Thursday, June 10th
Start the Day
Thu, Jun 10 at 9:00 am EDT
Breakfast, Bagels & Boogie!
Overview
Grab your breakfast of choice, get energized with our virtual DJ Scott Messina, and hear highlights of the day ahead.
Speaker(s)
Scott Messina, Entertainer, Host and Producer, Messina Productions
Partner Conversations at Your Kitchen Table
Thu, Jun 10 at 9:40 am EDT
Vaccine Access and Movement Making During the Pandemic for Older Adults, Caregivers, and the Hispanic/Latinx Family
Overview
| Over a cup of coffee/cafecito at our kitchen tables, we will dive right into a quick segment around how LULAC is working to include older adults in movement making, community engagement, and vaccine access and advocacy as we navigate the pandemic. |
Speaker(s)
Sindy Benavides, CEO, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Moderators
Vivian Nava-Schellinger, Director, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Impact, The SCAN Foundation
Category
On Demand
Mainstage Plenary
Thu, Jun 10 at 10:00 am EDT
Working 9-5 While Over 65: The Impact on Older Adults, Caregiving, and Financial Security
Overview
| Older adults struggle to find work and continue working. To achieve financial stability, many must work beyond their anticipated retirement or return to work. Yet, older adults also face challenges to staying in the workforce. Women retire with fewer savings and live longer than men. Over the course of their careers, women have earned less than their male counterparts and often have left the workforce because of caregiving demands. Since March 2020, the pandemic drove over 800,000 women out of the workforce, leaving the need for policy changes that impact caregivers who struggle to balance jobs and caregiving needs, while allowing for older workers to remain in the workforce. Join partners, experts, and researchers to discuss the state of work for older adults and those who care for them. |
Speaker(s)
Jane Oates, President, Working Nation
C. Grace Whiting, J.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, National Alliance for Caregiving
Sheila Callaham, Executive Director, Age Equity Alliance
Steve Rietzke, Division Chief for National Programs, Tools, and Technical Assistance, US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
Category
Main Stage Plenary
Concurrent Sessions (6)
Thu, Jun 10 at 11:00 am EDT
Benefits Access and Enrollment: Meeting Needs During COVID-19
Overview
COVID-19 has been a long-lasting and complex disaster situation involving a public health emergency and an economic crisis, with particularly acute impacts for older adults, people with disabilities, and others with certain health conditions. In response, the federal government, state, and local agencies have sought to address basic needs, provide access to certain benefits, and modify service delivery for vulnerable populations. Due to changes in federal regulation and law, states have responded with changes in policies and procedures to ensure individuals have access to public benefit programs. Presenters will describe examples of changes that states have made to connect vulnerable populations to critical benefit programs during the pandemic. Data from ADvancing States COVID-19 membership surveys and NCOA’s research on COVID-19’s financial impact on older adults will be shared. Additionally, Massachusetts’ SHINE program will describe how they are operating and responding during the pandemic to continue to connect consumers to benefits.
Speaker(s)
Brandy Bauer, Director, Center for Benefits Access, National Council on Aging
Samantha Gardner, Senior Policy Associate, ADvancing States
Cindy Phillips, SHINE Program Director, Executive Office of Elder Affairs
Moderators
Donna Whitt, , National Council on Aging
Category
Economic Security
Thu, Jun 10 at 11:00 am EDT
Newly Approved Evidence-Based Programs to Help Expand Your Programming and Reach
Overview
| Evidence-based programs (EBPs) offer proven ways to promote health and prevent disease among older adults. Several new programs addressing various health topics recently have been approved to meet the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL’s) criteria for being evidence-based. These approved programs are eligible for Older Americans Act Title III-D and other defined ACL funding. This session will feature the three programs that were recently approved for the Title III-D evidence-based program pre-approved list. Join us to learn about Mind Over Matter: Healthy Bowels, Healthy Bladder (taking control of bowel and bladder leakage), PREPARE for Your Care (preparing for medical decision-making), and REACH-Texas (training and support for dementia caregivers). Discover how these programs could help you to reach new participants and address diverse health needs. Time will be allowed for discussion and interaction with the panelists. The target audience for this presentation is organizations that receive Title III-D funding or that are eligible to apply for other applicable ACL grants/funding. The goals are for attendees to understand the following: ACL’s criteria for evidence-based programs; the review process for evaluating programs; the new programs that were approved in 2020 and how they can help address participant health needs; and how attendees can implement those programs in their organizations. |
Speaker(s)
Shannon Myers, Director of Program Implementation, Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging
Ellen Schneider, Director, Policy and Strategic Alliances, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Alan Stevens, Director, Center for Applied Health Research, Baylor Scott and White Research Institute
Rebecca Sudore, Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Moderators
Laura Plunkett, Senior Program Specialist, Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging
Category
Healthy Living
Thu, Jun 10 at 11:00 am EDT
Strategic Planning as a Roadmap for Community Wellness
Overview
| The Partners in Care Foundation prides itself on recognition as SDOH innovators. In 2017 its Community Wellness Department was awarded two Administration for Community Living Sustainable Systems cooperative agreements: one for Falls Prevention and one for Chronic Disease Self-Management Education (CDSME) Following, in 2020 Partners was awarded two Sustainable Network cooperative agreements. These cooperative agreements include strategic planning requirements toward the sustainability of the Falls Prevention and CDSME programs beyond the grants. To meet our proposed sustainability goals, Partners staff developed a bi-annual strategic planning process to guide our work in developing strategic partnerships for sustainability, both in Los Angeles County where we are the main provider of services and serve as the technical assistance center to other organizations offering evidence-based programs, and in the 12 additional counties that we partner with across California to develop their own plans for sustainability. The Community Wellness Department first established the bi-annual strategic planning process in 2018 and reviewed and revised its strategic plan in 2020-2021. Since no members of the department had a strong business background, an innovation we applied was to purchase Strategic Planning for Dummies, which gave us a detailed road map for completing the process, and we utilized their corresponding worksheets to guide ourselves and our county partners through the process of developing their strategic plans. These worksheets comprise what we now call the Strategic Planning Toolkit. We will share the process, tools, and learnings from this project and will give attendees a chance to briefly experience the use of those materials. |
Speaker(s)
Dianne Davis MPH, Vice President, Community Wellness, Partners in Care Foundation
Christy Ann Lau, MSSW, Senior Director, Community Wellness, Partners in Care Foundation
Moderators
Evan Zimmerman, ,
Category
Business Acumen
Thu, Jun 10 at 11:00 am EDT
Leveraging the Power of Health Information Exchanges for Senior Health and Economic Security
Overview
| The goal of this session is to demonstrate how healthcare institutions and social service providers can share data that can be used to target individuals in need of critical services and connect them to critical services. It has never been more important to ensure that seniors have supports like PACE (Pennsylvania’s public benefit program that helps seniors save money on prescription costs) to insulate against both the health and economic effects of the pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that older adults are at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 . In a COVID-19 world, and in the post-pandemic recovery, it is vital to remove the cost barriers associated with medications so that patients can adhere to their medication regimen, making them healthier and less likely to be readmitted to the hospital for recurring problems. This is exactly what BDT’s pilot was designed to address. In 2019, HealthShare Exchange (HSX), a regional health information exchange (HIE), Benefits Data Trust (BDT), a national nonprofit dedicated to simplifying benefits access, and the Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s Prescription Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PACE) Program launched Connecting Pennsylvania Seniors with Social Service Benefits project. In this three-month pilot, HSX utilized its real-time access to patient data to identify seniors who had been admitted, transferred, or discharged from Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania hospitals to connect them to prescription assistance (PACE). Through data-sharing agreements, BDT conducted mail outreach to potentially PACE-eligible senior patients, encouraging them to call BDT’s contact center to receive phone-based assistance applying for PACE and a range of other benefits. By sharing data, partners identified more than 10,000 seniors not currently enrolled in the PACE program. For the pilot, BDT’s outreach resulted in 141 applications submission bringing over $250,000 in benefits to the Greater Philadelphia region for Pennsylvania seniors. The evaluation shows that 40.9 percent of respondents were eligible for at least one benefit, with the top three benefits being PACE (55%), food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (16%), and federal prescription assistance through Medicare Extra Help (13%). This demonstrates that hand-offs between health systems and social services provides can effectively encourage people to apply for vital benefits and improve senior health. Through this pilot, the partners learned several lessons around how multisector partners can collaborate to address seniors’ social determinants of health needs. The panelists will share findings from the first pilot, discuss the critical role that each partner played in this collaboration, share current plans to scale this work to health systems across southeastern PA, and provide insight into how other partners can leverage the power of HIEs – and the data they collect – to advance senior health and economic wellbeing. |
Speaker(s)
Bill Marcella, Director, Data Analytics and Quality, HealthShare Exchange
Tom Snedden, Director, PACE Program, Pennsylvania Department of Aging
Nijah Newton Famous, Senior Pennsylvania Engagement Manager, Benefits Data Trust
Moderators
Xavier Vaughn, Program Manager of Medicare, AARP
Category
Economic Security
Thu, Jun 10 at 11:00 am EDT
What’s New in Home Modification Programs and Policy for 2021
Overview
| Home modifications can play an integral role in aging in place and reducing falls. In 2018, the National Council on Aging and the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology launched the National Home Safety and Home Modification Work Group to engage key stakeholders to advance home safety and home modification policy, education, service delivery, and research. It is now comprised of experts representing 20 professional associations, universities, non-profits, and other groups from the aging, disability, housing, and healthcare sectors. Presenters will describe the Group’s work, including new resources for consumers and a model to improve service delivery. |
Speaker(s)
Kathleen Cameron, Senior Director, Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging
Emily Nabors, MSG, Senior Program Specialist, Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging
Scott Trudeau, PhD, OTR/L, Productive Aging Practice Manager, American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
Moderators
Jennifer Tripken, Ed.D., CHES, Associate Director, Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging
Category
Diverse Population
Thu, Jun 10 at 11:00 am EDT
Village Connector Experience Outreach Intervention Disrupts Social Isolation Among Older Adults While Building Job Skills
Overview
Juanita C. Grant Foundation (JCGF) has launched its Village Connector Experience (VCE) intergenerational intervention outreach call service. VCE is designed to mitigate the loneliness and social isolation generally experienced by older Americans and worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The VCE builds upon the seminal work of Brigham Young University psychology professor Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad. Individuals 50+ years register as members choosing calls 1-3 times per week. As part of JCGF’s workforce trainings, volunteers complete 16 hours of customer service orientation, motivational interviewing, goal development and computer skills to be a certified VCE Ambassador. JCGF partnered with Chattanooga Goodwill SCSEP piloting job trainees as full-time VCE Ambassadors. SCSEP VCE Ambassadors have received job training preparing them for the virtual jobs in customer support, crisis line response, conducting surveys and online advocacy roles. This partnership indicates this model may be replicated to improve economic security for older adults returning to the workforce.
Speaker(s)
S. Orlene Grant, President, Founder, and CEO, Juanita C. Grant Foundation
Kimberly Crider, Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) Director, Goodwill Chattanooga
Moderators
Liz Berke, ,
Category
Economic Security
Mainstage Fireside Chat
Thu, Jun 10 at 12:00 pm EDT
Caregiving in the Age of COVID-19
Overview
| The pandemic has made clear that this country would not function without frontline workers and caregivers—those who provide care for the people we love. Caregiving is virtually impossible for one person to do, and still millions of Americans are called upon every year to do so. Paid domestic workers fuel the caregiving workforce without any protections and with low wages. COVID made caregiving even more challenging. What have we learned—and what can we do differently—to support caregivers moving forward. |
Speaker(s)
Ai-jen Poo, Co-Founder and Executive Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance
Moderators
Ramsey Alwin, President & CEO, National Council on Aging
BIO Partner Spotlight Session
Thu, Jun 10 at 12:00 pm EDT
Building Trust Through Partnership in Rural Communities: COVID-19 Vaccine Education & Awareness
Overview
| This tele-town hall will focus on galvanizing efforts with national and community partners to provide information, insights and, guidance on the continued path to navigating the pandemic and making the COVID 19 vaccine accessible to older adults. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated existing health inequities for older adults, specifically for African Americans, Latinx, Indigenous, rural and frontier populations. The health and economic safety nets that once seemed capable of serving economically vulnerable older adults, caregivers, and their families- have been severely impacted by the pandemic. A vaccine is a steadfast hope for a safer, healthier future for all. Misinformation and misunderstanding of how to connect to older adults and diverse communities plays a significant role in shaping the narrative towards vaccine efficacy and the willingness to take the vaccine in these communities. As our government, corporate, and community leaders work to create bold solutions, it is imperative that the impact on aging populations is top of mind and their needs are a part of informing those solutions. |
Speaker(s)
Elana Keiffer, Acting Director, Center for Health Aging, The New York Academy of Medicine
Phyllis Arthur, Vice President, Infectious Diseases and Diagnostics Policy, Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)
Dessie Levy, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor/Assistant Director Community Engagement Initiatives, Medical College of Wisconsin
Terri Tilley, Director of Social Services / Adult Daycare Director, Raleigh County Commission on Aging
Moderators
Kathleen Cameron, Senior Director, Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging
Category
Partner Spotlight Session
Concurrent Sessions (6)
Thu, Jun 10 at 1:00 pm EDT
Stay Connected: An Intervention to Combat COVID-19 Related Social Isolation in Older Adults
Overview
We present our pilot implementation of Stay Connected, a program that provides evidence-based strategies for older adults experiencing loneliness, anxiety, or depression symptoms due to COVID-related isolation. Academic psychologists at the University of Washington partnered with Seattle Aging and Disability Services to support seven social service contractors in implementing the program to racially and ethnically diverse older adults. Stay Connected was designed to be provided by case managers, community health workers, and others who work with individuals experiencing the impacts of isolation, with the support of a licensed behavioral health clinician. We describe Stay Connected telephone/videoconferencing sessions and the following strategies: assessing loneliness and mental health symptoms, offering resources, and teaching evidence-based self-management strategies like Patient Activation to help individuals cope with isolation and engage in enjoyable and rewarding life activities. We describe outreach efforts, challenges, and case studies representing English, Spanish, Chinese, and Indian communities.
Speaker(s)
Mary Pat O'Leary, Planning and Development Specialist II, City of Seattle, Human Services Department
Patrick Raue, Professor, University of Washington
Nanda Tewari, Senior Services Coordinator, India Association of Western Washington
Michael Woo, Ph.D. MSW, LICSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Kin On Health Care Center
Moderators
Stephanie Pilato, Senior Director, Finance and Contract Management, National Council on Aging
Category
Healthy Living
Thu, Jun 10 at 1:00 pm EDT
It’s Not Just About Grants! Diversifying Funding Through Strategic Partnerships
Overview
The MD Living Well Center of Excellence has worked to diversify funding through several strategies including contracting with state and federal entities, direct billing for services, and revenue sharing models. Venturing into contracting with new partners has increased our visibility, both within Maryland and nationally. This session will identify new partners for sustainability in an increasingly virtual environment and provide opportunities for discussion to identify other resources for sustainability.
Speaker(s)
Sue Lachenmayr, MPH, CHES, Statewide Program Manager, Maryland Living Well Center of Excellence - MAC, Inc.
Moderators
Genevieve Waterman, Director, Corporate Partnerships & Engagement, National Council on Aging
Category
Business Acumen
Thu, Jun 10 at 1:00 pm EDT
A NY Approach to Developing a Centralized and Sustainable Fall Prevention Network: Regional Coordinator Approach
Overview
This presentation will inform attendees about the Regional Coordinator (RC) approach taken by New York State (NYS) Department of Health (DOH) Bureau of Occupational Health and Injury Prevention (BOHIP) to develop a fall prevention network. The NYS DOH BOHIP RC approach will be outlined, including successes and difficulties. The primary target audience for this presentation will be evidence-based fall prevention program leaders, fall prevention advocates, trauma centers, sustainability partners, community-based organizations, local health departments, and state agencies.
Speaker(s)
Michael Bauer, Bureau Director, New York State Department of Health
Hillary Faas, Older Adult Fall Prevention Coordinator, New York State Department of Health
Ayden Jones, Fall Prevention Consultant, New York State Department of Health
Moderators
Yoko Meusch, MA, Program Associate, Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging
Category
Healthy Living
Thu, Jun 10 at 1:00 pm EDT
NCOA Public Policy Priorities - Health, Community Services and Financial Security for Equitable Aging
Overview
| With a new President and Congress, this year has already seen a broad range of far-reaching federal legislative initiatives that attempt to address the serious challenges facing the nation. These include the American Rescue Plan that is now law, the multi-trillion dollar American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan, as well as the recently released federal budget. Opportunities abound this year to improve the lives of older Americans, respond to the pandemic, strengthen our care infrastructure, and rebuild our economy. Hear from former ACL Administrator & Assistant Secretary of the Administration on Aging (AoA) and Chair-Elect of the NCOA Board of Directors Kathy Greenlee and NCOA’s Public Policy and Advocacy team about the latest news on NCOA’s public policy priorities and how you can make a difference in making equitable aging a reality. |
Speaker(s)
Kathy Greenlee, J.D., President & CEO of Greenlee Global, LLC & NCOA Board Chair, Greenlee Global, LLC
Howard Bedlin, Government Relations & Advocacy Principal, National Council on Aging
Marci Phillips, Director, Public Policy and Advocacy, National Council on Aging
Moderators
Kristen Kiefer, Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer, National Council on Aging
Category
Public Policy & Advocacy
Thu, Jun 10 at 1:00 pm EDT
Third Places and Older Adult Mental Health: Why, Where, and How it Matters
Overview
| In recent years, public health and aging services initiatives at the local and national level have increasingly focused on supporting older adults’ mental health and social wellbeing. Through both structured evidence-based programs and informal social interactions, aging services professionals build relationships and offer critical emotional support and opportunities for social connection to older adults in their communities. There is also growing awareness of the importance of supportive built and social environments for older adults’ health and wellbeing, as evidenced by the rapidly expanding Age-Friendly Communities program and the Village to Village network. Local community establishments known as ‘third places,’ such as senior centers, libraries, coffee shops, salons and barbershops, religious organizations, civic associations, are a key but underappreciated component of an age-friendly community. Third places are physical spaces where friends, neighbors, and strangers can gather regularly, happily and on common ground. Increasingly, evidence shows that third places can help support older adults’ mental health by creating opportunities for developing meaningful relationships and sharing information, resources, and support with their community. In our presentation, we will provide an overview of the research showing the importance of supportive physical and social environments for healthy aging. We will then introduce the concept and types of third places and describe the current state of the science on how third places support older adults’ mental and emotional health. We will also focus on the unique experiences of rural and urban communities in supporting older adults’ mental health through third places, with a particular emphasis on rural communities because they are home to larger shares of older adults and often face more resource constrains and challenges reaching dispersed populations. We will identify strategies for aging services professionals to make use of third places in their communities to connect with and support older adults as they age in place. We will also discuss challenges and best practices for developing collaborations and programming with a range of third places to support older adults’ social engagement and mental health, again acknowledging the unique realities of rural contexts. The research and strategies we share will be useful to organizations and agencies with limited resources in rural and urban communities. Our presentation will equip aging services professionals to identify third places in their communities that could provide opportunities for programming or partnerships to help support the mental and emotional health needs of older adults and promote healthy aging more broadly. |
Speaker(s)
Claire Pendergrast, Graduate Research Assistant, Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion
Danielle Rhubart, Postdoctoral Fellow, Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion, Syracuse University
Moderators
Emily McDonald, Director of Economic Security, National Council on Aging
Category
Healthy Living
Thu, Jun 10 at 1:00 pm EDT
Promoting Healthy Living Among Older Adults with a History of Trauma: Challenges, Barriers, and Solutions
Overview
Older adults who have experienced trauma face enormous challenges to healthy living due to the negative physical, emotional, social, and cognitive health consequences associated with traumatic experiences. Trauma can also lead to a hesitancy to use public health measures such as immunizations, a critical concern in the era of Covid-19. In 2020, The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) received a grant from the U.S Administration for Community Living/Administration on Aging to expand ‘person-centered, trauma-informed’ (PCTI) care for older adults with a history of trauma, and their family caregivers, to help aging services providers address these types of concerns. This session, which will include the core principles of PCTI care and examples of PCTI care from our work with Holocaust survivors, will provide participants with strategies they can use to implement PCTI care for older adults and family caregivers in their own agencies.
Speaker(s)
Sharon Glassberg, Program Director, Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona
Naomi Jones, Senior Director of Outpatient Services, Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties
Shelley Wenick, Managing Director, The Jewish Federations of North America Center on Aging and Trauma
Moderators
Kathleen Zuke, MPH (she/her), Director, Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging
Category
Healthy Living
Concurrent Sessions (5)
Thu, Jun 10 at 2:30 pm EDT
Life After Lockup: Getting Benefits for Seniors Being Released
Overview
| This session is a panel discussion which focuses on getting benefits for seniors who have served their sentence and about to leave the correctional facility. The panelist includes David Melton, Social Security Administration, Laura Roan, The Osborne Association, and Patricia Richardson from the Connecticut Department of Aging. This dynamic panel will discuss what beneficiaries should know about their benefits before, during, and after they are released. The panel will also discuss how to make connections and relationships with the Department of Corrections and the type of outreach they do for both personnel and those who are incarcerated. This session is intended for community organizations that are interested in getting involved with his population. |
Speaker(s)
Patricia Richardson, Field Representative, Statewide ADRC Coordinator, Department of Aging and Disability Services
Laura Roan, Program Manager, The Osborne Association
Tanya Duncan, Public Affairs Specialist, Social Security Administration
Moderators
Xavier Vaughn, Program Manager of Medicare, AARP
Category
Economic Security
Thu, Jun 10 at 2:30 pm EDT
The Menu is Expanding for Healthy Aging Programs Across the Nation
Overview
| Healthy aging is becoming more and more important as the population for older adults is growing faster than the 18 and younger age group. With that, comes a need to expand our menus related to a variety of topics to support and to provide resources to aging adults in our communities across the nation. The Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging (WIHA) is doing just that! During the session, other purveyors across the country will learn how WIHA is building their menu of high-level, evidence-based programming to cover more areas of healthy aging and working to expand the reach of more diverse communities. The WIHA model will be discussed and include best practices and challenges that has been encountered along the way. Learn about upcoming programs that are ready for national dissemination, getting packaged, or are in their last stages of research. |
Speaker(s)
Erin Eggert, Program Lead Community Research Associate, Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging/Community-Academic Aging Research Network
Shannon Myers, Director of Program Implementation, Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging
Dave Nelson, Executive Director, Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging
Moderators
Abby Pound, Content and Research, BenefitsCheckUp, National Council on Aging
Category
Healthy Living
Thu, Jun 10 at 2:30 pm EDT
Setting the Table: Addressing Food Insecurity Through Health Care Partnerships
Overview
| In 2019, Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and North Shore (an Area Agency on Aging) established two (2) contracts with Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to address food insecurity. Under these contracts, ESMV screens ACO patients/members for needs and provides a nutrition bundle, comprised of one or more of the following services: Medically tailored and home delivered meals, assessment and education with a registered dietician, nutrition education classes (in person and remotely), grocery shopping and delivery, coordination of food pantry and farmer’s market efforts, and grocery gift cards. Under the contract, ESMV-NS receives payment for each service provided, as well as administration funding. ESMV-NS further contracts with four (4) dual eligible plans to address food insecurity for members, including medically tailored meals and nutrition education. Outcomes measured include member satisfaction, impact on food security, health care compliance and health utilization. |
Speaker(s)
Jennifer Raymond, Chief Strategy Officer, Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and North Shore
Jean Lussier, Community Nutritionist, Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley
Moderators
Leslie Fried, Senior Director of the Center for Benefits Access, National Council on Aging
Category
Business Acumen
Thu, Jun 10 at 2:30 pm EDT
Making the Connection: Addressing Social Isolation through Telephone Reassurance Programs
Overview
| The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the issue of social isolation to the forefront. State and community agencies across the country have responded to increased social isolation among older adults and people with certain health conditions through a variety of initiatives. Providing telephone reassurance and check-in calls is one key strategy that is being widely used across the country. The Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability’s (TCAD) Care Through Conversation program is one such example of a program. Care Through Conversation is a no-cost volunteer-based telephone reassurance program that is available to all older adults and caregivers across the state of Tennessee. The purpose of this program is primarily to engage older adults in friendly conversation and make positive connections. Additionally, Care through Conversation volunteers assess needs, including access to meals, groceries or essentials, and medications and work with TCAD staff to match participants with additional resources as needed. The Care Through Conversation initiative and program materials have served as a model and resource for agencies across the country. During this session, presenters will describe the components, successes, and challenges of this program. Programs across the country, such as Care Through Conversation, are engaging volunteers and pulling in staff to meet the need for an increase in wellness check-in calls. Recognizing that certain conversation skills can help to build trust and deepen engagement, ADvancing States partnered with the Emergency Design Collective to create a Conversation Tips Toolkit. Developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this toolkit is designed to support reassurance and check-in programs and reinforce volunteer training. The toolkit provides tips on building trust, having engaging conversation, accessing resources and navigating roles, and practicing self-care. Presenters will review the tips in the toolkit as well as how the toolkit can be used to reinforce volunteer training. The goals of this presentation are: • For participants to learn about the components of a statewide telephone reassurance program that supports older adults and caregivers; • To raise awareness about a toolkit designed to support staff and volunteers conducting telephone reassurance calls; and • To review conversation tips in the areas of building trust, creating engaging conversation, understanding expectations and roles, and caring for yourself. The target audience of this presentation is any aging and disability professional that: operates a telephone reassurance program; conducts wellness check-in calls; and/or is interested in starting a program or learning more about what it takes to operate a program. |
Speaker(s)
Sarah Elliott, Tennessee Dementia Services Coordinator, Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability
Samantha Gardner, Senior Policy Associate, ADvancing States
Nanette Relave, MSW, Senior Director, National I&R Support Center, ADvancing States
April Young, Senior Director, National Core Indicators – Aging & Disabilities, ADvancing States
Moderators
Simona Eldridge, Staff, National Council on Aging
Category
Healthy Living
Thu, Jun 10 at 2:30 pm EDT
The $20.83 Senior Loan Red Flag
Overview
| The number of Americans age 62 and older using payday lending has tripled in the past five years with annual percentage rates as high as 372% (https://bit.ly/3c6YDfG). In response to this staggering figure and the desperate needs that COVID created, in May 2020, financial wellness and housing stability agency Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People (ESOP) launched a 0% interest, no-fee Senior Small Dollar Loan for people age 55-plus. Provided through supportive funds from bank partners, the loan ranges from $300 to $1000 and is designed to help older adults weather COVID-19 financial hardships without getting trapped in the vicious cycle of payday loans. ESOP’s zero-interest loan can be used for food, housing, rent, medication and health care issues, utilities, property taxes, transportation, insurance, and other basic needs. To break the payday lending cycle, borrowers also receive financial capability (knowledge, skills, and access to resources) including one-on-one financial counseling for help in decreasing expenses, increasing income, budget assessments, benefits enrollment, matched savings opportunities, free income tax preparation, behavioral health services, and more. But a troubling red flag is that today 67% of the applicants get declined because they can’t afford to pay back the loan at a maximum of $20.83 a month over four years. The fact that our prospective older adult clients don’t have enough income to pay on a $1000 zero-interest loan over 48 months is an indicator in and of itself of the challenges our low-to-moderate income seniors face. This session will tell you how ESOP approached our bank partners for help in launching this loan, what is working with the program, and what changes we are making to serve more older adults in 2021 based on the lessons learned so far. ESOP will share our findings as we endeavor to answer the question: How can we provide older adults with immediate financial relief and also improve their long-term financial capability? |
Speaker(s)
Michael Billnitzer, Executive Director, Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People (ESOP), and Vice President, Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People (ESOP)
Antoinette Smith, Director of Housing and Financial Counseling, Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People (ESOP)
Moderators
Brandy Bauer, Director, Center for Benefits Access, National Council on Aging
Category
Economic Security
Pause, Stretch & Network
Thu, Jun 10 at 3:30 pm EDT
Visit the Expo Hall
AGE-TASTIC! Mini Preview
Thu, Jun 10 at 3:30 pm EDT
AGE-TASTC! Mini Preview
Overview
AGE-TASTIC! Age-Tastic is one of the first health and wellness programs for older adults using game play to break down barriers and promote positive health outcomes through a holistic approach. Developed by the New York City Department for the Aging (DFTA), it combines board game play for “dollars” with group discussions and try-it-at-home activities to educate older adults and change health and wellness behavior. Played in 8, 1 hour per week sessions, participants learn about: falls prevention, the benefits of social engagement, financial mistreatment and fraud prevention, healthy nutrition, exercise and medication management.
Come hear about the development of Age-Tastic! from the developers. Try your skill at the virtual edition as we showcase the modules Feelin' Alright and Money Matters.
Speaker(s)
Dr. Jackie Berman, PhD, Senior Director, Research, New York City Department for the Aging
Mebane Powell, PhD, Deputy Director of Research, New York City Department for the Aging
Concurrent Sessions (6)
Thu, Jun 10 at 4:00 pm EDT
Measuring Risk – The Link between Nutrition, Falls, and Social Connectedness
Overview
| Malnutrition, falls, and social disconnection are complex and interrelated public health issues. Malnutrition affects 50% of adults ages 65 years and older and about 25% of older adults fall each year. Malnutrition and falls are account for billions of dollars in medical-related costs annually. Because poor nutrition has been linked to falls risk among older adults, efforts are needed to address these issues in tandem. While the physical, emotional, and social consequences of malnutrition and falls are severe, evidence shows these health issues may cause older adults to become socially disconnected. National data identifies relationships between these risk factors and describes Maryland’s effort to identify risk and link older adults to appropriate programs and resources. Data collected from a national sample of 4,082 adults ages 60 years and older examined the role of nutrition risk and falls on Upstream Social Isolation Risk Screener (U-SIRS) scores. U-SIRS consists of 13 items and higher theta scores indicate higher risk (generated through Item Response Theory). A series of analyses looked at the relationship between nutrition risk, falls, and social disconnection. National Results. Participants’ average age was 69.6 (±5.2) years, 59% were female, and 57% lived with a partner/spouse. About 21% reported being worried or stressed about having enough money to buy nutritious meals, 31% reported eating alone all or most of the time, and 16% reported falling once or more over the past year. When examining the relationship between these concepts, nutrition risk, past falls, and social disconnectedness were highly significantly related (Spearman rho coefficient ranges from 0.04 to 0.293; P<0.01). Older adults with more chronic conditions (Beta=0.17, P<0.001), who were worried/stressed about affording nutritious meals (Beta=0.16, P<0.001), ate alone more frequently (Beta=0.24, P<0001), and fell in the past year (Beta=0.7, P<0.001) had significantly higher social disconnection scores (as measured by the U-SIRS). Local Response. In March 2020, recognizing the impact of social isolation on older adults during COVID-19, the Living Well Center of Excellence (LWCE) began outreach to AAA clients and individuals referred by physicians for programs and services. We utilized the U-SIRS to screen for social disconnectedness. Of the 196 older adults screened by the LWCE, 56% scored as high risk on the U-SIRS during COVID-19. Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) screens were routinely utilized with physician referrals and included the question ‘In the last 12 months, did you ever eat less than you felt you should because there wasn’t enough money for food?’ Individuals at risk were referred to meal services, and evidence-based programs, including PEARLS, depression reduction program. Individuals were enrolled in the ‘Stepping Up Your Nutrition’ (SUYN) program, a brief single session intervention developed as a session 0 prior to falls prevention programs or as a one-on-one intervention. Conclusion. Combining easy to implement programs such as SUYN and/or PEARLS may be helpful in mitigating malnutrition, social isolation and falls risk. Emerging evidence shows that any/all evidence-based programs can help reduce feelings of loneliness, but more efforts are needed to reach older adults at the highest levels of risk. |
Speaker(s)
Sue Lachenmayr, MPH, CHES, Statewide Program Manager, Maryland Living Well Center of Excellence - MAC, Inc.
Matthew Smith PhD, MPH, CHES, Associate Professor, Texas A&M University
Leigh Ann Eagle BS, Chief Operations Officer, Maryland Living Well Center of Excellence, Maryland Living Well Center of Excellence - MAC, Inc.
Moderators
Michelle Mai, Senior Program Associate, National Council on Aging
Category
Healthy Living
Thu, Jun 10 at 4:00 pm EDT
Solutions to Help BECs Overcome Racial Inequities to Achieve Food Security
Overview
| The Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC) will present innovative ways to enroll BEC older and disabled adults while increasing food security, COVID testing and vaccine access in marginalized communities of color. Topics to be discussed are: 1) Outreach to Economically Disadvantaged Racial Ethnic Communities and, 2) How to Promote Racially Equitable Distribution of BEC Core and Support Services. |
Speaker(s)
Phyllis Willis, DSW, Senior Director, Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC) Older Adult Programs-Senior Services
Eleanor Brownn, Program Manager, WLCAC Older Adult Programs
Keenan Davis, Deputy Director, WLCAC Older Adult Programs
Esther Velasco, BEC Coordinator, WLCAC Older Adult Services
Moderators
Erin Kee McGovern, Director of Programs, Center for Benefits Access, National Council on Aging
Category
Diverse Population
Thu, Jun 10 at 4:00 pm EDT
Creating Opportunity from Adversity: Virtual Delivery of Workshops in 2021 and Beyond!
Overview
| The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate some of the new ways and best practices our organizations have used to assist in the delivery of virtual workshops. We will discuss how organizations across the country have adapted to virtual delivery, how virtual workshops have helped reach rural communities, and opportunities that organizations can take advantage of to improve their reach through virtual workshops. Albany Designs, creator of the Compass platform, will be co-presenting in our panel along with members from the Utah Healthy Aging Program and Comagine Health to share experiences, lessons learned, successes, and barriers with the delivery of virtual workshops. |
Speaker(s)
Michael Yudin, President, Compass Health Partners
Stephanie George, Epidemiologist/Evaluator, Utah Department of Health
Tori Scholl, Associate Improvement Advisor, Community Programs, Oregon COMPASS Program Coordinator, Comagine Health
Moderators
Ann Kayrish, Senior Program Manager for Medicare, National Council on Aging
Category
Healthy Living
Thu, Jun 10 at 4:00 pm EDT
Creating Your Extraordinary Playlist
Overview
Goals of this presentation-Understand how music affects the brain-both healthy brains and brains with dementia-Use pictures and video clips to explain. Understand the why and how music makes an impact-expand discussion on video clips (using clips from YouTube-Music & Memory and Naomi Feil) Identify resources to create a person-centered playlist-detailed instructions on how to use the different apps,--links to video instruction included in handout-- discussion on the pros & cons of each. We will review interview questions &/or prompts to uncover meaningful songs. Brainstorm opportunities to incorporate music in your typical day.-this is an open discussion. Target audience is the senior, the caregiver, or senior center staff looking for creative programming outside of the senior center, especially during COVID.
Speaker(s)
Allison Sprankle, Director of Client Services, Good News Consulting, Inc
Moderators
Yoko Meusch, MA, Program Associate, Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging
Category
Senior Centers
Thu, Jun 10 at 4:00 pm EDT
Healthy Aging Policy and Advocacy: What’s Happening, What’s on the Horizon and How You Can Help
Overview
| Join the NCOA Policy and Advocacy Team to learn about the latest developments and possible future directions in healthy aging policy and funding for Older Americans Act programs, Medicare and Medicaid. Hear about tools that you can use to become more involved in educating your elected officials about the work you do and advocating for policy change to make a difference in the lives of older adults in your communities. This session will provide ample time for Q&A. |
Speaker(s)
Kathleen Cameron, Senior Director, Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging
Howard Bedlin, Government Relations & Advocacy Principal, National Council on Aging
Marci Phillips, Director, Public Policy and Advocacy, National Council on Aging
Category
Public Policy & Advocacy
Thu, Jun 10 at 4:00 pm EDT
Value of Advance Care Planning: Strategies for a New Era
Overview
| Aging and In-Home Services (AIHS) has been working with Respecting Choices since 2014 to bring advance care planning (ACP) initiatives to both the region and the entire state. This presentation is intended for community-based organizations who want to improve client transitions and provide ACP education and support in the community. The benefits of ACP and how the Respecting Choices model supports these benefits will be highlighted. Attendees will take away tangible tools to integrate this work into their own organizations. This presentation will include benefits to clients: testimonials, satisfaction, etc. AIHS will discuss how basic ACP education provided by ACP faculty has been provided to our case management programs. Additionally, the presentation will describe how case management staff have access to ACP faculty for questions regarding their clients or ACP faculty can work with clients directly. AIHS will also discuss how Respecting Choices model has been incorporated into population health programs. For example, population health coaches are trained Advanced Steps facilitators who work with our current clients and high-risk patients from the hospital. AIHS has also incorporated basic ACP education into our Family Caregiver Support Center. To highlight the work throughout the state, AIHS will describe how Respecting Choices trainings have been provided and supported throughout the state of Indiana which led to ACP training being identified as part of the Area Agency plan for the state. The presenter from AIHS is trained as a faculty, instructor, and facilitator which has provided the foundation for the work. This AAA staff member has integrated ACP into current job role (population health) so that ACP work can continue. The staff member will describe how grant funding for trainings and instructor time have been received to further support. The workshop will be interactive using case studies, many examples/stories tied to key elements of designing a successful ACP system. |
Speaker(s)
Stephanie Anderson, Executive Director, Respecting Choices
Katie Hougham, VP of PACE Operations, Aging and In Home Services of NE Indiana
Moderators
Maura Porcelli, Senior Director, Senior Community Service Employee Program (SCSEP), National Council on Aging
Category
Healthy Living
Closing Session
Thu, Jun 10 at 5:00 pm EDT
A Call to Action
Overview
Join NCOA President & CEO Ramsey Alwin and NCOA Board Chair-Elect Kathy Greenlee as they share their reflections on the week -- and what each of us must do next to advance the cause of equitable aging.
Speaker(s)
Ramsey Alwin, President & CEO
Kathy Greenlee, J.D., President & CEO of Greenlee Global, LLC & NCOA Board Chair
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