Message from Marta: Coming to terms with our mortality can be a beautiful thing

The holiday season is once again approaching, with all of its anticipation, memories of years past, and the joy of seeing loved ones again, whether virtually or in person. It is a time when we cherish those among us – and those who have passed. As humans, we don’t like to dwell too much upon mortality. And yet, at JABA, coming to terms with this reality is part of our everyday work with clients. Very often, it’s a beautiful thing.

Meet Elizabeth. She and her husband have attended one of JABA’s Community Senior Centers (CSC) for many years. They have also volunteered through JABA and contributed many acts of kindness to others. Even under the care of her medical team and JABA’s nurses, Elizabeth’s health condition has slowly deteriorated. Despite this, she would gladly take two hours in the morning to prepare herself to be able to spend time with her “JABA family” at the CSC. On her very last day in attendance, she expressed her joy and gratitude to everyone there – members and staff. Her love was a shining beacon of light in that moment.

Elizabeth is now in hospice, and JABA staff are doing everything they can to help her husband cope during this difficult time. It’s easy to look at her story as one of sadness. But, we at JABA see it differently. Elizabeth’s journey to where she is now is a culmination of her life, not merely an approach to the end of it. And JABA has been with her every step of the way, with nutritious meals, exercise and activities, assistance from trained nurses, socialization with her peers, and much more. Your partnership in our work has made this possible.

JABA assists older adults so that they can live with independence, health, and joy for as long as possible. Sometimes achieving this goal is challenging, as in the case of Millie. When her health and other problems became too great, the long-term care facility where she had been living refused her re-admittance back from the hospital. Millie suddenly had nowhere to go. JABA’s ombudsman worked tirelessly to find a place for her. At one point, the only heartbreaking option looked like a palliative care facility where she would no longer receive active treatment for her health condition. Luckily, an alternative was found so she could continue to get the care she needed in the community.

The holidays will look different for a lot of us this year. There will be people missing at the table, across the nation and here in our little hub in central Virginia. All of us will eventually end our earthly journey, so let’s make sure that all enjoy every day along the way, as independently as possible in the community they choose. It’s within our reach. All it takes is working together to provide a safety net of supports for our seniors – information when it’s needed, home-delivered meals, emergency assistance, health services, and much more. Please help us by making a generous gift right now in support of the older adults JABA serves.

As we approach the end of a long, exhausting year, please remember that there is always hope as demonstrated by Millie’s experience and a light that Elizabeth showed us. That light consists of trust, goodwill, love, and a belief in our future together. We ask that you be our partner in this work.

It is so easy to give. You can send a check or provide credit card information using the enclosed envelope. Or please donate securely online – a one-time gift or a sustaining monthly gift that provides us with reliable, regular income. The choice is yours.

The holidays are always a mix of light and dark. Without one, we wouldn’t appreciate the other. Let’s be beacons of light to one another this season – sending love to those of us at the table and those who have stepped away.

Wishing you the best in the upcoming year,

 Marta M. Keane

 Chief Executive Officer

Year-end giving reminder: a special tax deduction helps most people give up to $600 to charity, even if they don’t itemize

P.S. Because many older adults hesitate to ask for help, it is important for all of us to reach out to our elderly friends, neighbors and loved ones if we suspect that they are in need of assistance. If you need information or resources, call our Senior Helpline at (434) 817-5244. Thank you for caring.

JABA tests the use of robotic pets as therapy for those with cognitive impairment and dementia

JABA’s robotic pets, Goldie the Dog and Fuzzy the Cat

There's established research that links animal-assisted therapy to improvements in mood and the quality of life for seniors, including those with dementia, but a growing amount of research is showing that robotic pets also provide the same kind of therapy. The results of a review of several studies of Pet robot intervention (PRI) showed "a statistically significant decrease in behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), especially agitation and depression, in people with dementia who were treated with PRI." So, embracing this brave new world, JABA welcomed Goldie the Dog and Fuzzy the Cat at our Charlottesville Adult Care Center. The robotic pets were generously donated by our friends at VATS (Virginia Assistive Technology System) and The Department of Aging Rehabilitative Services.

"We have been pleased with the positive outcome of this intervention so far," says Kelly Langan, JABA's Adult Care Center Activities Coordinator," and are so appreciative for the opportunity to try new and innovative ideas with our members."

And it's not just about helping those with dementia. It's also about dealing with the problem of loneliness and isolation among older people. Using robotic pets is a growing trend at agencies on aging across the country - in April, 2020, a few weeks after New York aging departments shut down their adult day programs and communal dining sites, the state placed a bulk order for more than a thousand robot cats and dogs. The pets went so quickly that caseworkers started asking for more - and companies are investing more and more into developing robotic companions, a development that raises all sorts of interesting questions about human/machine relationships and the future of caregiving for the elderly, especially in a country where almost thirty percent of Americans over sixty-five, mostly women, live alone.

JABA Board Honors Blue Ridge Health District Director, Dr. Denise Bonds

During a special virtual meeting of JABA’s Board of Directors today, Dr. Denise Bonds, director of the Blue Ridge Health District, was honored for what she has done for the community in general, and seniors in particular. Board members presented Dr. Bonds with a Jefferson Cup and a Certificate of Appreciation.

Through the Blue Ridge Health District’s leading role in the MAPP2Health initiative, Dr. Bonds has ensured that seniors’ health and aging needs are priorities in our community’s goals for improved health outcomes. 

When COVID hit, Dr. Bonds were given the Herculean task of addressing so many community needs that were constantly evolving, often with limited resources.

She has guided the community and advocated for our health district.

We particularly appreciate:

  • Dr. Bonds’ guidance for our CEO, Marta Keane, when COVID became a factor in our health district.  She weighed the risk of isolation, from closing too soon, with the risk of infection, from closing too late, and provided information for Marta to use to make the decision, and it worked.  We avoided infections in our centers.

  • Dr. Bonds assisted in placing JABA in the related health care provider group, so that staff were eligible for vaccines in February, allowing us protection in working with the vulnerable group of seniors.

  • Dr. Bonds collaborated with us to reach homebound and at risk seniors.

Dr. Bonds and her team also helped our community achieve high vaccination rates and stay as healthy as possible.  And we thank her.

Terry and Dorothy McAuliffe, Pamela Northam visit JABA

NBC29 - With the November election less than a month away, candidates are making their final pushes. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe stopped by central Virginia Monday.

Terry McAuliffe came to Jefferson Area Board for Aging, or JABA, Monday afternoon. Many may know JABA as a senior center, but McAuliffe came to the preschool in the building to discuss his education plans.

“Let’s make sure we continue to progress and get every one of these children access to a early childhood education because it was transformative for our children,” Terry McAuliffe said.

Terry McAuliffe and his wife Dorothy say it’s places like JABA that are so transformative and helpful for children.

“It’s intergenerational,” Dorothy McAuliffe said. “So we have seniors who come here as well. And the educational opportunities, the emotional, social development for young people as well as for the seniors, it’s just a really thriving center and we need to do everything we can to support places like this.”

By supporting, they mean investing money in education and increasing teacher pay. McAuliffe says he will do both if elected governor.

“It’s important to come see these success stories,” Terry McAuliffe said. “And you know we all see this and then we go back and we use it sort of as a model that we have to do in the rest of the commonwealth.”

The preschool at JABA is only a small portion of the building, but it represents a bigger theme to McAuliffe, and Pamela Northam: creating more spaces like this.

“Twenty-five thousand 3-and-4-year-olds now have access to quality early childhood care and education which is astounding, but it’s still not enough,” Pamela Northam said. “We still know there are thousands of children out there without those opportunities.”

McAuliffe says a successful school is also one where all teachers and kids are vaccinated. He then defended his statement in the most recent debate, about parents having a say in what their kids are taught.

“I was very clear with that,” McAuliffe said. “We don’t teach critical race theory here in the commonwealth of Virginia, and it’s a racist dog whistle, and he’s got to stop. I’m about uniting. Our children should not be used as political pawns.”

McAuliffe says this election is all about taking care of children and women in the workforce, which is why he came to JABA.

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