Developing a Philanthropy Program for Adult Day Providers

Join LeadingAge for a free webinar designed to help you raise valuable operating dollars through fundraising:  Friday, August 9, 11-12 Pacific. 

 

Grant Funding Allows Bundled Services for Aging at Home

A project made possible through grant funding is finding that through a tripod of services including nursing care, occupational therapy and home improvement assistance, seniors can save thousands in dollars spent on more costly alternatives to aging in their homes.

The Baltimore-based project, coined “Capable,” or Community Aging in Place – Advancing Better Living for Elders is modeled after a Philadelphia study, “ABLE,” that was tested in the early 2000s. Those who are 65 and older who qualify for the program by proving difficulty in at least one activity of daily living receive the services of the visiting nurse, occupational therapist and handyman over four months for a cost of about $4,000. About $1,100 of the spending goes to home improvements such as banisters, hand rails and lighting.

Read more here.

Assisted Living Leadership & Management Series Begins Next Week

LeadingAge Washington's popular four-week program begins again July 17 and will be held at Horizon House in Seattle.  For more information and to register (only a few spots remain), click here.

Electronic Health Record (EHR) Whitepaper and Selection Matrix

LeadingAge’s Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) is releasing a whitepaper and selection matrix on selecting an electronic health record (EHR).
These tools are an expansion of the portfolio of free tools that CAST released in 2012 to help long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) organizations plan for and identify EHR products that meet their needs. The updated whitepaper was announced at the 2013 Long-Term and Post-Acute Care Summit sponsored by the LTPAC Health IT Collaborative.

The whitepaper outlines the detailed steps of planning, assessing and selecting an EHR system and defines the major components that EHR products offer. It includes sections on decision support systems, interoperability standards and health information exchange, which are additions from last year’s whitepaper.

Health IT Web Page Launched

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has unveiled a new webpage with information and resources for long-term and post-acute (LTPAC) providers. Here is the new website link to bookmark to your favorites.

The webpage stresses the importance of health IT in facilitating care transitions under new healthcare models. It also includes information about funding and initiatives, such as the Challenge Grant program, through which long-term care providers acquire and utilize technology.

Understanding Technologies that Support Older Adults in Aging-in-Place

From AgeTech West: 

According to the Center for Technology and Aging (CTA), we are at the dawning of “connected aging” in which the growing array of Internet-based technologies and mobile devices increasingly will support older adults to age in place. Emerging technologies will enable both older adults and their caregivers to address a comprehensive range of medical, health, social, and functional needs.

Solutions that connect older adults to friends, family, and community are becoming more viable; older adults and their caregivers are growing increasingly tech savvy; technology usability is improving; and price points are descending.

CTA recently published an issue brief on Connected Aging and launched an online mHealth Toolkit that offers resources on developing mHealth programs for chronic disease management. You can find the Issue Brief and ADOPT Toolkit on AgeTech’s Provider Resource Page.

New Research: Adult Day Services For Individuals with Dementia Reduces Stress for Caregivers

Adult day services provided a much-needed break that reduced the negative health effects caused by chronic stress from caregiving, according to research by Steven Zarit, Ph.D., from Penn State, published in the May 23, 2013, issue of The Gerontologist.

Read more.

The Potential of Partnerships Between Healthcare and Arts

Imagine a hospital with musicians on call, able to come to your bedside to play for you. Arts and crafts workshops tailored to the needs of patients with a specific type of illness. Healing gardens with visual arts classes. Weekly lunchtime poetry readings. While it’s not the harsh white light and smell of antiseptic cleaners most people associate with healthcare, this model is gaining in popularity.

For decades, some organizations have incorporated the arts into healthcare, and now, as more and more of them are forging partnerships across a variety of organizations, the practice has a broader reach than ever. All of the examples above are real, and they are from one program, Shands Arts in Medicine at UF&Shands, the teaching hospital at the University of Florida.

Read more.

Apply For An Award Recognizing Innovation in End-of-Life Care

The Circle of Life Awards honor innovative programs in palliative and end-of-life care.  All organizations or groups in the United States that provide palliative or end-of-life care are eligible for the award.  Apply here.

Tech Savvy Residents Drive New Demands in Senior Living

Due to an increasing adoption of new communication technology by senior housing residents and their families, solutions are emerging to meet those who are already considered “tech savvy.”

The 55-plus age group is the fastest growing demographic online, according to a study from Koeppel Direct that also found more than 85% of people ages 65 and older are email users.

Whether the technology is used for a medical need, or simply to keep in touch, the solutions are becoming not just optional, but essential for those entering senior living communities, as the result of more seniors going—and staying—online.

Read the full article.

Another Successful Housing with Services Pilot Project

A partnership between Presbyterian Senior Living and PinnacleHealth, both in Pennsylvania, is bringing a Pinnacle physician, nurse navigator and social worker to Presbyterian Apartments, PSL’s 150-unit affordable housing property.  Read about the pilot program here.

For more information, contact Julie Martin.

Choosing Your Fundraising Strategies

The Nonprofit Quarterly includes a great article:
Choosing Your Fundraising Strategies - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

New Report from AARP - A Third of Older People Projected to Turn to Medicaid

The report finds that most older people need some long-term services and supports during their lifetimes. Nearly a third of older people are projected to deplete their life savings and turn to Medicaid for assistance as their ability to care for themselves declines. Designed as a program for people with low incomes and few assets, Medicaid is a safety net of last resort for those whose needs exceed what unpaid family and friends can provide, and who exhaust their resources paying out-of-pocket for care.

Click here to access the 6 page report.

AgeTech West Welcomes Sodexo Senior Living as a Charter Business Partner Sponsor

Business Partner sponsorship is designed to give visionary, innovative companies operating in the aging services and health care sectors partnership with AgeTech West to advance the effective use of technology-enabled services. Partners support the achievement of AgeTech’s strategic objectives in education, advocacy, enabling change and development of opportunities through financial sponsorship and active engagement. Wayne Langley, Sodexo’s Regional Vice President, will serve on the AgeTech West Advisory Council. 

For more information, contact lladenberg@leadingagewa.org. 

Project Results Show Improved Senior Medication Adherence with Cell Phone Text Reminders

AgeTech West reports that the Front Porch Center for Technology Innovation and Wellbeing recently announced successful results from its "Minding Our Meds" pilot project.  The project demonstrated senior medication adherence with cell phone texting reminders.  Through a mobile health (mHealth) grant from the Center for Technology and Aging (CTA), the Front Porch Center teamed with CareSpeak Communications to pilot the CareSpeak mobile Health manager technology.  Sprint Nextel provided free phones and discount voice and texting services for the pilot.

The project featured customized texting services for medication alerts, diabetes and other chronic diseases medication reminders, as well as medication tracking programs for seniors at Front Porch communities and neighboring senior centers.  The published pilot results show improved medication adherence among active, independent older adults with access to a cell phone texting service.  The project's success offers a replicable and sustainable model for using mHealth technology solutions for medication adherence at Front Porch moving forward. 

Click here for more information and outcomes.

Contact lladenberg@leadingagewa.org for assistance.

 

Identifying the Actual Cost of a Meal - Two Free Webinars Offered

The National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging is offering two complimentary webinars in May on Identifying the Actual Cost of a Meal.

Part 1 - What Is The Importance For Nutrition Programs?
This presents an overview from the state, AAA, and local provider perspective. Through the Affordable Care Act nutrition service providers may be able to create opportunities to collaborate with insurance, healthcare and long term care support systems. It is imperative to fully understand actual costs and acceptable "profit margins" before entering this changing business arena.   

*Thursday, May 16, 2013, 3:00 - 4:15 PM ET  *Register Here  

Part 2 - Understanding And Calculating Meal Costs
This webinar will focus on helping you understand all the components of your total meal cost (which is not just raw food cost), and will provide you with tools to help you identify and calculate the actual total meal costs. This session is designed for anyone who plans or oversees a senior nutrition program budget. Webinar participants will be given a workbook with cost management exercises and will have the opportunity to ask questions and share ideas during the webinar. 

*Thursday, May 23, 2013, 3:00 - 4:15 PM ET  *Register Here

 

LeadingAge Washington Communities Adopting INTERACT Version III

LeadingAge Washington is proud to announce that our Director of Clinical Services, Bonnie Blachly, is only one of two people from Washington State who have been certified by program sponsor Florida Atlantic University and the creators of INTERACT, under the direction of Dr. Ouslander.  Carol Higgins with Qualis Health also holds that distinction.
 
Bonnie recently presented at the American Society on Aging National Conference in Chicago on one of the INTERACT tools related to Medication Reconciliation.  She and Ms. Higgins also presented at the Hospitals Safe Table Conference in Seattle on INTERACT and the positive results being demonstrated by Nursing Homes in reducing hospital readmissions.

There is great interest in INTERACT nationwide and it is very likely to become the National Standard for QAPI in nursing homes.  A number of our own LeadingAge Washington communities are beginning to adopt INTERACT Version III as their Quality Assurance Performance Improvement Program (QAPI) or to use it to augment their current program. 

It is currently under development for Assisted Living and Home Health. 

For information, contact Bonnie Blachly.

              

              

Nursing Leadership Training Program A Success

In March, LeadingAge Washington offered its first Nursing Leadership Training Program with twelve participants.  This program was part of a Master’s Project by Sharon Christor with Tacoma Lutheran Retirement Community.  Bonnie Blachly (Leading Age Washington Director of Clinical Services and a professor at University of Washington Bothell) precepted Sharon on this project.  Together with other LeadingAge Washington members they piloted a four week program that helps those in Nursing Leadership positions be successful on a day to day basis. 

 

The program was taught by Leading Age members as well as faculty from Seattle University and the University of Washington.  The presenters were Linda Johnson Trippett (Seattle University), Sharon Christor (Tacoma Lutheran), Laura Hofmann (Warm Beach Care Center), Veronica Guttieriez (Cascade Vista), Sheryl Morris (Anderson House) and Bonnie Blachly.  Many thanks to our presenters who worked so diligently to create the content for each topic. 

The students met once per week for training and then were able to put into practice what they learned in their communities.  This allowed for some great discussion each week.  Course evaluations were very favorable and we are delighted to announce that the Nursing Leadership Training program will be offered annually through Leading Age Washington.   Watch for upcoming dates for 2014.  Congratulations to Sharon Christor on completion of her MN degree. 

For information, contact Bonnie Blachly.

Wounded Warrior Project Invites Letters of Interest for Projects That Provide Direct Services to Veterans

 

Grants of between $5,000 and $250,000 will be awarded for projects that enhance the lives of injured service members and their families by supporting programs that fall into four service areas:

• Mind programs should enhance the mental health of wounded service members and help foster their healthy readjustment to civilian life.
• Body programs should provide unique sporting, fitness, and wellness activities for warriors and their families. Preference is given to programs that engage warriors over a sustained period of time and facilitate opportunities for leadership and peer mentoring.
• Economic empowerment programs should provide programs or services to warriors in the area of employment, higher education, financial literacy, or other opportunities that enhance economic empowerment among wounded veterans and their families.
• Engagement programs should empower injured service members by connecting them with their peers and continued opportunities to serve and engage with their larger communities.

Apply for an Award: Creative Dementia Programming

Three awards of $20,000 each will be awarded to nonprofit organizations, government agencies or universities responding to a community need with a program or project which focuses primarily on family/informal caregivers of adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Only agencies operating within the continental United States are eligible to apply. One award will be granted in each of these categories:

• Creative Expression: This award will go to programs or projects that use imaginative and creative approaches in supporting persons with dementia or family/informal caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Some examples are programs or projects using art, music, theatre, journaling, multimedia (e.g. film, documentary, radio) or other types of creative expression.
• Diverse/Multicultural Communities: This award will go to programs or projects that provide services, support or other types of outreach to family/informal caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias in diverse ethnic, age diversity, religion/spirituality, gender, rural, low income, and LGBT or other communities.
• Policy and Advocacy: This award will go to programs or projects that advocate for systems change for the benefit of family/informal caregivers or care recipients with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias. These efforts could focus on legislation, executive or administrative changes, advocacy campaigns, or any other action to strengthen the public or private sector's recognition and support of family/informal caregivers.

With continuing support from The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) is pleased to oversee the annual Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards program in its sixth year.