DCOA E*News At-A-Glance
 Congratulations to Ms. Senior D.C. Toni Jackson
Ward 4 resident, Toni Jackson was crowned Ms. Senior D.C. at the
Ms. Senior D.C. Pageant 2014. Ms. Senior D.C. was one of six contestants
to compete in the event held to recognize the inner beauty, talent and
community service of District women age and older was also awarded Best
Salesperson trophy. First Runner-up Vernelle Hamit was awarded Best
Interview and Best Evening Gown. The winner of the award for Best Talent
was Billie LaVerne Smith who placed Second Runner-up in the contest. The
contestants voted Annie Cayaban Wilderman Ms. Congeniality.
Ms. Senior D.C. Toni Jackson will represent the District in the
upcoming Ms. Senior America Pageant that will be held October 26-30, 2014 in
Atlantic City, NJ.
 More than five million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. There is no cure, and many patients suffer in silence. Now, a public figure has revealed to CBS News that she is one of them: B. Smith, the restaurant owner, designer and decorator.
Asked what her Alzheimer's diagnosis meant to her, B. said, "It meant something bad -- really bad to me."
Barbara Smith was one of the first African-American models on the cover of Mademoiselle. In 1986, she opened her first B. Smith restaurant in New York City, and two more followed. She hosted a TV program, wrote books and was called the black Martha Stewart.
Read full article here.
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 Last week, Executive Director, Dr. John M. Thompson joins in with the ladies of D.C.'s Senior Cameo Club as they perform their dance to Pharrell William's "Happy."
A 21-year study of senior citizens, 75 years and older, was led by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. Their method for objectively measuring mental acuity in aging was to monitor rates of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
The study wanted to see if any physical or cognitive recreational activities influenced mental acuity. One of the surprises of the study was that almost none of the physical activities appeared to offer any protection against dementia.
There was one important exception: the only physical activity to offer protection against dementia was frequent dancing.
Read full article here.
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Resource
broadens understanding of challenges facing older LBGT adults.
The
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community
Living (ACL) is proud to announce the release of a new online learning
tool: Building Respect for LGBT Older Adults. The
tool is designed to increase awareness of the issues faced by lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals living in long term care (LTC)
facilities.
After
completion of the online training, program participants will be prepared to:
- Increase
visibility of the issues facing LGBT individuals in LTC facilities.
- Provide
easy access to information on serving LGBT individuals in LTC facilities.
- Encourage
LTC facilities to provide opportunities for staff to take the online training.
- Change
the way individuals and facilities approach older LGBT adults.
The
Building Respect for LGBT Older Adults tool was developed in collaboration with
the HHS Office of Public Affairs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services, and the ACL-funded National LGBT Resource Center, with input from
aging and LGBT advocates.
Read more.
According
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31% percent of people living
with HIV nationwide are over the age of 50. Moreover, research indicates that by
2015 half of the people living with HIV in the U.S. will be over more than 50
years old. Aging with HIV/AIDS presents bio-medical complexities. Higher rates of commodities are among the many issues facing older adults with HIV/AIDS
such as cognitive impairment among people on treatment for long periods of time
This
workshop will examine what we know about growing older with HIV, identify gaps
in knowledge and provide recommendations to enable medical case managers,
treatment adherence specialist and social workers to better treat and care for
the growing number of HIV positive older adults. This training is free to
attend, continental breakfast served.
Date: Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Location: DC CARE, 7059 Blair Road, NW, Suite 101
Time: 9:00 a.m. -10:30 a.m.
The D.C. Department of Behavioral Health has
recently posted the following position, Director of Older Adults. This position is located in Adult Services Division Office of Programs and Policy (OPP),
Behavioral Health Authority,
Department of Behavioral Health (DBH). The incumbent serves as the Director of Older Adult Services with responsibility for planning, managing and overseeing services
targeted towards individuals 55 and over
with serious mental illness, enrolled in the DBH system of
care. Supervises a staff of
clinical professionals with expertise in providing services to
the
elderly.
Please contact Dr. Barbara Bazron, Senior Deputy Director of the
Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) for a complete description and
details on how to apply at 202-671-3071.
 Angela Cobb
Customer Services Communications Specialist
Angela Cobb comes to us from MindFinders Staffing. She has
worked with several DC Government agencies as a temporary staffer with primary
responsibilities of assisting the Elder Persons with Disabilities (EDP) Waiver
by following up with beneficiaries and families, health care providers’
agencies, hospitals, nursing home facilities, ensuring quality home health
services. She enjoys working with the public and is excited to join the
DCOA/ADRC team as a Customer Services Communications Specialist.
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