Innnovative Senior Centers Meeting tomorrow’s growing needs Published quarterly by Georgia’s Area Agencies on Aging Georgia Generations TM Summer 2009 Also in This Issue: n Caregiving News & Notes n A Look at Georgia’s AAAs Athens-Clarke County Senior Center Fayette Senior Services Gilmer County Senior Center Hapeville Senior Center Newton County Senior Center Sandy Springs Neighborhood Center Thomson-McDuffie Senior Center Union County Senior Center Eastside Golden Age Center
Transcript
Innnovative
Senior CentersMeeting tomorrow’s growing needs
Published quarterly by Georgia’s Area Agencies on Aging
GeorgiaGenerationsTMSummer 2009
Also in This Issue: n Caregiving News & Notesn A Look at Georgia’s AAAs
Athens-Clarke County Senior Center
Fayette Senior Services
Gilmer County Senior Center
Hapeville Senior Center
Newton County Senior Center
Sandy Springs Neighborhood Center
Thomson-McDuffie Senior Center Union County Senior CenterEastside Golden Age Center
�� Georgia Generations
Area Agencies on Aging – Gateways to Community Resources
Northwest GeorgiaLegacy Link Atlanta Regional
CommissionSouthern CrescentNortheast GeorgiaLower ChattahoocheeMiddle GeorgiaCentral Savannah RiverHeart of Georgia
Georgia is divided into 12 AAAs, each serving a different part of the state. They are:
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SUMMER 2009 Published quarterly through a cooperative effort of Georgia’s Area Agencies on Aging.
For information contact:Atlanta Regional CommissionAging Services Division40 Courtland St., NE, Atlanta, GA [email protected]
Editorial Project Development:JAM Communications, Atlanta, GA
Design and Production:Wells-Smith Partners, Lilburn, GA
Georgia Generations is a:
On the Cover:These senior centers, like scores of others around the state, are finding creative ways to adapt to a new clientele — the baby boomer generation. Yet, despite a focus on the younger set, older seniors are not being forgotten. See story, page 4.
Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) were established under the Older Americans Act in 1973 to respond to the needs of older adults age 60 and over in every community. To read more about each of Georgia’s AAAs and the services available, turn to a statewide map and news from each agency, beginning on page 9.
2008
Surfing the NetEach issue of Georgia Generations offers several Web sites devoted to caregiving information and resources:
www.medlineplus.gov provides authoritative information about drugs, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, interactive patient tutorials, and latest health news, plus easy access to medical journal articles.
www.seniorhousing.net has resources and information on senior living options, moving and storage, health and wellness, and other aging topics.
CAREGIVINGNEWS&NOTES
Protect Medicare andMedicaid Benefits
Report suspected fraud and errors.Call your Fraud Project for details
and to request a presentation.
GeorgiaCares 1-800-669-8387
On that date, all full-power television stations stopped analog broadcasts.
If you use “rabbit ears” or a rooftop antenna with your analog television, you need a converter box to continue receiving television broadcasts.
To learn more, go to www.DTV2009.gov
Do you want to know more about the prescription drugs you or your family members are taking? Go
to www.CRBestBuyDrugs.org, Consumer Reports’ new Web site, to learn more about the cost, effectiveness and safety of prescription drugs. This Web site is available at no cost to the consumer.
Protecting the ElderlyNew legislation is being considered that would give greater
protection to nursing-home residents. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) recently introduced legislation
that would require the creation of a national cross-referenc-ing system. At present, most states require background checks for nursing-home employees, but there is no database that allows employers to checks for crimes committed in other states.
A trial program in seven states found that 7,000 applicants for eldercare positions had criminal records or a substanti-ated history of abuse. Extending this program nationwide would greatly increase the protection of all vulnerable seniors who live in nursing homes.
Good news: Recent studies on lifestyle changes have shown that seniors, as much or more than any other age
group, can take steps to improve their health. Controlling cholesterol is one of the most important steps
to take in living a healthier life. The American Heart Association recommends a total cholesterol count of less than 200 mg/dL. Your physician can break down your LDL (bad cholesterol) versus your HDL (good cholesterol). Keeping choles-terol low is a good idea for health in general. But for patients with known coronary artery disease or other vascular disease, studies have proven that keeping the cholesterol very low substantially reduces the risk of heart attack.
What to do? Reduce your intake of saturated fat and simple sugars — and control your weight. Increase your level of exercise. Also, ask your physician if you would benefit from taking a statin medication, which has been proven to keep some cholesterol levels in check.
If you or a loved one is experiencing unusual fatigue, discuss it with your physician.
Fatigue in seniors is often a sign of serious health problems, which can go undiagnosed because both doctors and patients consider fatigue a normal sign of aging. According to
a Columbia University Medical Center study, a lack of energy — or anergia —
in seniors can be linked to several health problems. In other words, fatigue and aging don’t necessarily go hand in hand.
Seniors participating in the study reported symptoms such as waking up feeling tired,
napping for more than two hours a day and feeling slowed down physically in recent weeks or
months. Those labeled with aner- gia reported more arthritis, sleep disorders, cardiovascular symptoms and other health problems.
Feeling Old and Tired?Talk to the Doctor!
Cut the Cholesterol To Improve Your Health
Were youready on June 12?
� Georgia Generations� Georgia Generations
Stroll through the Dorothy C. Benson Senior Multi-purpose Complex in Atlanta and you might come across a class learning VISTA, the newest operating system for
Windows. Down the hall, another group might be stretching into yoga poses and still another competing in a virtual real-ity bowling tournament on Nintendo Wii.
This is a senior center? It certainly doesn’t look the part, with a jukebox in the lobby, a gleaming restaurant-style dining room dubbed the Sit and Chat Café and a fitness center filled with state-of-the-art exercise equipment. And it doesn’t act the part, with a program schedule that boasts offerings such as circuit training, buying and selling on eBay and rock climbing.
“People don’t come here to sit anymore,” says Elizabeth Ingleheart, executive director of the Sandy Springs Neighbor-hood Center, which is part of the Benson complex. “The whole concept of senior centers is changing, in large part thanks to the baby boomers. Boomers don’t see themselves as old. They have different expectations. They expect a different, fresh look and more active programming.”
As a result, senior centers all over the state and country are getting face-lifts and program makeovers. Though they began as basic congregate meal sites with perhaps a pre-lunch game of cards thrown in, senior centers have been adding services, classes and activities to reflect the changing interests of the changing senior population. These days, most look more like health clubs/community centers than senior gathering places. And they’re not done changing. With the crush of boomers waiting just outside their doors, centers wherever possible are sprucing up, adding on and re-brand-ing themselves to appeal to the distinct tastes of the boomers.
“While senior centers have had their place, the 21st-century center has to be positioned to attract and retain a much wider and more diverse audience,” says Debbie Britt, executive director of Fayette Senior Services. “They certainly can’t be your grandmother’s senior center anymore.”
For many communities, that means senior centers have evolved into a truly multipurpose facility — part restaurant, part gym, part social agency, part university, part travel agency and part social club. Just consider the Newton County Senior Center in Covington. In addition to the congregate lunch, various crafts classes and a TV lounge, the center offers computer instruction, an assortment of exercise classes and dancing. The center’s participants can go on day or overnight trips, ranging from a historic tour of St. Augus-tine, Florida, to a trip to a Georgia emu farm. And they can obtain support and referrals, whether they are raising their grandchildren, caring for a spouse with Alzheimer’s or deal-ing with grief.
“We even run a one-week day camp in the summer for grandchildren being raised by their grandparents,” says Josephine Brown, director of Newton County Senior Services. “That offers the grandparents a week of respite. The center really offers a little bit of everything.”
While many centers’ programs seem to target the younger set, older seniors are not being forgotten. “The younger seniors are definitely most interested in physical activity, wellness and nutrition,” says Kathy Hill, director of the Union County Senior Center in Blairsville. “But our older seniors are interested in just about everything we offer. They want to try most of the programs, even if some of them are a little harder or totally new for them.”
As boomers begin to enter the congregate meal programs, they are bringing their tastes with them. As a result, centers are moving from meatloaf and mashed potatoes toward salmon and fresh greens. Consider the menu at the Ultimate Café in the Fayette Senior Services’ Life Enrichment Center in Fayetteville — pecan-crusted trout, pasta primavera, bourbon-glazed salmon, tiramisu and Louisiana-style crab cake with remoulade sauce.
“When we opened the center in early 2008, we knew we wanted to attract everyone from age 50 to age 100,” says Britt. “And just as in your home, activity generally centers around the kitchen. So we did away with the institutional food and brought in an executive chef who prepares all the meals from scratch. It’s more cost-effective and much more appetizing. He makes homemade soups and wonderful fresh salads. Word spread quickly and our meals became a great attraction for us — people actually plan their week’s activi-ties around the menu. We already have more than 2,100 members.”
Senior Connections, a nonprofit provider of senior ser-vices, has rolled out the café concept in one of the five senior centers it manages in DeKalb County. Connections Café, which employs an executive chef, a sous chef and a dietitian, offers seniors a choice of tempting soups, salads, sand-wiches and hot entrées. “Choice is big, especially with boomers,” says Debra Furtado, CEO of Senior Connections. “They don’t want to be told what to eat — they want to choose from a nice variety. And the food is so good that our staff eats here, as well as the kids who come here to volun-teer. So we have intergenerational groups sitting and eating together family-style.”
In another innovation, Connections Café charges seniors on a sliding scale. “Some seniors can pay full price, others part of the price and others none at all,” says Furtado. “I think that is the future of general operations for seniors. Those who can pay will be asked to, and those who can’t will access the services for free.”
Dianne Rutherford is taking the café concept one step fur-ther in Hapeville. The deputy director of South Fulton Senior Services oversees the Hapeville Senior Center, which had low and dwindling attendance. “So we went out into the commu-nity and asked seniors what they wanted, what would get them to come to the center,” says Rutherford. “They said they want an on-site prep restaurant and they want computers.”
So Rutherford decided to convert the center’s dining room into a cybercafé. The room was redecorated to give it more of a restaurant feel and laptops were set up on tables and in corners. “Seniors will be able to choose from a varied menu — a minimum of three hot entrées as well as sand-wiches and salads. They’ll also be able to meet with friends and access the Internet,” Rutherford says. “It’s kind of like a Starbucks with the added activities of a senior center.”
Focus on fitness
If there is one thing boomers seem obsessed with, it is staying young and fit. As a result, exercise programs at most senior centers have become paramount. Many have added gyms or exercise rooms stocked with a variety of equipment. Virtually all centers offer some sort of fitness classes, includ-ing chair aerobics, yoga, Tai Chi and strength training.
The exercise offerings at the Life Enrichment Center in Fayetteville sound more like the fare of a hard-body gym than a senior center. A senior-certified fitness expert and trained volunteers lead participants through classes of Zumba Gold (a combination of Latin dancing and aerobics), kettle bells (a cast-iron weight that looks like a cannonball with a handle) and a senior boot camp. “And let me tell you, the boot camp will kick your you-know-what,” says Britt. “Our fitness pro-gram has become a big focal point of our center.”
While the exercise program at Eastside Golden Age Center in Savannah is more traditional, it is no less important. Partic-ipants can work out on a rowing machine, an elliptical and an ab machine called Red Exerciser. “We also have chair aero-bics, line dancing and a walking program called Happy Feet,”
(1) Athens-Clarke County Senior Center; (2) Hapeville Senior Center; (3) Gilmer County Senior Center; (4) Eastside Golden Age Center; (5) Newton County Senior Center; (6) Sandy Springs Neighborhood Center; (7) Thomson-McDuffie Senior Center; (8) Fayette Senior Services’ LIfe Enrichment Center in Fayetteville.
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says Joycelin Maynard, site supervisor. “I give every senior a red foot made out of construction paper and they use it to doc-ument their daily exercise. We have a walking club that meets and walks around the school or around the park. One year we walked to California — we did the equivalent number of miles from Savannah to San Diego. We had a party after that. Exer-cise is the most important part of my program.
“I have some seniors who really couldn’t walk well when they started with us,” continues Maynard. “Now they outwalk me. It’s a good feeling when I see a relative of one of our participants and they say, ‘Whatever you are doing for my mother, keep doing it. It’s really helped her.’”
A helping hand
Some centers go beyond filling nutritional and exercise needs and operate more like a social agency, helping seniors with everything from respite care to legal assistance. “It’s actually part of our overall mission to act as a social agency,” says Ingleheart of the Sandy Springs Neighborhood Center. “We can provide in-home assistance. We can arrange for and
manage respite care or hospice. We bring a variety of resources to the center, from tax help to vision clinics.”
Transportation can be a severe limitation for seniors, particularly in rural areas. The Columbia County Senior Center in Evans provides some transportation to enrichment activities as well as to shopping destinations. “It can be a real benefit for self-sufficiency,” says Jeff Asmann, manager of the center. “The seniors enjoy not having to be so depen-dent on their families, and it gives them a sense of independence.”
The Brunswick Multipurpose Center helps low-income seniors get affordable food. “We work with America’s Second Harvest Food Bank, and once a month they give seniors a brown grocery bag full of food,” says Darlene Wymes, senior programs manager at the center. “We also participate in the Georgia Senior Farmers’ Market Program. A certified Georgia farmer will bring their fruits and vegetables to the center and our local AAA gives seniors a $20 voucher they can use to buy fresh produce.”
Senior university
Learning is truly a lifelong endeavor for many seniors. As a result, many centers have begun partnering with local colleges and universities to offer classes for their participants. The offerings run the gamut. The Peach Senior Center in Ft. Valley partners with Ft. Valley State University to offer basic computer classes to seniors. The center also brings in speakers on a vari-ety of topics. “The fire department has come in and done a program on fraud,” says Imogene Mobley, the site manager. “A lawyer has come in and spoken about legal aid. We try to offer
anything to keep them informed.”The Life Enrichment Center partners with
Clayton State University to offer a variety of classes for which seniors can earn CEU (con-tinuing education unit) credits. “In January, we started offering classes here two evenings a week, and it has been very successful,” says Britt. “The most popular has been a cer-tificate culinary class, but we have also offered courses in private investigation, wed-ding planning, guitar and Spanish.”
The Athens-Clarke County Senior Center takes advan-tage of its proximity to the University of Georgia, working with a group of retired academics called Learning in Retirement. The group arranges a speaker for a monthly luncheon on topics ranging from nuclear power to bioterror-ism. “Our seniors are interested in learning about things that are facing our economy, our environment and the future of education,” says Jennie Deese, executive director of the Athens Community Council on Aging.
The Athens center even offers an employment program
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Many centers have begunpartnering with local collegesto offer classes for seniors.
Summer 2009 �
for seniors who want to put their education to work. “We’ve found that many seniors want to go back to work to earn extra money,” says Deese. “So far, we have found positions for about 40 seniors in local nonprofits, and they are hoping to go on to become full-time employees.”
Something for everyone
Every center, of course, is unique, just as is every senior. Each center must find a way to serve the individual wants and needs of its participants. Here’s a look at some notable programs around the state:
Trips — both day and overnight — are very popular at many centers. “My seniors just love to travel, especially when there is some history attached to it,” says Newton County Senior Center’s Brown. “We research where we’re going before the trip, and they have really enjoyed that. We also do a mystery trip twice a year, where we don’t tell them any-thing about where we’re going. Many of my seniors have never been to college, so on one mystery trip we took them to Oxford College. They toured the dorms, the student center and the campus. One woman told me, ‘Now I can say I’ve been to college!’”
At the Thomson-McDuffie Senior Center in Thomson, seniors not only enjoy making crafts and artwork at the center, but they also sell their wares in the center’s Grandma’s Craft Store. “The seniors make everything from quilts to jewelry to vases,” says Merlinda Hill, the center’s superintendent. “They do all kinds of ceramics. We sell it in our store and the funds go back into the center.”
Maynard takes the Eastside Golden Age Center seniors to several farms during the year. Seniors dig up their own sweet potatoes at a farm in Claxton, pick their own strawberries in Bloomingdale and harvest fresh collard greens and cabbage in Montique. “It’s a great way to supplement their grocery budget, and it’s also great exercise,” says Maynard.
Maynard also uses funds from the local AAA for an eight-week program to purchase fresh produce from a local market. “I ask them what kinds of vegetables they like, and
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one week the market delivered string beans,” says Maynard. “We put on some music and all the seniors snapped those beans and put them in zip-lock bags to freeze. Another week we shelled pink eye peas, and another time we put up okra. They really enjoyed putting the vegetable up — it was like a walk down memory lane.”
Some seniors lose their vision as they age, but Union County Senior Center’s Kathy Hill doesn’t think that should limit their options. She started an art program for low-vision seniors. “A local artist donates her time to teach the class,” says Hill. “She uses white canvases on black tablecloths to make it easier to see. I really wasn’t sure how well it would work out, but it has been great. Their paintings are really beau-tiful, and the artist makes cards from their work. We sell some of the artwork and the cards, and that pays for the program.”
The seniors at Gilmer County Senior Center in Ellijay have taken to the stage. Some participants in their 80s and 90s like to buck dance, or clog. Another lady plays the accordion and many like to sing. They combined their talents to per-form skits and songs from the movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? in Rome. “We practiced for about a month for that per-formance, and everyone really enjoyed it,” says Lisa Burnett, site coordinator. “We have another show coming up on the square in Ellijay. We have an hour on the stage and we’ll be doing spring songs.”
Not all centers roll up the sidewalk at 4 p.m. “Our seniors still want to go out at night and have a good time,” says Hapeville Senior Center’s Rutherford. “So we put on some special evening affairs with music and wine. We deco-rate the center so it looks more like a social club. Soon we’re planning on having an affair on our patio with a live jazz band and an open bar. It’s giving the seniors a safe environment but treating them like mature adults, not someone who is frail.”
No matter what the program, the ultimate purpose of all the centers is to bring seniors together. “One man told me if his family didn’t bring him to the center every day, he’d walk,” says Denise Goodman, manager of the Twiggs Senior Center in Jef-fersonville. “The center, and the interaction they get here, is what keeps them active. It’s what gets them out of bed in the morning. Seniors tell me the center keeps them young.” GG
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(1) Sandy Springs Neighborhood Center; (2) Union County Senior Center; (3) Athens-Clarke County Senior Center; (4) Newton County Senior Center; (5) Gilmer County Senior Center; (6) Hapeville Senior Center; (7) Thomson-McDuffie Senior Center; (8) Fayette Senior Services’ Life Enrichment Center in Fayetteville; (9) Eastside Golden Age Center.
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� Georgia Generations
GUEST CLOSE-UP
By Sheila A. Robinson, M.D., President, Georgia State Medical Association
More Georgia doctors are finding their ability to care for patients negatively impacted by third parties. This news comes as the Georgia State Medical Association
(GSMA) has released survey results detailing a trend that affects patients in Georgia.
The survey, conducted with 100 physicians across the state, lays blame on a practice known as cost-based therapeutic substitution. This practice occurs when someone other than a patient’s doctor switches a patient’s medicine based primarily on cost. All 100 of the surveyed physicians believe that patient health — and not cutting costs — should be the first consider-ation when prescribing medicine.
Cost-based therapeutic substitution erodes the doctor-patient relationship, as this practice undermines the ability of the physician to act in the best interest of the patient. Interfering with this relationship without the explicit approval of the physician may compromise the health and well-being of the patient. Physicians, because of their global knowledge of the disease process in a particular patient, are the only individuals who are in a position to assess the potential negative conse-quences of drug substitution.
The simple fact is this: Drug substitution without the knowledge and approval of the caregiver places the patient in potentially major danger. It can sometimes lead to a patient receiving less effective medical treatment, often without their full knowledge. While most physicians are open to speaking with a pharmacist about a potential change in treatment, third parties are too frequently bypassing this important step.
One of the most important aspects of a patient’s care is the
physician’s ability to choose the pharmacologic agent necessary for the management of their disease or condition. When insur-ance companies and pharmacists are allowed to make this decision, a core principle of health care is compromised.
Physicians should be able to prescribe the best care for their patients without this outside, third-party influence. GG
Cost cutting puts patients
Drug Substitution: Use CautionRead labels carefully. Your medicine was prescribed by your doctor,
so make sure it has the same name and information — and if it’s
different, ask your pharmacist why.
Your doctor prescribes a particular medicine for one reason: to
improve your health. Don’t use another one without your doctor’s
knowledge — even if it’s less expensive.
Therapeutic substitution can be dangerous. It means someone has
switched your medicine to something with a different chemical
content, and it could have a negative effect on you.
Your doctor knows the details of your health, while others may not.
Your specific physical or emotional condition is a primary factor in
prescribing a specific treatment — so be able to recognize any
diversion from that.
If in consultation with your doctor, you make a choice to switch
medicines, immediately report any side effects and unusual reactions
to them. Remember that many things influence how your body
responds to any medication.
Help your friends. Look out for their health needs, and encourage
them to ask more questions of their doctors, their pharmacists and
their health insurance providers.
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at risk
Have you or someone you know lived in a nursing home or a hospital for
people with mental retardation (ICF-MRS) for at least six months and would rather live in your own home or in a group setting? Money Follows the Person is a new five-year grant funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in partnership with the Georgia Department of Community Health that is designed to assist individuals for whom this is a suitable option. You have a choice to stay in the institution or resettle in the community with home and community-based services through Medicaid. Three regions received the grants: AAA of Northwest GA, CSRA (Augusta), and ARC (Atlanta Regional Commission). Individuals residing inside or outside these
regions are eligible if they will be moving into one of the three areas.
The grant enables you to participate in planning your own life. It offers support
from people who can help you learn the skills you need and provide you with assistance to relocate. You may also get help with home improvements such as grab bars, ramps, widened doorways, or switch-activated door openers. Other services may include trial visits to the community, moving expenses, utility deposits, roommate match services, transportation, vehicle adaptations and household furnishings and supplies.
For more information on transitioning from an institution to a community setting, call the AAA of Northwest Georgia at 706-802-5506 or toll-free 1-800-759-2963.
A Look at Area Agencieson Aging Around GeorgiaIn communities across the country, Area
Agencies on Aging (AAAs) serve as gateways to
local resources, planning efforts and services
that help older adults remain independent.
On the following pages are the programs and
services offered by Georgia’s AAAs.
NorthwestGeorgia
AtlantaRegionalCommission
SouthernCrescent
LegacyLink
NortheastGeorgia
CentralSavannahRiver
middleGeorgia
SouthwestGeorgia Southeast
Georgia
heart ofGeorgiaAltamaha Coastal
Georgia
LowerChattahoochee
NorthwestGeorgia
AtlantaRegionalCommission
SouthernCrescent
LegacyLink
NortheastGeorgia
CentralSavannahRiver
middleGeorgia
LowerChattahoochee
SouthwestGeorgia Southeast
Georgia
heart ofGeorgiaAltamaha Coastal
Georgia
Covers a 15-county area surrounding Rome, Dallas, Dalton, Cartersville
Amelia J. McCrickard, R.N., MFP coordinator, left, confers with Jill Crump, CCSP program coordinator, on potential clients for the newly-funded Money Follows the Person program.
Help is available for Georgia caregivers who need access to
information on aging and disability resources. An exciting Web site — www.georgiaadrc.org — provides “one-stop” shopping that’s both easy to use and easy to understand. The Web site show-cases Georgia’s Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) — a system of partnering organizations that are dedicated to:
Providing accurate information about publicly and privately financed long-term supports and services
Offering a consumer-oriented approach to learning about the availability of services in the home and community
Supporting individuals and family members who are aging or living with a disability
What’s new? Georgia’s ADRC provides a single point of entry for access to comprehensive information on all aspects of aging, as well as information on various disabilities, including developmental disabilities. Directed to people of all incomes and ages, this service builds on existing networks to offer a full range of support options.
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how to Use the SiteGo to www.georgiaadrc.org. Once
you are on the home page, you can browse through the subjects on the left of your screen to search for information and general resources. You can also browse through a lengthy list of specific topics and find detailed information on each one. These topics include Advocacy, Commu-nity Life, Emergency Preparedness, Veteran Services, Assistive Technology, Housing, Transportation and many more.
From this home page, you will be able to:Link to related Web sites on a
wide variety of aging and disability issuesApply online for government
benefitsRead all about long-term care and
Medicare coverage
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Answer brief questions to help you determine your needs
Review a calendar of regional events and meetings
Use a Glossary (under the “Help” link) to look up the definition of words you may not understand
If you can’t find the answer to your question — or if you need more help — don’t give up! You can contact one of the ADRC specialists in your area. These professionals have access to a larger database than what can be included on the Web site, so they may be able to provide you with additional information. The following Georgia AAAs are ADRCs: Metro Atlanta, Southern Crescent, Northeast Georgia, Central Savannah River Area, Coastal Georgia and North-west Georgia. To find other AAAs in Georgia, look on pages 9–15 in this publication.
A Look at Our partnershipsThe creation of formal and informal
partnerships has been an essential element in the success of Georgia’s ADRC. Together, these partners have focused on three “A’s”: Awareness, Assistance and Access. Their goal is to move toward a proactive consumer-oriented approach — an intensive outreach to individuals of all income levels with comprehensive options counseling.
Georgians are already applauding the Web site for the wealth of information it offers. One user recently emailed: “I am moving from Texas to Georgia, and this Web site was very helpful in educating me about services in Georgia and the linkages to services.”
We want to hear from you! Look on the www.georgiaadrc.org Web site for a place to send your own comments. Please let us know what you like — and what we need to consider adding.
ATLANTA ReGiONAL COmmiSSiON eNCOmpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Rockdale
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10 Georgia Generations
Atlanta�Regional�CommissionCovers a 10-county area surrounding Atlanta
“One-Stop” web site offers comprehensive support
Cherokee County Cherokee County Senior Services, 770-345-5312
Clayton County Clayton County Aging Program, 770-603-4050
Cobb County Cobb Senior Services, 770-528-5364
DeKalb County Office of Senior Affairs, 770-322-2950
Douglas County Douglas Senior Services, 770-489-3100
Fayette County Fayette Senior Services, 770-461-0813
Fulton County Fulton County Aging Program, 404-730-6000
Gwinnett County Gwinnett County Senior Services, 678-377-4150
henry County Henry County Senior Services, 770-288-7001
Rockdale County Rockdale County Senior Services, 770-278-7273
™
if you need caregiving information, contact an Agewise Connection partner:
Atlanta Regional Commission, 404-463-3333 www.agewiseconnection.com
“Mayors for Meals Day” is a national campaign by the Meals on Wheels
Association of America. The day is designated to raise awareness about senior hunger and show support for senior nutrition programs. The Lower Chatta-hoochee AAA contracts with Direct Service Corporation, the Middle Flint Council on Aging, and the Talbot County Board of Commissioners to provide home-delivered and congregate meals in Lower Chattahoochee AAA’s 16-county region. Direct Service Corporation prepares and delivers 850 to 1,100 meals Monday through Friday to clients in Columbus, Georgia. Home-delivered meal service has the largest waiting list, with approximately 500-plus on the waiting list in our region. The combination of the time
it takes to make deliveries, the travel distance, the cost per meal, and the size of the volunteer workforce is creating a situation where the need for the meal service is quickly exceeding the financial support required to provide it. Senior hunger is a disease that is curable.
Mayor Jim Weather-ington of Columbus was eager to show his support by delivering meals to Columbus residents. Mayor Weatherington soon realized that the service is not just about delivering a meal; it’s a visit, a warm handshake, a smiling face, a caring hello. The mayor was quickly recognized by the families that he visited. He brightened their day
as well as his own! For more information, contact the Lower
Lower�ChattahoocheeCovers a 16-county area surrounding Columbus, Americus, Butler, montezuma, Cuthbert
mayors for meals Day
Summer 2009 11
Northeast�GeorgiaCovers a 12-county area surrounding Athens, winder, monroe, Covington, madison
The NEGA Older Americans Commu-nity Service Employment Program
(OACSEP) will receive additional funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which is designed to help more Georgians acquire
new skills and get back to work. To be considered for the program, applicants must live in the 12-county area, be at least 55 years of age and meet specific income guidelines. Program enrollees are paid minimum wage while training. Training dollars do not affect the amount that enrollees may already receive for subsi-dized housing or Food Stamps.
Mary J. Rice enrolled in the OACSEP program in March 2008, working at the Morgan County Health Department in Madison as an office clerk. After 90 days of training, she received an excellent or above-average score in every category on her performance evaluation. Only five months after Rice began the training, she was able to find a permanent job in a clerical/sales position with the Kamp-grounds of America. She is still working there and loves her job. She says that she has good working conditions, good benefits, and great co-workers.
The OACSEP, which is housed at the Athens Community Council on Aging, provides services in the Northeast Georgia region. For information, contact ACCA, 135 Hoyt Street, Athens, GA 30601, 706-549-4850.
Mayor Jim Weatherington delivers meals in Columbus, Georgia.
Senior Eleanor Harper and Senior Corp volunteer Harriett Walden.
Applicants must live in the 12-county area, be at least 55 years of age and meet specific income guidelines.
Southeast�GeorgiaCovers an 18-county area surrounding waycross, Valdosta, Tifton, Douglas, Folkston
1� Georgia Generations
In an effort to continue its dedication to building strong community partner-
ships, the Southeast Georgia Area Agency on Aging recently teamed up with nursing students from South Georgia College in Douglas to facilitate a wellness program for seniors at the Ware County/Nelson Greene Senior Center.
Approximately 25 students from the South Georgia College Nursing Program, along with nursing instruc-tors Scott Thigpen and B. J. Fountain, visited the senior center in Waycross to provide information geared toward improving the health and well-being of older adults. The students answered health-related questions for the seniors and gave presentations about
wellness issues, including diet, exercise, nutrition and medication management. Blood pressure screenings were also
offered. After the presentations, the students received grades for their projects, which will be used to provide
course credit toward their clinicals.The instructors were enthusiastic
about the opportunity for their students to visit the center and said they were looking forward to more partnerships in the future. They plan to work with the AAA to expand this program to other centers in the area. According to one instructor, this type of interactive session benefits not only the seniors but the nursing students as well. The students learn to connect with patients on a personal level and to apply their education in real-world environments.
For more information, call the Southeast Georgia AAA at 1725 South Georgia Parkway West, Waycross, GA 31503; 912-285-6097 or toll-free 1-888-732-4464.
SOUTheAST GeORGiA eNCOmpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner, Ware
Nursing students connect with seniors
Heart�of�Georgia�Altamaha
Fifty advocates from throughout the Heart of Georgia Altamaha region
convened at the Reidsville Garden Club in Reidsville, Georgia, to hold a Lunch and Learn entitled “Conversations That Matter: The Present and Future of Services for People with Developmental Disabilities.”
Home to Georgia State Prison and the honorable State Senator Jack Hill, Reidsville is a quaint city of 2,235 people. Nestled in the county seat of Tattnall County and incorporated in 1838, Reidsville and its residents exhibit true Southern hospitality. Senator Hill is Chairman of Senate Appropriations for the State of Georgia, and it was no coincidence that the sponsors of this meeting chose the Reidsville Garden Club as the meeting site — strategically
located next door to Hill’s Grocery.Parents of children with disabilities,
self-advocates, local professionals working in disability supports and services, and persons with an interest in supporting people with disabilities and their families attended the event. The purpose of the meeting was to identify the right resources at state and community levels that can make a difference in quality of services for
people with disabilities. The event was organized by
the Atlanta Alliance on Develop-mental Disabilities in partnership with the Heart of Georgia Altamaha AAA. Sponsors included the Office of Developmental Disabilities, Georgia Department of Human Resources, Georgia Governor’s Council on Develop-mental Disabilities, Center for Leadership in Disability, and the College of Health and Human
Sciences at Georgia State University.For information about other programs,
contact Heart of Georgia Altamaha RDC, 331 W. Parker St., Baxley, GA 31513; 912-367-3648 or toll-free 1-888-367-9913.
heART OF GeORGiA eNCOmpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Appling, Bleckley, Candler, Dodge, Emanuel, Evans, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, Wheeler, Wilcox
Conversations That matter
Covers a 17-county area surrounding Baxley, Dublin, Vidalia, Jesup, Swainsboro
Ophelia Gaines, executive director of Concerted Services, Inc., participates in a group discussion in an informal setting.
Nursing students from South Georgia College give an exercise presentation.
Southern�CrescentCovers a 10-county area surrounding Franklin, Newnan, LaGrange, Griffin, Carrollton
SCAAA is proud to be the recipient of the 2009 RAPP (Relatives as
Parents Program) grant from the Brookdale Foundation in New York. SCAAA’s kinship coordinator decided to apply for this grant in hopes of restoring some of the lost funding for the region’s Kinship Care program. The $10,000 grant money will be utilized over the next two years to provide respite services to grandparents raising grandchildren in the form of summer camps. The program sends eligible children to a week or two of summer camp of their choosing, giving grand-parents a much-needed break from the exhilarating yet exhausting task of raising a grandchild. The SCAAA Kinship Care program will also begin a
new support group in Meriwether County, as well as offer caregiver classes to
grandparents throughout the year. In addition, the program will be able to offer school supplies to assist grandparents for the coming school year.
For additional information, contact the Southern Crescent AAA, P.O. Box 1600, Franklin, GA 30217-1600; 706-675-6721, 770-854-6026 or toll-free 1-866-854-5652.
Legacy�LinkCovers a 13-county area surrounding Gainesville, Cumming, Clarkesville, Toccoa, hiawassee
Faye Christopher found her way to Legacy Link through a flyer posted at a
local drugstore, saying, “If you’re 55+ and want to get back into the workforce, call this number.” She did just that — and enrolled in the Legacy Link Senior Community Service & Employment Program. After an assignment to train in the Legacy administrative offices, she later became the coordinator for the regional GeorgiaCares program, an assistance and referral program.
In 2007, Ms. Christopher became project director of the Senior Community Service & Employment Program, which operates in 13 counties. The program is funded with federal Department of Labor monies through a contract with the National Council on Aging (NCOA). Now
the contract with NCOA has been expanded to cover 23 counties, and Ms. Christopher supervises 11 job developers and her administrative staff at Legacy Link.
Not so long ago, Ms. Christopher thought nobody was going to hire her! But look at her now. The training and employment program is helping mature
workers throughout the 23 counties, and the training site supervisors love the fact that the trainees show up for work and are loyal and dependable. Everyone celebrates when a trainee obtains a “real job” and becomes more independent. The program has over 200 trainees assigned to nonprofit and public agencies in the 23 counties, and Ms. Christopher keeps tabs on everything.
The National Council on Aging’s spring issue of Innovations magazine published a feature article about Faye Christopher. We’re happy to have her on staff at Legacy Link.
For information, contact Legacy Link, P.O. Box 2534, Gainesville, GA 30503-2534; 770-538-2650 or toll-free 1-800-845-LINK.
LeGACy LiNK eNCOmpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, White
A career path blossoms
Faye Christopher.
Participants in the Kinship Care program.
The grant money will be utilized to provide respite services to grandparents raising grandchildren in the form of summer camps.
Central�Savannah�RiverCovers a 14-county area surrounding Augusta, Thomson, martinez/evans, waynesboro, Sandersville
The CSRA Area Agency on Aging, in cooperation with the University of
Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, Northeast Georgia Area Agency on Aging and the Division on Aging Services, hosted its first “Powerful Tools Train the Trainer” class. The purpose of the class was to train more people working in the area of caregiving, whether as a professional or family caregiver, to teach Powerful Tools classes to other care-givers. The CSRA Area Agency on Aging is committed to providing resources to caregivers as well as to those receiving care.
Powerful Tools empowers
family caregivers with “tools” — the skills that will enable them to care for them-selves as they provide support for loved
ones with chronic illness. Caregivers learn to thrive in their role and not just survive.
Two classes for family caregivers have already been offered in the Augusta area. Georgia Jopling (newly retired from the Area Agency on Aging) and Kathy Tuckey (from the Alzheimer’s Association), the first two trainers to conduct classes in the state of Georgia, remarked that they could even see physical changes in the family caregivers who attended the classes.
For more information on Powerful Tools for Caregivers or upcoming classes, contact Teresa Evans, caregiver manager, CSRA Area Agency on Aging, at 706-210-2000 ext. 147 or 1-888-922-4464.
CeNTRAL SAVANNAh RiVeR eNCOmpASSeS TheSe COUNTieS: Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington, Wilkes
Tools to empower caregivers
The Middle Georgia Area Agency on Aging is highlighting one of its many
astonishing caregivers in the region. For four years, seventy-one-year-old Katherine Nevels of Juliette, Georgia, has been the caregiver of her ninety-year-old mother, Mattie Johnson, who has been diagnosed with dementia and diabetes. Ms. Nevels took on the role of caregiving when her mother became a bilateral leg amputee stemming from diabetes complications and poor circulation problems. In addition to her many tasks as her mother’s caregiver, Ms. Nevels has also been a foster care parent for three wonderful girls, ages 6, 7 and 9, since 2007.
Mattie Johnson receives personal support services and home-delivered meal services from the Middle Georgia
Community Care Services Program, an entity of McIntosh Trails Management Services, Inc., where her current case
manager is Taesha Marion. Ms. Marion coordinates services for clients who live in the Monroe County area.
Ms. Nevels expresses her gratitude for receiving the CCSP services: “I want to thank CCSP for all the services that help me take care of my mom.”
The Middle Georgia Regional Development Center Area Agency on Aging is located at 175 Emery Highway, Suite C, in Macon, GA. For more information on services, call 478-751-6466.
Class members receive instructions from Suzanne LaFollette-Black on how to communicate in challenging situations using the Aikido communication method.
1� Georgia Generations
Middle�GeorgiaCovers an 11-county area surrounding macon, warner Robins, milledgeville
Left: Taesha Marion, CCSP case manager. Right: Katherine Nevels, daughter/caregiver of Mattie Johnson, client (center).
Coastal�GeorgiaCovers a 9-county area surrounding Brunswick and Savannah
For some, finding services for an aging or disabled loved one can feel like an
insurmountable task, especially if the need for help comes on suddenly. All too often, family caregivers are forced to make difficult decisions while simultaneously juggling responsibilities at work and at home. When a caregiver is struggling to find appropriate care for someone who can no longer care for themselves, knowing where to turn for information and services can make the critical difference. Fortunately, for families in Coastal Georgia, help is just a single phone call away: 1-800-580-6860.
Information and Assistance specialists at the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) respond to thousands of calls each year from individuals looking for resources that
will provide the help they need. This trained and certified team of aging and disability information experts takes their work seriously, often going above and beyond while working with callers to be sure they get the right assistance.
Dale Tushman, a clinical social worker with a dialysis unit in Glynn County, uses the Information and Assistance toll-free number as she works with patients and their families. “Anything related to services feels like a spiderweb to me and I’m someone in the field, so I can only imagine how a client feels. Staff at the
AAA are helpful, patient and informative.”For answers to questions related to aging
and disability services, contact the Area Agency on Aging — your gateway to community resources — at 1-800-580-6860.
Southwest�GeorgiaCovers a 14-county area surrounding Albany, Bainbridge, moultrie, Thomasville
The first “Powerful Tools for Care-givers” class offered to family
caregivers of older adults in Southwest Georgia was deemed a success by the caregiver participants.
At the beginning of the class, the caregivers were obviously stressed, coping with a variety of problems and emotions related to their role as caregiver for family members. But as the group of caregivers met weekly for six weeks and were encouraged to develop new tools to
take care of themselves, things began to change. The group shared experiences and offered helpful suggestions to one another. They learned to value themselves, found
new ways to communicate and to handle their emotions, discussed making difficult decisions and learned relaxation exercises
to reduce the effects of stress. Each week the participants made an action plan to accomplish something they wanted (not needed) to do. Many of them made plans for activities that fulfilled their need for respite or a change of pace.
After the last class, a “graduation” celebration wound up the series. The caregivers took note of the visible changes they saw in each other. One caregiver said, “I didn’t know how bad I needed this class!” — and her classmates agreed.
For further information, contact the Southwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging at 1105 Palmyra Road, Albany, GA 31701-2508; 229-432-1124 or toll-free 1-800-282-6612.
The Coastal Georgia AAA team answers thousands of calls each year.
Summer 2009 1�
Each week the participants made an action plan to accomplish something they wanted to do.
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questions and Medicare problems. GeorgiaCares also seeks to enroll all eligible Medicare beneficiaries in all low-cost prescription assistance programs. For assistance please call 1-800-669-8387.
Georgia Council on AgingThe Georgia Council on Aging advocates on behalf of older Georgians and their families. For more information, please visit
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1� Georgia Generations
The Thanks Mom and Dad Fund® honors those who inspired our lives by supporting aging programs and services for older adults.
Grants are made to aging programs through- out Georgia such as home-delivered meals, adult day care, transportation, and other vital services. To make a gift and honor someone special, call 1-800-676-2433 for more information.
How can I help?
Georgia Generations is published and supported by Georgia’s Area Agencies on Aging.
Additional circulation support is provided by the generous sponsors listed here. For more information on becoming a sponsor of Georgia Generations, please call 404-463-3222.
