Aging Well in Boulder County | Issue 26 | December 2017
Boulder County Colorado sent this bulletin at 12/08/2017 01:19 PM MST
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Reach Family Caregivers Through Care Connections
Care Connections, BCAAA's bimonthly newsletter for family caregivers, is supported in large part by advertisements of local agencies and businesses, and it offers those advertisers an excellent opportunity to reach caregivers. The newsletter is delivered to 2,150 subscribers, is distributed to 130 businesses and public institutions throughout Boulder County, and is featured on www.BoulderCountyHelp.org. Ad spaces (small, medium, or large) are available, at competitive rates, for the 2018 advertising year. Advertise today!">BCAAA and ASF Awarded Grants We are honored to receive a second “Linkage Lab” grant from the Colorado Health Foundation to continue building partnerships with local healthcare payers and providers. This new grant will help us continue adding capacities and capabilities to be an optimal partner in improving patient health outcomes and reducing costs of health care for local health systems. The Aging Services Foundation, which helps to build and expand many of our programs, has received a general operating grant from the Anschutz Family Foundation for the 2018 year. This grant will help fund a majority of the ASF’s annual administrative expenses, which total less than 8% of its annual operating budget. Colorado: Best Place to Age
Colorado, Maine, Hawaii, Iowa and South Dakota claimed the top five spots in a recent ranking of best states for aging, according to the U.S. News & World Report. States were ranked based on 12 categories: life expectancy, Medicare quality, nursing home quality, cost of living, cost of care facilities, share of population that is 65+, unemployment, access to physicians, able-bodiness, mental health, physical health and overall health. Click here to read the full article. Age Well Conference: The Total Package
300 people gathered last month for the 6th annual Age Well Conference. We honored the Boulder County Care Transitions Collaborative for their stellar work for elders in the community. (Photo above). As one attendee stated, “it was the total package. The keynote set the stage, the workshops were timely and relevant, the booths provided a value-add, and everywhere you looked people were engaged in conversation.” Visit our webpage for links to the presentations. Stay tuned for information about the 2018 conference! What's Our Staff Up to Now?
There is currently a growing movement of changing the culture of death and dying in the United States. Staff members Colleen Sinclair and Jean Hart are both End of Life Doulas in their free time. In this role, they guide and support clients and family members and tend to the spiritual and emotional needs of a dying person. Both Colleen and Jean agree that it is an honor to walk with that person during the dying process and ensure their safe and sacred passage. They are both graduates of the Sacred Passage Doula Program through the Conscious Dying Institute in Boulder.
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Greater Protections for Nursing Home Residents
The Federal Regulations for Nursing Homes were recently revised and are now being implemented. This was the first time that the regulations have been revised since the early 1990’s and they include several provisions that will benefit people that are cared for in nursing homes, including: an increased focus on individualized care, better care planning, improved staffing, and stronger protections against abuse, neglect and exploitation. The Long Term Care Ombudsman program has been vocal in support of the new, stronger regulations, in spite of significant efforts by opponents. Recently, several LTCO representatives from Colorado, including our Elder Rights Coordinator, Erica Corson, met with staffers for Senators Cory Gardner and Michael Bennett to advocate for their support of these new regulations. Contact our LTC Ombudsman program at infoLTCO@bouldercounty.org or 303-441-1173 for more information. Staff Transitions
Many of you know Emily Cooper as the face of the Caregiver Initiative here at the AAA. After nearly 20 years of service to family caregivers in Boulder County, Emily retired last month. Over her tenure, Emily encouraged and guided individuals and families, orchestrated classes and symposiums, and edited the Care Connections newsletter with compassion, knowledge, and respect. Emily truly has been a companion to Boulder County Caregivers, leaving behind a rich and varied legacy. Please join us in sending warm wishes for Emily’s new adventure, and in welcoming Juliette Kershner to the role of Caregiver Initiative Coordinator. Juliette has been working with older adults and caregivers for the past two decades in various roles, including as a registered nurse. She has supported caregivers and their care recipients through hospice work, in home care, and in care facilities. She has also been teaching our National Caregiver Training Program course for the past 5 years.
While the face has changed, we are confident that the integrity and value of our caregiver programs continue to grow. As always, we hope that we remain an invaluable companion for those walking the caregiver journey. We’re also excited to welcome Maggie Benton to the AAA family. Maggie will serve as a Medicare Counselor and brings with her a wealth of experience with Medicare and a lot of exuberance for her new role. To contact Maggie, or any of our Medicare Counselors, visit our website or call 303-441-1546.
Stay in the Know:  From The BCAAA family to yours:
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Coming Up | Events, Classes, Happenings
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| Care Ombudsmen | Medicare Counseling | Nutrition Programs | Veterans Services | Volunteer Opportunities | Wellness Programs |
