DCOA E*News At-A-Glance
The D.C. Office
on Aging is partnering with Common Good City Farm to bring
intergenerational gardens to Model Cities and Washington Seniors Wellness
Centers. The program hopes to increase access and availability of fresh produce
for seniors, enhance nutrition education at the wellness centers, and provide
intergenerational opportunities with Common Good City Farm’s students. Last
week, seniors at the wellness centers planted seeds and seedlings of a variety
of vegetables, herbs, and flowers in garden beds, and learned about gardening
from Common Good City Farm’s staff. They will harvest the produce as it grows
throughout the fall!
DCOA Executive Director John M. Thompson recently taped a segment of Taking it to the Streets on WHUR, 96.3 FM to discuss the upcoming Generations Community Festival to be held on Saturday September 6, 2014, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Gateway Pavilion. Click the link below to find out more about the event.
http://www.whur.com/tonys-taking-it-to-the-streets/this-morning-on-taking-it-to-the-streets-80/
Over the past few months,
DCOA has worked with the Senior Service Network to produce a “Code of Conduct.”
The Code of Conduct is designed to help communicate with the public certain
expectations when utilizing DCOA and affiliated facilities, services, and
programs. On August 29, 2014, the proposed Code of Conduct was
published in the D.C. Register and will open to public comment until September
27, 2014. DCOA highly encourages everyone to read through the proposed code and
offer feedback by clicking
here. Working together, we will ensure that the Code of Conduct promotes a
healthy and safe environment so that everyone may enjoy the great programs and
services DCOA has to offer.
DCOA has partnered
with CSOSA to educate consumers about long-term care services available in the
District of Columbia for their older adults and persons living with
disabilities. There is a growing need for more education about long-term care
services and assistance with decision-making for long-term care planning. Felicia Cowser, Program Analyst of Options Counseling
conducted the training and is pictured shaking hands with Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) Lab
Specialist Rosa Taylor.
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Senior participants at the Hayes Senior Wellness Center visited
the White House as part of their activities for the week during the YMCA
Summer Camp. During their trip, they toured the White House vegetable garden and beehive. In addition, the group visited various parks, went on
walking tours and practiced physical fitness outdoors during their daily
activities.
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Great news! On September 18th, an ElderSAFE Center will open
in Rockville, MD but will take referrals from the entire DC Metropolitan area.
The center will provide safe, temporary shelter for older adults experiencing
elder abuse.
The ElderSAFE Center will be the DC Metropolitan area’s first comprehensive
elder abuse shelter for seniors (they'll define this as 60+). In addition to a
safe and secure environment, the Center plans to offer a continuum of
therapeutic services including health care, emotional support, mental health
counselling, social services, and legal advocacy.
Also, the center is looking to hire a LCSW-C social worker/case manager to
coordinate agency referrals to the shelter. Please feel free to spread
the word around your networks and direct inquires to the newly hired Director,
Tovah Kasdin, JD: 301-770-8494 or kasdin@hebrew-home.org.
Dr.
Peter Bachrach Evaluator Planning, Policy and Evaluation Team
Dr. Peter Bachrach has over twenty years of
experience in geriatrics and research methologies. He received his PhD in
Psychology from Brandeis University, Master's Degree in Psychology from Wake Forest
University, and Bachelor’s Degree in English from the University of California at Los
Angeles.
He
is both an accomplished program evaluator, researcher, and psychologist, having
worked as a Research Professor of Geriatrics at the David Geffen School of
Medicine at UCLA, Research Psychologist at the National Center for PTSD/Boston
VA Healthcare System, and has instructed clinical psychology interns,
post-docs, and faculty in research methodology and statistics, conducing very
complex research studies across the county.
Peter looks forward to leveraging his previous
work experiences to successfully evaluate and bolster DCOA’s programs for older
adults and persons living with disabilities in the District.
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Ronald Kelly Employment Specialist/ADRC
Ronald Kelly is a native Washingtonian and an early childhood education graduate with a minor in
special education. He worked with the Department of Employment Services as
a manpower specialist / immigration analyst for more than ten years.
A former basketball player in the ABA, Mr. Kelly loves sports and music. He is a vocalist and has sung for both Presidents Bush and Clinton. Ronald is a single parent with a son that attends Florida International
University in Miami.
Mr. Kelly looks forward to becoming an intricate part of ADRC’s success.
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