February 2018 Aging Well Newsletter

Come to our inaugural conference on senior nutrition and local nutrition resources! Dr. Coco Dughi's keynote on "The Power of Diet
and Lifestyle for Healthy Aging" will be flanked by local vendors and
demonstrations. Register today!

When: Mar. 15, 9-Noon

Where: Jewish Community Ctr, 6007 Oreg Ave., Boulder

Our annual Caregiving Symposium is a great opportunity for local businesses and organizations to interact with family caregivers. The day-long event features more than a dozen workshops, and one of the largest resource fairs in the county. Nearly 400 family caregivers and over
100 providers attended in 2017, and a similar turnout is expected this
year.

We invite you to become a
Caregiving Symposium sponsor. Click here for sponsorship levels
and benefits. Space is limited, so register today!

We recently launched a new
program with Boulder Community Health to offer more comprehensive care to
Medicare joint replacement patients. “Next Step” involves our Community
Resource Navigator working with patients and their non-medical needs as they
transition back home. Our goal in the program is to improve health outcomes,
reduce avoidable readmissions, improve patient experience, and improve medical
staff experience.

By addressing the non-medical needs in
partnership with local healthcare providers, we further our mission and
strengthen opportunities to encourage healthy and independent aging in our
community.

We’re launching an exciting year of public input for
our countywide strategic plan – Age Well Boulder County. Visit our new and improved website for more
information on the plan and for ways to get involved. We’re featuring weekly
polls to gather feedback from interested stakeholders, so visit the webpage often!

Want more information on the Age Well Plan? Contact Laura Mathews.

The latest federal budget deal gives appropriators six more weeks to come to an agreement on an omnibus budget bill. Amidst this challenging budget year, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) secured a major win when the House passed a $14.2 million increase for Older Americans Act Funds. We need your help to make sure this increase is reflected in a final bill!

Contact your Representatives and Senators today to advocate for:

1. The additional $14.2 million for Title III B (OAA) funding. (B Funds provide transportation, in-home services, mental health counseling, financial assistance and more.)

2. Maintained funding for SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) used to provide Medicare Counseling.

Senator Michael Bennet

Senator Corey Gardner

Rep. Jared Polis

Rep. Ken Buck

Need more information? Contact us today.

One
out of three adults has prediabetes and 90% don’t even know they
have it. Having prediabetes means you have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart
disease, and stroke. But with some simple lifestyle changes, you can cut this
risk in half. The Diabetes Prevention Program can help you change some of your eating and activity habits to reduce your risk of diabetes.

When: Info session – Wed., Feb. 28, 4:30-5:30 p.m.; classes start Wed.,
Mar. 7

Where: Longmont United Hospital, 1950 Mtn View Ave.

To find out if you qualify, or for more information, please email
Melissa Pruitt or call 303-441-3599.

Our Long-term Care Ombudsman program recently
partnered with students in CU Boulder's Leadership program to survey residents
in long-term care homes, seeking to understand residents' experiences and their awareness of the ombudsman program. Students discovered that 91% of residents want more
companionship and 77% are unaware of the resources available to them through
the ombudsman program.

Based on student recommendations, our staff has initiated new ways to increase elder rights education and social interaction for residents in long-term care.

Want more information on our Ombudsman
Program? Visit our website.

Please
join us in welcoming Jane Ireland - our new Financial Programs Assistant on
the Business Results Team. Jane will be providing administrative support and
monitoring for our financial assistance programs. Jane comes to us with a background in office
management, nonprofit development, database administration, and information
systems analytics. Prior to moving to Colorado earlier this year, she was
Membership Director and Database Administrator for an art house cinema in
Florida. Welcome Jane!

In partnership with many stellar partner agencies, we increased the services we provided to older adults and their family caregivers in 2017. Check this out!

• Our helpline received 2,698 calls,
  a 27% increase from 2016.
• Our online resource
  directory had 134,000 views and 77,000 visits, increases of 42% and 54% from
  the year prior.
• We funded over 17,000 rides,
  14,000 meals, and 9,000 hours of in-home supportive services.
• 90% of our clients attribute
  our services to helping them maintain or improve their independence in the
  community.

For more information on the services we provide, check out our latest Annual Report.

Last month, community members attended our first
Dementia Friendly performance, produced in partnership with the national
honors music program at Peak to Peak Charter School and hosted by the Lafayette
Senior Center. Students geared the musical selection towards old
classics, as in this picture of one musician playing Sinatra’s “My Way”. Attendees enjoyed the concert, many tapping
their toes and even singing along to the music.

We’re leading the charge on making
Boulder County a Dementia Friendly Community.
Contact us for information on how you can get involved!

Stay up to date on advocacy alerts, class information, staff updates, and area happenings. Like our page today!