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The D.C. Office on Aging received the 2015 National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) Aging Achievement Award in the Transportation & Mobility category for the Seabury Connector Senior Transportation Program.
The Seabury Connector Senior Transportation Service combines multiple transportation programs in response to a Senior Needs Assessment that found transportation and meal services were unsatisfacory and inaccessible.
The program includes:
- Seabury Connector Transportation
Service – providing transportation to
sites citywide;
- Homebound Meals Delivery Program – offering nutritious meals transport for
460 frail, homebound seniors Monday through Saturday; and
- Seabury Connector Card Program – offering access to public/private
transportation using a prepaid transportation card.
All programs are offered at low or no cost to seniors.For
more information, call 202-724-5626.
"We applaud the Senate for passing the Older
Americans Act and advancing it one major step toward reauthorization. This
critical legislation, which was signed into law 50 years ago this week,
provides high-quality, individualized services that improve the health, safety,
and well-being of nearly 12 million older adults and one million family
caregivers. It is key to enabling older adults to live their lives with dignity
and respect in the homes and communities they choose.
Earlier this week at the White House
Conference on Aging, we talked about the transformation of aging in America and
the engagement of all sectors of society in the benefits and promise of
longevity. Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act is an important step in
achieving the goals we set."
To find out more about bill S. 192 Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2015 click here.
The US
Government estimates that roughly $3 billion dollars are lost each year due to
the financial exploitation of senior citizens. In the District, the senior
population, currently estimated at 120,000 residents, continues to grow, yet
financial exploitation of seniors is not a crime.
The “Financial
Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults Amendment Act of 2015,” introduced by Councilmember Anita Bonds (D – At-Large), penalizes
criminals who target the property of citizens 65 and older and provides another
tool for members of the community to combat these types of crimes against
District seniors by:
- Creating
the crime of financial exploitation of vulnerable adults to the criminal
code. Financial exploitation means to knowingly and willfully obtain by
deception, intimidation, or undue influence the property of an individual.
- Redefining
vulnerable adult to include all persons aged 65 and above.
- Putting
in place penalties for people found guilty of financial exploitation, and
enables the exploited seniors an opportunity to recover their assets.
“Senior
victims of financial exploitation are less equipped to recover from the loss”
explained Councilmember Bonds. “Our legislation expands the legal tool box
for addressing these crimes.”
Last
week, Councilmember Brandon Todd (D – Ward 4) introduced the UDC Elder
Law Project Establishment Amendment Act of 2015 to create a new legal
project to service seniors across the District of Columbia.
“As the
Councilmember representing Ward 4, which has the second largest number of
seniors in the District of Columbia, I recognize that there are a growing
number of seniors who need legal assistance as they navigate complex issues
facing them in their golden years, but cannot afford to seek it on their own,”
said Councilmember Todd.
By amending the
District of Columbia Public Postsecondary Education Reorganization Act,
income-eligible seniors will gain access to free legal assistance by supervised
law students at the University of the District of Columbia.
In addition to
providing an important public service to aging residents, the bill also
provides a unique opportunity for our only publicly-funded law school to
provide training and experience for future lawyers.
On July 17, 2015, the D.C. Elder Abuse Prevention Committee
conducted a training program on financial fraud prevention for social workers
and other professionals who provide services to older adults. This
comprehensive “train the trainer” program, entitled “Developing Skills to Help
Seniors Avoid Financial Exploitation,” focused on the “Money Smart for Older
Adults” training curriculum developed by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to prevent financial
exploitation of older adults. Topics discussed included fiduciary abuse;
abuse by caregivers and in-home helpers; investment fraud; and telephone,
internet, and other scams that older adults need to be aware of in order to
prevent financial exploitation. Members of the D.C. Elder Abuse
Prevention Committee are available to present “Money Smart for Older Adults” to
community groups upon request. If you are interested in learning more
about the program, please contact Deborah Royster, Chair,
Elder Abuse Prevention Committee at deborah.royster@dc.gov
or by telephone at 202-727-6603.
 The D.C. Caregivers
Online Chat at Noon will discuss “Summer Travel Plans for Caregivers" on Tuesday, July 21, at 12 p.m. Log on
for advice, resources and tips to assist you with your caregiving
responsibilities. If you are not available at 12 p.m., check back at your
convenience and hit replay to see the entire chat. Join the
discussion at www.dcoa.dc.gov/page/caregiver-chat. For
more information, contact Linda Irizarry at 202-535-1442 or linda.irizarry@dc.gov.
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 Cheryl Arnold
Customer Service Communications Specialist/Information, Referral & Assistance
Cheryl Arnold is a native Washingtonian and has lived in the DC metro
area for most of her life. Over the past two and one half decades, she has
worked in a wide variety of professional capacities within the human resources
and payroll divisions at Montgomery College. She is a
dedicated professional with significant human resources experience in
recruitment and selection, benefits administration and record retention. She is
passionate about providing excellent customer service. She retired from
Montgomery College in 2013 after a long and rewarding career and is a
recipient of several Team Effort Awards and Length of Service Awards.
She has an AA degree and is a graduate of
the MC Management Program, the Fifth Leadership Development Institute at Montgomery
College.
She enjoys being creative through event planning
and interior design that has made her a well sought-out resource.
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Che'Mere Jones
Customer Service Communications Specialist/Information, Referral & Assistance
Che’mere
is a graduate of Washington Adventist University, in Takoma Park, Maryland where she majored in Social Work and Developmental Psychology. She was born in the countryside of Huntsville, Alabama, at the age of ten
she moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her adopted family.
Che’mere has a passion for helping others and
advocating for those in need. As a child she was exposed first-hand to the
stress and chaos of living within the Foster Care System. With this experience
came a desire to give back, assisting those who were in need.
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Vivian
D. McCarter
Customer Service Communications Specialist/Information, Referral & Assistance
Vivian is a native Washingtonian who has over 20
years experience working in the human services field. Vivian has assisted
hundreds of individuals, families, and children
with obtaining the necessary resources to move on with their lives.
Most recently, Vivian served as a Case Manager for Councilmember Tommy Wells working on such issues as
homelessness, foster care, TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families),
people with disabilities and senior issues. Vivian is the mother of two
children. She enjoys spending time with
her children and reading.
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 Milagros Feliciano
Customer Service Communications Specialist/Information, Referral & Assistance
Milagros “Millie” Feliciano joins DCOA’s Aging and Disability Resource
Center (ADRC) as an Information, Referral and Assistance Customer Services
Communication Specialist. Her prior professional career started in
the medical claims process and customer services after graduating with a Social
Work degree from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. While at
Johnson C. Smith University, Ms. Feliciano pledged Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority. Ms. Feliciano is fluent in Spanish and her bilingual skills will
be a wonderful asset for the ADRC team.
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