nursing home residents need access to technology to speak to their loved ones.”— Lieke van Heumen, PhD 2019-2020 Health and Aging Policy Fellow Responding to COVID-10 required the Aging Services Network to become even more creative in responding to the constraints the pandemic put on service delivery.  They now feel much more prepared to deal with the challenges that a pandemic brings. Even if there are new lockdowns, they can use the experiences 2020 required to continue to serve seniors. In this week’s episode, we are joined by Lieke van Heumen and Samantha Koehler. We'll learn about: Challenges for the Aging Services Network Nutrition and Social Isolation Policy Solutions Lieke’s Next Steps in her Career after completing the Health and Aging Policy Fellowship Part One of ‘Policy Lessons from COVID with Lieke van Heumen and Samantha Koehler’ The Aging Services Network consists of the agencies, programs, and activities supported by the Older Americans Act that help older adults who live in the community be healthy and have the social engagement they need. Some states only have a state unit on aging; they don't have an Area Agency on Aging in each county. If you are unsure if your county has an Area Agency on Aging (AAA), use the Eldercare Locator website to connect with the nearest  be available AAA in your area.    In this week’s episode, we discuss the challenges COVID posed for The Aging Services Network and how they responded.     At the start of the pandemic, along with the rest of the country, seniors were asked to stay home to protect themselves and others from the virus. You can imagine how difficult it became for them to access nutritional resources,  home and community-based services, and stay socially connected without being able to leave their homes. During the spring of 2020, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) held a series of roundtables with 52 of the Area Agencies on Aging in Pennsylvania to hear directly from them about their concerns, as they tried to ensure the health and well-being of the seniors they serve. Senator Casey also spoke with the Pennsylvania Council on Aging, an organization of older adults across Pennsylvania designated to inform the Pennsylvania Department of Aging on issues that impact them.    Several different challenges were revealed during these insightful conversations, including the lack of: (1) sufficient COVID testing; (2) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); (3) sufficient staffing of the long-term care workforce; (4) technology for nursing home residents to stay in touch with their family members; and (4) concerns about Ombudsmen not being able to access seniors in congregate settings. These conversations with the AAA’s also revealed the need for flexibility with program funding; flexibility that would allow distribution of funds based on the specific needs of each county. Some expressed concern about older adults’ ability to enroll in Medicare because of the closure of some of the Social Security offices, and about delays in receiving care due to the stay at home orders. Many AAA’s shared concerns about older adults’ increased mental health needs due to  increased loneliness, social isolation, and anxiety. And finally, they shared that many more older adults were requesting home-delivered meals than before the pandemic.  “We saw a boom in older Americans requiring nutrition assistance.” — Samantha Koehler, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging COVID has impacted access to nutrition for many older adults in this country. How has the aging services network responded? Prior to COVID, seniors have long relied on a patchwork of federally funded nutrition programs to meet their needs. And yet food security has long persisted, even with this patchwork of programs administered out of the Administration for Community Living and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Due to the pandemic, even small changes in access to and availability of nutritious meals can put the health and well-being of older adults in jeopardy. Millions of seniors across the country are served each year by senior nutrition programs, particularly the home-delivered meal program. Many of us know this program as Meals on Wheels America. The home-delivered meal program and  the congregate meal program are authorized by the Older Americans Act. Many seniors are also served by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (senior food box program). These are all authorized programs under the Farm Bill and administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  In March, when COVID-19 hit, there was a boom in older Americans requiring nutrition assistance. As part of both the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the CARES Act which were passed in March, Senator Casey championed over a billion dollars in funding for programs authorized under the Older Americans Act, including a significant increase in funding for home-delivered meals and congregate meal programs. The Area Agencies on Aging have used that funding to serve increasing numbers of seniors in need of nutritious foods. But most importantly, that legislation also included flexibility for Area Agencies on Aging to designate individuals who usually attended senior centers for congregate meals as eligible for home-delivered meals.  Senator Casey has also been advocating for expansion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. When the pandemic started, we began hearing from older Pennsylvanians who are SNAP recipients that although they had SNAP benefits, they were not able to use them because they were afraid and unable to leave their homes to go to the grocery store. Many people relied on grocery delivery during the initial phases of the pandemic. Yet, for low-income seniors who utilize SNAP there were limited options to have their groceries delivered. Throughout the pandemic's summer months, there was an expansion of the SNAP online purchasing program that Senator Casey had been pushing for. This allowed some individuals to receive grocery deliveries using their SNAP card. But additional barriers remain. Senator Casey has continued to call on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase access to SNAP grocery delivery by including additional retailers and purchasing options.  We have come a long way in the past seven months. However, we have a long way to go to make sure that seniors continue to have access to nutrition and that the Area Agencies on Aging and the SNAP program can continue to serve seniors as the pandemic unfortunately continues. Part Two of ‘Policy Lessons from COVID with Lieke van Heumen and Samantha Koehler’ Social isolation and loneliness are something that is experienced at very high rates in the older population and has worsened because of the pandemic. This has caused a lot of concern for the mental and physical health of older adults, and will probably have a long-term impact. Senator Casey co-sponsored the ACCESS Act with Senator Klobuchar (S. 3517), the purpose of this Act is to facilitate virtual visits for those who live in nursing homes. This fall, Senator Casey also published a report: ‘Reimagining Aging in America:  Blueprint to Create Health and Economic Security for Older Adults. This report explores how the pandemic has impacted seniors and offers policy solutions to address the inequities of aging in America. Preventing social isolation and loneliness is an important focus in the report. Some policy solutions that need to be enacted to alleviate social isolation and loneliness in seniors include giving Area Agencies on Aging and senior centers the tools and the funding that they need to implement virtual programming and support seniors to participate in small group activities. Another priority is expanding Internet access and increasing access to phones and tablets, which can partly be accomplished through passing the Act.  “Millions of seniors across the country are served each year by senior nutrition programs, particularly the home-delivered meal program.” —  Samantha Koehler, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Moving forward, what are some of the policy solutions that will be required to alleviate the problems older American’s are facing? Access to nutritious foods and social isolation are issues during this pandemic, but those are just two of the many issues seniors are facing at this time. There are also issues related to seniors in terms of keeping economic security during this pandemic, issues related to job loss. We continue to hear from seniors in Pennsylvania and from our Aging Network in Pennsylvania that these issues persist. While they are certainly grateful for the funding and the flexibility they have received so far, this is just a step in the right direction, and we cannot go backward. We need to continue supporting the Aging Network because they are in need, and seniors are in need.  What can the general public do to help? Or, how can individuals volunteer? At the beginning of the pandemic there were some concerns about having less volunteers available since many are older adults themselves. However the influx of volunteers has been overwhelming, particularly from younger individuals like college-age students who were home and physically unable to be on their college campuses. If you are a local business or individual, and you want to donate or volunteer, just giving a call to your local organization that serves seniors is the best thing that you could be doing. It is good to realize that there are ways of volunteering without leaving your home. Samantha highlights the importance of researchers knowing how to speak policy. She says, "I don't think that policy professionals always know how to speak about research. The more researchers that can translate their research into short, easy to consume pieces of information for policy professionals, the more likely we will consume that research. By having Lieke as a fellow, and the other fellows that we've had on the committee, just spreading the word of how to better communicate with policy with individuals in the policy sphere is so important." About Dr. Lieke van Heumen, PhD Dr. Lieke van Heumen is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research expertise is aging of adults with lifelong disabilities, specifically intellectual and developmental disabilities. She holds a PhD in Disability Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She received both her undergraduate and master's degrees in psychology with a specialization in gerontology from the Radboud University in the Netherlands. Before moving to Chicago, she worked as a direct support professional and later as a psychologist in several Dutch group homes for older individuals with intellectual disabilities. She is a 2019-2020 American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow and 2019-2020 Health and Aging Policy Fellow. About Samantha Koehler, MSW, MPH Samantha Koehler is a Senior Policy Aide for Ranking Member Bob Casey of the U.S. Senate Special Committee of Aging. Her current work focuses on the intersection of aging and health policy, including the Older Americans Act, rural health, and Medicare access and affordability. Previously, Samantha served as a direct practice social worker. As a Care Manager for older adults, she focused on long-term care planning and access to health care and social services. Samantha has her MSW and MPH from the University of Michigan. About Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN, FNP, FGSA, FAAN I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (‘96) and Master of Science in Nursing (‘00) as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) School of Nursing (SON). I truly enjoy working with the complex medical needs of older adults. I worked full-time for five years as FNP in geriatric primary care across many long-term care settings (skilled nursing homes, assisted living, home and office visits) then transitioned into academic nursing in 2005, joining the faculty at UNCW SON as a lecturer. I obtained my PhD in Nursing and a post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing Education from the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing (’11) and then joined the faculty at Duke University School of Nursing as an Assistant Professor. My family moved to northern Virginia in 2015 and led to me joining the faculty at George Washington University (GW) School of Nursing in 2018 as a (tenured) Associate Professor where I am also the Director of the GW Center for Aging, Health and Humanities. Find out more about her work at https://melissabphd.com/.

Insurance carriers have begun publicizing their 2021 Medicare Advantage plans, as seniors can start enrolling in the plans October 15. According to a recent announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), carriers are including more supplemental benefits with each plan year cycle to address social determinants of health and chronic conditions, and to enable beneficiaries to age at home. Tyler Overstreet Cromer at ATI Advisory is a leading expert on supplemental benefits that began in 2019 after the CMS changed some of the rules surrounding plan development. In this episode of the Home Leadership Series, Doug Robertson and Tyler chat about the supplemental benefit changes and what they mean for home care. Tyler gained more than a decade of experience in federal health policy and budget at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). She now advises ATI clients on innovative financing and delivery models. Most recently, Tyler served as a senior executive at the OMB providing oversight and expertise for budget development and execution across the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. She is particularly interested in payment policy and healthcare delivery system reform and in providing insights to ATI clients from her years of experience shaping federal policy on these topics. Tyler was in on the ground floor of many of the reforms to traditional Medicare, having led efforts at the OMB related to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation since its inception until her arrival at ATI. Tyler also worked on the initial design and regulations implementing the Medicare Shared Savings Program. She has provided oversight of and guidance for various other health programs and agencies, including the Older Americans Act programs administered by the Administration for Community Living, federal policy related to electronic medical records, and the administrative budget of the CMS.

About Richard Mollot: Richard is an attorney and the Executive Director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, or LTCC for short. The LTCC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving care and quality of life for residents in nursing homes, assisted living, and other residential care settings, through policy analysis and advocacy. In this episode, Steve and Richard discuss:1. How has the long term care industry handled protecting our seniors and elderly from COVID-19?We know that nursing homes are not great places to live, generally speaking, that care tends to be pretty poor and living conditions aren't great. I think that most people were really shocked to see that preventing infections was such a big issue and the implications of not having enough staff on a regular basis has greatly amplified the harm that residents have experienced both directly to COVID-19 and indirectly, due to what we're seeing more and more of the past at least a month and a half has been just abject neglect and substandard care.2. Are you also concerned that the industry is not checking the temperatures, vetting their staff, or other people that were coming in and out of their facilities? The Trump administration just started as of earlier this month, May 8, 2020 requiring for the first time that nursing homes report the cases among residents staff, suspected cases, deaths, both related to COVID and non-related to COVID as well as the variability of ppe and other necessary equipment for dealing with this pandemic. We did go March and April without having any of that information recorded. We do know that there has been a tremendous, frankly horrifying impact on residents in nursing homes and adult care facilities and that the only people who have been coming in and out of those facilities since early March when families and ombudsman were blockaded are the staff.3. What is the state of infection control presently in the nursing home community?Leading up to COVID-19, and for years we've known that inadequate infection control and prevention is a serious problem.4. Why do you believe that one-fourth or one-fifth of the nursing home and assisted living population is dying?Nursing homes are allowed to operate without providing good care and without having enough staffing. Most of it comes down to staffing, especially when you talk about infection prevention. We're talking about hand washing, we're talking about changing gloves.5. Is the lack of staff causing more infections, or is it staff indifference and really not caring about proper sanitary measures like washing their hands?I think it's lack of staff. There are certainly bad apples in terms of care staff and most people who go into nursing homes want to do a good job, but the nursing home is such a toxic working environment that it makes it impossible. So the residents are dehumanized and to some extent, care staff is also dehumanized.6. Has the federal nursing home reform law helped or made the situation better? Is it just an enforcement issue? That's exactly right. The standards have been around for quite some time and the standards are really good. One of the small changes that were important that was made in 2016 to address this very issue of infection control and prevention in facilities, and the long standing failures to undertake appropriate protocols is that nursing homes are required to have on a part-time basis an Infection Preventionist. But unfortunately, when the Trump administration came in they have been undertaking a lot of regulatory reduction, which in the nursing home world means reducing safety standards, and one of the things that they proposed is to actually reduce that requirement for having an infection preventionist on a part-time basis.7. Is sterilization of equipment a problem in nursing homes?Yes. It is that the just the equipment is not cleaned appropriately, even equipment that is in contact with a feeding tube, or something else that is actually going into a resident’s body. The standards are really good. They're just not enforced. The industry is extremely powerful in the state capitals and Washington DC so they fight against enforcement, even before the Trump administration for many years. They have worked successfully to weaken enforcement. So we do have persistent issues of not only poor infection control and prevention with respect to washing hands and just basic cleanliness of some of the equipment.8. Why is there such a problem with linen control in that residents can’t get clean linens but instead have dirty linens that are also causing infections?One problem is the lack of enforcement of the rules. Another issue is that there is virtually no accountability for how nursing homes spend the money that they receive to provide care. Just to get the linen issue, you can be a nursing home and you can own a laundry company, you can own a therapy service company, you can own the underlying property to own nursing home and pay yourself whatever you want for those linens services, for the rent on the underlying property, for therapy, services, etc. There's so little accountability of what's going on here, both in terms of where's the money going, how it's being spent? Are the ensuring that the residents are getting good services? It's an utter absence of both the regulatory enforcement of those safety standards and the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs that pay for most care to ensure that the money spent is actually going to clean the laundry, for reasonable rent, and etc.9. What are some of the most common infections that you're seeing in nursing homes and assisted living facilities?There's not a lot of good tracking there. In terms of infection it may be pressure ulcers, that can lead to infection. MRSA has been an issue. Influenza is not an infection, but it's related to COVID-19.10. As bad as things are in nursing homes are they worse in assisted living facilities?Yes, it really varies. You could have facilities that are good that have an RN on staff, but most facilities don't. The ownership may change or they want to save money or, cut back on costs. The RN who was there when you signed, the contract could be gone. The issue, as I see it is that those facilities operate, as far as the state is concerned, kind of like a hotel, or like an independent housing facility. When they're in fact providing more and more care services to people who have vulnerabilities and needs that are similar to those in nursing homes, but without any of those protections that we've been talking about.11. Is infection control actually less effective in assisted living than it is in nursing homes?Yeah, absolutely. That's true, pretty much for everything. The staffing requirements are different. The skilled nurse staffing in nursing homes, you have to be at least a certified nurse aide to provide care in a nursing home that requires a minimum of 75 hours of training. Under federal regs and assisted living. You could have paid 15 hours of training and there'd be no RN, maybe no one who's even awake 24 hours a day in the building to provide and to ensure that a resident in need is cared for in some way.12. Is the assisted living facility population growing more, as opposed to nursing homes?Yeah, the trends are that they are growing in most states, I think 48 states now have some kind of Medicaid assisted living program to enable people who are on Medicaid, to avoid a nursing home placement, and go into assisted living. It's considered a home community-based service. We are seeing growth there but we're not seeing the regulations that ensure that care is safe and appropriate for those residents.13. What are some actionable steps that can be taken if you're a resident of a long term care facility such as nursing, home assisted living, or a loved one of a member to prevent or protect against infection?Be a strong advocate for yourself, or for your loved one, to monitor to the extent you can. I would strongly recommend forming a family council or resident council. Those can be very, very powerful in terms of sharing information, sharing your experiences, and speaking out in a united voice, which makes it much more likely that will be heard by the administrator of the facility. And certainly speaking out when you have a concern. Filing a complaint can be useful, but sometimes it's not because the state some do a great job. In respect to oversight, we're saying speak to your congressional office, call your state legislator and let them know.14. Can you briefly explain to our injured senior community what the role of the Ombudsman is?The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program is in every single state under the Older Americans Act. Under that act, Ombudsman have the right to help the resident personally, have the right to go into a facility anytime, they have a right to review a residents medical records from the facility with the resident or the residents representatives permission, and they can help and they can oftentimes be very effective in helping residents address some of these issues.15. If a nursing home gets sued for millions of dollars in damages for the resident, do you think that that has some effect on implementing reform?Absolutely. That is something we have always strongly supported. Most people don't want to sue even when something terrible has happened to their residents, but our position has always been based upon everything we're talking about today that the rules are there and lawsuits are based upon those rules, not being when there's a failure to implement them, that if the state is not holding, and CMS is not holding centers for Medicare, Medicaid services, accountable for meeting these minimum standards, the only way that will happen is if facilities and in the industry are sent a message and a lawsuit. Not only is it compensation for the harm and the suffering of that resident and the heartbreak of the family, but it sends a message to the facility and to the industry in the community, in the state. That this is not acceptable. You're not going to get paid and get away with providing such substandard care.To find out more about the National Injured Senior Law Center or to set up a free consultation go to https://www.injuredseniorhotline.com/ or call 855-622-6530Connect with Richard Mollot:Twitter: @LTCconsumerFacebook: LTCCCWebsite: NursingHome411.orgCONNECT WITH STEVE H. HEISLER:Website: www.injuredseniorhotline.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/attorneysteveheisler/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-law-offices-of-steven-h.-heisler/about/Email: info@injuredseniorhotline.com  Show notes by Podcastologist: Kristen BraunAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Articles offer history, updates, progress and “not yets” regarding the White House Conference on Aging and the Older Americans Act as well as what the future holds for senior healthcare.

This week, the podcast features Part Two of our discussion about ways to expand Medicare to more Americans. Last week, we spoke with Marilyn Moon, a top expert on Medicare who co-chaired the recent report on expanding Medicare from the National Academy of Social Insurance. That report looked at three different ways to expand Medicare - lowering the eligibility age, establishing Medicare-for-all, and creating a Medicare buy-in.This week, we get a minority report from one of the NASI panel’s dissenting members. Peter Arno is an economist at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Peter specializes in social insurance and he’s a strong critic of the for-profit health insurance industry. I spoke this week with Peter to get his perspective on why we need a government-run Medicare for All program as we come out of the coronavirus crisis. Our conversation was based in part on a recent article on this topic that Peter co-authored, which makes this key point:There is a large elephant in the room in the national discussion of Medicare for All: the transformation of the US health care system’s core mission from the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of illness—and the promotion of healing—to an approach dominated by large, publicly traded corporate entities dedicated to growing profitability and share price, that is, the business of medicine.The problem is not that these corporate entities are doing something they shouldn’t. They are simply doing too much of what they were created to do—generate wealth for their owners. Unlike any other wealthy country, we let them do it. The dilemma of the US health care system is due not to a failure of capitalism or corporatism per se, but a failure to implement a public policy that adequately constrains their excesses. The problem of employer-based health insurance looms large at a time of mass joblessness, of course. Economist Geoff Sanzenbacher weighs in on this point here, while noting that employer coverate is unequal:The first reason employer-sponsored health insurance is unequal is because not everyone works. In 2018, about 78 percent of adults age 25 to 64 (the age before Medicare kicks in), were in the labor force. And 2018 was a good economic year. 2020 is not a good economic year. While people who don’t work might be able to get health insurance through a spouse but, as I’ve talked about before, marriage is declining especially for the poor. Instead, Medicaid sometimes fills the gap for people who are very poor and don’t work. Of course, in some states, this option isn’t available for people without kids. For those who are less poor, the Obamacare Individual Marketplaces might offer an option. Then again, the Trump Administration hasn’t made it a priority to improve those markets. And, the administration hasn’t exactly made enrolling any easier, even for people who have lost their jobs due to the Coronavirus.OK, but what if we only care about people with jobs? At least these people get insurance. Right? Nope. The figure below shows that health insurance access is much higher for people in high paying jobs. So, the people that can most afford to pay for healthcare even without insurance, are also the most likely to have it. Yikes.Listen to the podcast interview with Peter Arno by clicking the player icon above; the podcast also can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.Social Security claiming in the pandemicOver the past decade, far more workers who are eligible for Social Security have been waiting to file, often substantially increasing their lifetime annual benefits.But the stunning job losses in the pandemic-induced economic crisis could bring this trend to a crashing halt, as suddenly unemployed older workers without substantial savings scramble to meet living expenses.In my Retiring column for The New York Times last weekend, I reviewed the pros and cons of different strategies for claiming benefits during the coronavirus pandemic.Making COVID-19 advance care directive decisions “I am alarmed that we are not yet thinking ahead.”So writes Dr. Joanne Lynne in a Health Affairs post, Getting Ahead Of COVID-19 Issues: Dying From Respiratory Failure Out Of The Hospital.Dr. Lynne, a respected physician on end-of-life care, writes that much more attention needs to be paid to issues such as:Determining care preferences for people at high risk of dying from COVID-19, so we know whether they want to endure hospitalization and life on a ventilator if they get a bad case;Getting ready to support peaceful course to death in homes and nursing homes for those who otherwise face suffocation.There’s much more here if you care to take a deeper dive.Other articles I’m reading this weekThe fight against the coronavirus won’t be over when the U.S. reopens . . . Expert advice on fitness when you’re stuck at home . . . All the places coronavirus lurks (or doesn’t) . . . the Older Americans Act reauthorization was signed into law . . . The late songwriter John Prine always knew loneliness was a public health crisis . . .Medicare Advantage enrollment has grown rapidly over the past decade, and Medicare Advantage plans have taken on a larger role in the Medicare program. Subscribe nowIf you haven’t subscribed to the newsletter, give it a try if your finances permit in this tough economy. You’ll be supporting independent journalism dedicated to covering what matters for older Americans. Subscriptions cost $5 per month or $60 year, and you can cancel at any time.If not, no worries - I’m committed to providing everything I’ve got on the coronavirus crisis in the free edition for as long as it takes. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at retirementrevised.substack.com/subscribe

H.R. 6074 — “Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes.” This bill provides $8.3 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies to respond to the coronavirus outbreak.Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 415 – 2 (Roll no. 86). Senate passage imminent. H.R. 5931 – Improving FHA Support for Small Dollar Mortgages Act of 2020, as amended (Rep. Clay – Financial Services)  This bill directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to report on barriers to making Federal Housing Administration (FHA) single-family mortgage insurance available for mortgages under $70,000. Specifically, HUD must report on policies, practices, and products used by the FHA and actions that will be taken to remove such barriers.   Agreed to by voice vote. H.R. 5003 – Fair Debt Collection Practices for Service members Act, as amended (Rep. Dean – Financial Services)  This bill prohibits a debt collector from (1) representing to service members that failure to cooperate with a debt collector will result in a reduction of rank, a revocation of security clearance, or military prosecution; or (2) communicating with a service member’s superiors in the chain of command.   Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 355 – 0 (Roll no. 79). H.R. 5932 – Ensuring Chinese Debt Transparency Act of 2020, as amended (Rep. Hill – Financial Services)  This bill states that it is U.S. policy to push for greater transparency with respect to financing provided by China to another country through international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund. The National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Policies within the Department of the Treasury shall report annually on progress made toward advancing this policy.   Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 356 – 0 (Roll no. 80). H.R. 4351 – Yes In My Backyard Act, as amended (Rep. Heck – Financial Services) This bill requires certain Community Development Block Grant program recipients to submit to the Department of Housing and Community Development information regarding their implementation of certain land-use policies (e.g., policies for reducing minimum lot size).Agreed to by voice vote. H. Res. 387 Central African Republic and supporting efforts to achieve a lasting political solution to the conflict, as amended (Rep. Cicilline – Foreign Affairs)  Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 378 – 7 (Roll no. 81). H.R. 4508 – Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act, as amended (Rep. Jeffries – Foreign Affairs)  This bill requires the U.S. Agency for International Development to award at least 50% of the number of scholarships under the Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program to Pakistani women for each of the calendar years 2020-2022.  Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 374 – 16 (Roll no. 82). S. 1678 – Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019, as amended (Sen. Gardner – Foreign Affairs) Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. Senate-Agreed to by voice vote. House-Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 415 – 0 (Roll no. 85). H.Res. 230 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States condemns all forms of violence against children globally and recognizes the harmful impacts of violence against children, as amended (Rep. McGovern – Foreign Affairs)   Agreed to by voice vote H.R. 1140 – Rights for Transportation Security Officers Act of 2020 (Rep. Thompson (MS) – Homeland Security) (Subject to a Rule)  To enhance the security operations of the Transportation Security Administration and stability of the transportation security workforce by applying the personnel system under title 5, United States Code, to employees of the Transportation Security Administration who provide screening of all passengers and property. Motion to Proceed to S. 2657 (Legislative Vehicle for the American Energy Innovation Act), post-cloture. The Motion to Proceed was agreed to by a vote of 90-4.  S. 2657 (Legislative Vehicle for the American Energy Innovation Act), The Secretary shall support an initiative among the Office of Fossil Energy, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and the private sector to modify, improve, and demonstrate the use in geothermal energy development of relevant advanced technologies and operation techniques used in the oil and gas sector. H.R. 8 (The Bipartisan Background Checks Act).  prohibits a firearm transfer between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check. The prohibition does not apply to certain firearm transfers, such as a gift between spouses in good faith.  House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 240 – 190 (Roll no. 99).  Senate-Murphy asked unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed. Enzi objected. S. 893 (Secure 5G and Beyond Act of 2019). T his bill requires the President, in consultation with relevant federal agencies, to develop a strategy to secure and protect U.S. fifth and future generations (5G) systems and infrastructure. Such strategy shall (1) ensure the security of 5G wireless communications systems and infrastructure within the United States; (2) assist mutual defense treaty allies, strategic partners, and other countries in maximizing the security of 5G systems and infrastructure; and (3) protect the competitiveness of U.S. companies, privacy of U.S. consumers, and integrity of standards-setting bodies.  Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. H.R.5214 (To amend title 5, United States Code, to prevent fraud by representative payees). It shall be unlawful for a representative payee to embezzle or in any manner convert all or any part of the amounts received from payments received as a representative payee to a use other than for the use and benefit of the minor or individual on whose behalf such payments were received. House-Agreed to by voice vote. Senate-Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote Passed by voice vote. H.R.4334 (To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2020 through 2024).  Among other things, the bill reauthorizes through FY2024 and revises programs that support caregivers of the elderly;informational services, such as pension counseling;nutritional services, such as meal delivery; disease prevention and health promotion services;community and workforce training regarding elder care; and abuse and neglect prevention services. House Agreed to by voice vote. Senate – The Collins amendment at the desk was agreed to. The bill as amended was agreed to by voice vote. Support the show.

Pioneer lesbian activist Ruthie Berman talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about the documentary “Ruthie & Connie: Every Room in the House”. The updated version was directed by three-time Oscar nominee Deborah Dickson and is available on Starz, Amazon and numerous streaming networks. This hour-long vérité documentary explores the lives of Ruthie Berman and Connie Kurtz who met in Brooklyn, New York in the 1950’s and became friends. Both were married to men at the time and had children. Kurtz moved to Israel with her family in 1970 and when she returned to visit America in 1974 she and Ruthie fell in love, divorced their husbands and became a couple. The movie chronicles the struggle this brave couple went through to live their life authentically. One of the clips includes their appearance on The Phil Donahue Show where they publicly came out in 1988. For Connie coming out was liberating but for Ruthie it was wrenching. The journey that followed changes their lives forever and turned them both into national heroines. As a couple they successfully sued the New York City Board of Education for domestic partner benefits winning benefits for all New York City employees in 1994. Berman and Kurtz started branches of Parents, Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) in Florida and New York and in 2000 they began serving as co-chairs of the New York State NOW Lesbian Rights Task Force. They also founded The Answer is Loving Counseling Center and worked there for over twenty years. They were legally married on July 26, 2011 in New York officiated by Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum. We talked to Berman about “Ruthie & Connie: Every Room in the House” and her spin on our LGBTQ issues. In 2016 Ruthie Berman and Connie Kurtz were honored with the SAGE Pioneer Award presented by Services and Advocacy For LGBTQ Elders. Then in 2017 the Ruthie and Connie LGBT Elder Americans Act of 2017 was introduced to Congress. If passed this bill will amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to include the specific needs for our LGBTQ community. Sadly Connie Kurtz passed away in 2018 but she lives on in this fabulous documentary that everyone should see and in her art at connieart.com Currently Ruthie lives in Palm Beach County, Florida where she is active in Democratic, LGBTQ, feminist and #BlackLivesMatter politics. For More Info: ruthieandconniethemovie.com LISTEN: 500+ LGBTQ Chats @OUTTAKE VOICES

Protein Consumption for Older Adults - What's New? Fitness Friday Nutrition Series with Mike Glasgow Welcome to The Not Old Better Show, I'm host Paul Vogelzang, and this is episode 354. Today's show is brought to you by Heaven's Maid. Our show today is part of our Fitness Friday series, and it's another great one in our Fitness Friday programs. We'll be hearing from returning guest, nationally known nutritionist, Mike Glasgow. Mike spent over five years working for an Area Agency on Aging in Wisconsin helping to oversee in the Older Americans Act senior congregate dining and Meals on Wheels programs and will join us in just a minute. We are talking about fitness, health, and nutrition today, and specifically about a protein-rich diet, which is important to health. According to the National Institutes of Health, up to one-third of older adults don't eat an adequate amount of protein due to reduced appetite, dental issues, impaired taste, swallowing problems and limited financial resources. Combined with a tendency to become more sedentary, this puts them at risk of deteriorating muscles, compromised mobility, slower recovery from bouts of illness and the loss of independence. Of course, my thanks to Heaven's Maid at https://heavensmaid.com for sponsoring the show, and to you, my wonderful Not Old Better Show audience. Please keep your emails coming to me with show ideas, suggestions, and comments: @ info@notold-better.com. Remember, let's talk about better…The Not Old Better Show. Thanks, everybody. Enjoy.

A conversation on the Older Americans Act and the Area Agencies on Aging, including Medicare, Medicaid, ALTCS, and the various services secured by the act (meals, home and community based services, transportation, legal, and other.

Long Term Care Ombudsman of the Iowa Dept on Aging and Former Congressional Candidate,Kim Weaver, joins us, once again. Kim works as a “Senior Advocate” for the very important, Federally-mandated program, developed as a result of the Older Americans Act. The last time that Kim Weaver was on the show, she was running for Congress for 2018 elections in the State of Iowa.  However, Kim has dropped out of the race and she joins us this time to discuss sexual harassment affecting women in politics!   Brett Marshall will be joining us from South Padre Island as he prepares for his annual Valentines Concert and will share some of his music with us. Dr. Mara will discuss highlights from her book about the importance of good Nutrition and Exercise for a Joyful Life.

Long Term Care Ombudsman of the Iowa Dept on Aging and Former Congressional Candidate,Kim Weaver, joins us, once again. Kim works as a “Senior Advocate” for the very important, Federally-mandated program, developed as a result of the Older Americans Act. The last time that Kim Weaver was on the show, she was running for Congress for 2018 elections in the State of Iowa.  However, Kim has dropped out of the race and she joins us this time to discuss sexual harassment affecting women in politics!   Brett Marshall will be joining us from South Padre Island as he prepares for his annual Valentines Concert and will share some of his music with us. Dr. Mara will discuss hilights from her book about the importance of good Nutrition and Exercise for a Joyful Life.

Iowa Congressional Candidate & Long Term Care Ombudsman of the Iowa Dept on Aging, Kim Weaver, joins us, once again.  Kim works as a "Senior Advocate" for the very important, Federally-mandated program, developed as a result of the Older Americans Act.  Kim Weaver is now running for Congress for 2018 elections in the State of Iowa. Veteran First Sergeant Will Williams, a friend of the program and the winner of multiple awards for his service in the community (in addition to his multiple medals during his military service), is back to join us!  Will is now part of some new volunteer organizations and he'll let us know how we can get involved to help the community....it's good for our own emotional well-being to give back! Our artist for this week is trumpeter Cindy Bradley and will talk about her career in music and what plans she has for the future And MORE!

New Start New Jersey has highlighted the concerns of the long-term unemployed, as the state houses one of the highest percentages of this population in the nation. Progress has occurred in returning individuals to the workforce, thanks to organizations like the New Start Career Network and to outstanding leaders, with none better than Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman. The Congresswoman sponsored the Investing in Older Americans Act and the Expanding Penalty-Free Withdrawal Act, important legislation in the ongoing effort to support our long-term-unemployed citizens. Her work on behalf of the unemployed continues decades of service in which she has fought to ensure families and vulnerable members of our society receive fairness, justice and opportunity. Without question, we live in a better state and nation thanks to Bonnie Watson Coleman. Find Bonnie Watson Coleman on: Twitter: @RepBonnie Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RepBonnieWatsonColeman 

We were previously joined by Long Term Care Ombudsman of the Iowa Dept on Aging, Kim Weaver, to talk about this very important, Federally-mandated program of “Senior Advocates,” developed as a result of the Older Americans Act.  Kim Weaver is now running for Congress in the State of Iowa, with her main platform being that of senior issues.  Kim joins us, once again, this time, to talk about the very important issue of financial exploitation of Social Security benefits. Laura joins us from the paradise Puerto Vallarta to tell is about all the snowbirds heading down for another season Finally, super guitarist Dawn Maracle will be talking about her life in music and how she is the real person from Meryl Streeps latest movie.  

Kim Weaver in Iowa:  The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program: "Senior Advocates."   A federally mandated program developed as a result of The Older Americans Act. Paul Klemperer will be guest artist from the group Manteca Beat to talk about his history as well as projects that are going on.