Donna Baker, JABA's Director of Operations, contributed to a new report, #Gen2Gen Cities, from Encore.org, which highlights the way leaders across the country are increasing volunteerism, making better use of public spaces, strengthening communities, saving money, and improving outcomes for residents of all ages by leveraging the assets of residents and connecting the generations.
"It sometimes means putting ourselves in new and uncomfortable situations, but the payoff is worth it," Baker said. As an example, Baker explained that JABA recently participated in a local preschool summit for the first time.
"Although a bit out of our comfort zone, the summit was extremely helpful to us as we opened a preschool at JABA with intergenerational programming," she said. "Our participation helped us create high quality programming that has been powerfully important for older adults in the county as well as the children."
Holidays Can Be Hard for Seniors. But You Can Help
We can all get the holiday blues, but our elders are especially vulnerable.
The holiday season can trigger memories of loved ones who have passed away, and elders may need extra attention, even though they might not show it. They can also get overwhelmed with thoughts of decorating, shopping, helping out at family gatherings, and so it’s important to let them know it’s okay to relax.
If they are on a tight budget, buying gifts may cause anxiety. Help them out with this. If they are far away or alone, send cards, call often, and encourage them to spend the holidays with a friend or social group.
Caregivers and other friends and relatives need attention, too. A caregiver’s life is already packed taking care of their own life and someone else’s, plus the holidays bring extra duties. Be sure to take a break and realize that everything does not need to be perfect.
Also, if there’s an elder loved one in your family whose health or cognition has changed or declined since last year, its a good idea to prep your visiting friends and relatives so they aren’t surprised or alarmed.
Finally, if you notice that an elder seems especially lonely or depressed, take it seriously. And make sure they get the help and support they need.
READ: Depression in Seniors: Why the Holidays Can Be Hard
JOIN: The JABA Caregivers Support Group on Facebook
EXPLORE: JABA's services for families and seniors
SUPPORT: JABA's mission to care for our aging community
Fair Care: New report highlights local efforts to increase access to care and reduce health inequity
JABA and other local organizations are making a big difference when it comes to reducing health disparities and improving access to care in our area, a new report shows.
The National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) provides a framework for organizations, coalitions, and residents to work together for action and sustainable change toward improved health and well-being for all. Since 2007, organizations and residents of Planning District 10, also known as the Thomas Jefferson Health District, have used the MAPP framework to assess community health across the district in the City of Charlottesville and counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson. This process is known locally as MAPP2Health or MAPP.
The MAPP process was first initiated in 2007 in the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. A steering committee of leaders from a wide array of organizations was established to plan and implement MAPP. The group published a Community Health Status Assessment Technical Report in 2008. In July 2011, MAPP2Health launched and expanded the MAPP process to all localities in PD10. Key planning partners included the Jefferson Area Board for Aging (JABA), Martha Jefferson Hospital (now Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital), Region Ten Community Services Board, TJHD, and the UVA Department of Public Health Sciences (UVA DPHS). Other key partners included the MAPP Leadership Council and partnerships with existing Interagency Councils (IACs) in TJHD localities. The resulting 2012 MAPP2Health Report included community health assessment data for all localities and a collaborative community health improvement plan.
The 2019 MAPP2 Health Report [read the full report here] builds on the work of the 2016 MAPP process and focuses on health equity across the district-wide priorities identified in earlier MAPP reports to:
• Promote healthy eating and active living
• Address mental health and substance use
• Reduce health disparities and improve access to care
• Foster a healthy and connected community for all ages
The 2019 MAPP2 Health Report also shows specifically how JABA and other local organizations have committed to increasing access to care and reducing health disparities in our area:
JABA Adult Care Centers -- An Answer to the Rising Cost of In-Home Care
As the Washington Post reported recently, the fastest-rising long-term care cost is not for the most skilled care at a nursing home or assisted-living facility, but in-home care services. In the last 12 months the cost of in-home care services have gone up by 7.14 precent, four times the increase in the price of a private room in a nursing home, and they are expected to continue to rise.
For people hoping to stay in their homes as they age, these findings underscore the need for individuals and families to consider JABA's Adult Care Centers in Charlottesville and Louisa. For those who need extra help during the week, or caregivers who find themselves being stretched thin, time at our Adult Care Centers can be a formula that works for everyone...at a reasonable cost!
Call today to take a tour! Charlottesville: 434.817.5235 / Louisa: 540.967.4435. You can also learn more by watching our new video below.
Volunteers Needed for JABA Medicare Counseling Program
Medicare Open Enrollment has just started, and already JABA volunteers have seen hundreds of clients and saved the members of our community over $30,000.
Last year, JABA’s Insurance Counseling saved people over one million dollars on their prescription plans and saw over 2,000 clients. What’s more, when Affordable Care Act open enrollment begins on November 1, JABA’s trained ACA Insurance Counselors will go to work helping people of all ages get the best deals on health insurance for themselves and their families.
This year JABA expects to see even more clients, and we've more than doubled our volunteer base. But we still need help to make all this happen. We need Administrative Volunteers.
"We need more support staff, we need some more admin volunteers, we definitely need some more greeter volunteers because we are seeing people in three different places all at the same time,” said JABA Manager Of Community Services Randy Rodgers.
Rodgers says the program has already helped hundreds of people.
“Our insurance counseling staff is always comparing open enrollment periods to planning for a wedding,” says JABA Volunteer Services Coordinator Winter Broadhurst. “ While Insurance Counselors are the officiants of the ceremony, the administrative volunteers are the florists, bakers, decorators, and wedding planners, making sure that everything is in order for the big day…or in this case, the next few months.”
Receiving over 90 calls a day, JABA administrative volunteers assist clients in scheduling appointments across all of JABA’s Insurance Counseling sites. A volunteer is the first person clients see, and after open enrollment ends you can still find volunteer support staff inputting data and logging information.
“Signing up for an administrative support shift here and there doesn’t simply mean answering phones and inputting data,” says Broadhurst.” You join a team of around 100 volunteers who are working for the same goal: to provide seniors with the information they need to access their medications. When you volunteer to support the Insurance Counseling Program, you gain connections and community that only working alongside other compassionate professionals can bring.”
Anyone interested in becoming a JABA Administrative Volunteer can call Winter Broadhurst at 434.817.5226 or email her at wbroadhurst@jabacares.org
Hungry and Alone: the Growing Senior Nutrition Crisis
Do you know a senior who might be suffering from hunger and malnourishment? There's a good chance you do and might not know it.
Nearly 8% of Americans 60 and older were “food insecure” in 2017, according to a recent study released by the anti-hunger group Feeding America. That’s 5.5 million seniors who don’t have consistent access to enough food for a healthy life, a number that has more than doubled since 2001. And it's expected to get much worse.
What's more, this situation isn't always caused by poverty, but by seniors not being able to feed themselves — either because they live alone and have trouble cooking or going out to shop, or don't have the close support of family and caregivers. Or because they are too proud to say anything about it.
But there is help...
“I look forward to getting my meals,” says Gloria Coleman, a JABA Home Delivered Meal Program client in Louisa County. “And I like being able to choose what I want every two weeks. This means I don’t have to worry about cooking three meals a day”
"Our home-delivered meal program has a huge impact on people who receive it," says Crystal Donovan, who coordinates the Home Delivered Meal Program for the Jefferson Area Board for Aging (JABA). "A number of these people cannot cook for themselves, are on a fixed income and are homebound. Home delivered meals allow them to stay in their home with at least one healthy meal a day to help offset the possible unhealthy meals they are eating."
Donovan coordinates the delivery of both Mom's Meals and Meals on Wheels to JABA clients. Mom's Meals, a leading for-profit provider of home-delivered meals, delivers biweekly (10 meals per box) to clients in areas JABA serves — often remote rural areas in Nelson and Greene counties where Meals on Wheels isn't available. They are fresh, never-frozen meals that are put in the fridge and can be heated in the microwave. JABA covers the cost of these meals for need-based and income-eligible clients, and those who aren't eligible pay $6.99 per meal for Mom's Meals and $6 for Meals on Wheels.
"I look forward to getting my meals," says Gloria Coleman, a JABA Home Delivered Meal Program client in Louisa County. "And I like being able to choose what I want every two weeks. This means I don't have to worry about cooking three meals a day"
For many seniors like Coleman, who live alone in remote settings or who are on fixed incomes, the meal deliveries offer a sense of security and relieve stress.
These home-delivered meal programs also can help family members and caregivers. Indeed, most caregivers for seniors can tell you that shopping and preparing meals can be one of the most labor-intensive aspects of caregiving. Getting on a home-delivered meal program can be a huge stress reliever.
"If the caregiver works, it gives them peace of mind that their loved one has a healthy meal at home they can pop in the microwave," Donovan says, "and the caregiver doesn't need to worry about things like the stove being left on."
This JABA service is only for people 60 or older who are unable to prepare meals safely as a result of mental, emotional or physical incapacity; have no one else in the household who could prepare meals; and have are no available resources nearby (such as family members, church members, neighbors or community groups) to provide cooking assistance.
JABA pays for clients' Meals on Wheels food if clients meet eligibility requirements. Folks who do not meet eligibility requirements can contact Meals on Wheels and inquire about sliding-scale fees.
"Improvements in nutrition and reduced feelings of isolation are seen in almost every person we serve in this program," says Emily Daidone, JABA's manager of senior nutrition programs. "Isolation as a result of a sudden loss of partner, health problems or financial burdens can quickly diminish an older person's ability to stay in their home. A healthy meal, and connection to a friendly visitor, can really help."