Free Tax Preparation Services for Eligible Louisville Residents

The Louisville Asset Building Coalition’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, and AARP Tax Aide programs provide trained, IRS-certified volunteers to offer free tax services online or at select drop-off sites. VITA is available to individuals and families who earned less than $66,000 in 2021. AARP Tax-Aide’s mission is to serve any person who comes through the door, with special attention to those 60 and older. To view the brochure click HERE

The VITA free tax preparation sites are located at:

• Americana Community Center, 4801 Southside Drive
• Louisville Urban League, 1535 W. Broadway
• Oldham County LaGrange Library, 308 Yager, LaGrange
• Portland Promise Center, 1831 Baird St.
• Salt and Light CDC/NABA, Shively City Hall, 3920 Dixie Highway.
• Sun Valley Community Center, 6505 Bethany Lane
• United Crescent Hill Ministries, 150 State St.
• Wesley House Community Services, 5114 Preston Hwy.

To schedule an appointment for in-person tax assistance, call 502.305.0005 or click HERE

Heating Safety

To increase fire safety for older adults, NFPA offers the following guidelines:

Keep it low If you don't live in an apartment building, consider sleeping in a room on the ground floor in order to make emergency escape easier. Make sure that smoke alarms are installed in every sleeping room and outside any sleeping areas. Have a telephone installed where you sleep in case of emergency. When looking for an apartment or high-rise home, look for one with an automatic sprinkler system. Sprinklers can extinguish a home fire in less time that it takes for the fire department to arrive.

Sound the alarm The majority of fatal fires occur when people are sleeping, and because smoke can put you into a deeper sleep rather than waking you, it´s important to have a mechanical early warning of a fire to ensure that you wake up. If anyone in your household is deaf or if your own hearing is diminished, consider installing a smoke alarm that uses a flashing light or vibration to alert you to a fire emergency. View a list of product manufacturers.

Do the drill Conduct your own, or participate in, regular fire drills to make sure you know what to do in the event of a home fire. If you or someone you live with cannot escape alone, designate a member of the household to assist, and decide on backups in case the designee isn't home. Fire drills are also a good opportunity to make sure that everyone is able to hear and respond to smoke alarms.

Open up Make sure that you are able to open all doors and windows in your home. Locks and pins should open easily from inside. (Some apartment and high-rise buildings have windows designed not to open.) If you have security bars on doors or windows, they should have emergency release devices inside so that they can be opened easily. These devices won't compromise your safety, but they will enable you to open the window from inside in the event of a fire. Check to be sure that windows haven't been sealed shut with paint or nailed shut; if they have, arrange for someone to break the seals all around your home or remove the nails.

Stay connected Keep a telephone nearby, along with emergency phone numbers so that you can communicate with emergency personnel if you're trapped in your room by fire or smoke.

Healthy Living for Your Brain & Body
Wellness Therapies

Monday, February 7th
6:00pm EST
To register call 502.588.3322
or click HERE

Help with Ordering FREE Covid-19 Home Test Kits

On January 14, the White House announced a new initiative to help ensure Americans have COVID-19 tests on hand in case they are needed. The website to order at-home testing kits -- at no cost -- is now live and accepting orders. People who do not have Internet access or who need additional assistance with ordering can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to place their orders. 

COVID Vaccination Clinic

Saturday, February 5th 
11:00am-2:00pm EST

Call 502.618.0543 to pre-register or for additional information

How to Get Help from Social Security

• Go online to SSA.gov.
• If you cannot use a website call the national number 800.772.1213
• An appointment will be schedule if necessary to serve you by phone or in person

What to Know if You Must Visit an Office:

• You must have an appointment to visit an office
• Masks are required for all local office visitors and employees, regardless of vaccination status
• Visitor capacity is limited to follow physical distancing requirements.  This means you may need to wait outside, so plan for cold or bad weather
• Come alone during your visit, if you require assistance one person may accompany you

TRIAD Luncheon Sponsorship 

Louisville TRIAD is looking forward to continuing our in-person networking and learning luncheons in 2022. TRIAD exists to improve the lives of seniors in the Louisville area by providing them with a space to learn about safety, services and to connect them with local law enforcement.  There are several months available in the 2022 calendar for lunch sponsorship. Lunch sponsors receive an information table to present materials, social media representation on all meeting announcements,  and the opportunity to present to our group of community members. If you would like to sponsor an upcoming Louisville TRIAD meeting.  Please contact Alli at 502.574.5092 or HERE

Now Hiring!

 Age-Friendly Louisville VISTA

VISTA Position Description:  The VISTA member for Age-Friendly Louisville (AFL) will support key issues faced by economically vulnerable older adults of Louisville. The member will work with the Age-Friendly Louisville leadership and members to create a long-term plan for ensuring the viability of the initiative in the following areas: Housing; Mobility & Access; Social Participation, Respect & Inclusion & Community Supports & Health Services. The member will assist to revise strategic plan with updated priorities, coordinate monthly leadership meetings and periodic community building events with leaders of each focus area group, increase awareness of the AFL via media/social media to expand services economically vulnerable older adults and maintain the operations manual for the purpose of sustainability.

Responsibilities:

1. Assist AFL leadership to update the strategic plan.

   1. Work with AFL leadership to review the current strategic plan against new opportunities

   2. Investigate with AFL leadership what has been missed in achieving the strategic plan.

   3. Incorporate the current priorities and opportunities into the revised strategic plan with emphasis on sustainability.

2. Plan and coordinate monthly leadership meetings and periodic community building events with leaders of each focus group.

   1. Recruit volunteers and update the volunteer database

   2. Develop agenda and create calendar invites with agenda, minutes and zoom invites for leadership meetings and focus meetings.

   3. Facilitate the leadership meetings.

3. Increase awareness of the AFL via media/social media to expand services economically vulnerable older adults.

   1. Develop digital and print media, press releases to increase awareness of AFL

   2. Enhance web content per requests from leadership & workgroups of each focus area

   3. Collect and share impact and success stories via social media.

4. Maintain the operations manual for the purpose of sustainability.

For additional information or to apply click HERE

Humana Neighborhood Center Calendar

For more information call 502.479.6580 or click HERE

Recipe of the Month

Sweet & Salty Valentine's Chex Mix 

Upcoming Education & Events

We welcome anyone who is interested in participating in the planning and implementation process of Louisville's age-friendly city plan.  Connect with us by joining our email list and attending one of the upcoming domain workshops

Community Support and Health Services

Postponed until further notice

Housing

Postponed until further notice

Social Participation, Respect, and Inclusion

Tuesday, February 8th,  2:00-4:00pm

CLICK HERE

Mobility 

Wednesday, February 9th,  2:00-3:30pm

CLICK HERE

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Valentine's Day is right around the corner, come dressed for the occasion. Candy and door prizes await!

IN-PERSON TRIAD Meeting

February 8th, 2022

Lunch& In-Person Networking 11:30am

Meeting 12:00-1:00pm

 LOCATION 

Our Mother of Sorrows Cafeteria

770 Eastern Parkway

Louisville, Ky 40217

Please RSVP HERE or Call 502.574.5092

Lunch Provided by:

If you are interested in being a lunch host, contact Alli HERE

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Orientation and Mobility Clinic

For ages 14 or older; no prior O&M training is required. The February clinic will focus on assessments, which would be best for those participants who have had little to no O&M instruction but is not limited to those. Each participant would need to commit to a 4-hour time slot on one of the two days.

KY School for the Blind
1867 Frankfort Ave
February 19-20th
To Register Click HERE

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Dementia Caregiver Series

Effective Communication Strategies
Communication is more than just talking and listening. It's also about sending and receiving messages through attitude, tone of voice, and body language. As the disease progresses, individuals living with
Alzheimer's or other dementias lose the ability to use words, but families can find new ways to connect.
Monday, February 21st 6pm-7pm EST

Understanding and Responding to Dementia Related Behaviors
Behavior is a powerful form of communication and is one of the primary ways for people with dementia to communicate their needs and feelings as the ability to use language is lost. However, some behaviors can present real challenges for caregivers to manage. Join us to learn to decode behavioral messages,
identify common behavior triggers, and learn strategies to help intervene with some of the most common
behavioral challenges of dementia.
Monday, February 28th 6pm-7pm EST

Legal and Financial Planning
If you or someone you know is affected by Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, the time for legal and financial planning is now. This workshop is for anyone who would like to know more about what legal
and financial issues to consider and how to put plans in place.
Monday, March 7th 6pm-7pm EST

To Register call 502.588.3322 or Click HERE

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State Policies to Strenghten the Direct Care Workforce

Funded by The John A. Hartford Foundation and the RRF Foundation for Aging, NASHP’s RAISE Family Caregiver Resource and Dissemination Center is hosting a webinar to discuss state policies to improve the quality and supply of the direct care workforce, which are featured in its RAISE State Policy Roadmap for Family Caregivers. The webinar will provide an overview of these policies and will feature a national leader as well as leaders from Arizona and Colorado who will share their policies and innovations to strengthen the home and community-based services workforce.

Tuesday, February 8th
1:00-2:00pm EST
To Register Click HERE

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Advancing Competitive integrated Employment through Managed Long-Term Services & Supports & Value-Based Payment Methodologies by Creating and Sustaining Partnerships with Medicaid, Managed Care Organizations and other Stakeholders

Come join the DETAC for a webinar focused on the use and benefits of value, performance, and outcome-based payment methodologies to advance competitive integrated employment (CIE) within managed long-term services and supports (MLTSS) programs. Hear examples from both new and long-standing state MLTSS programs. Learn about proactive partnerships that have helped create effective payment methodologies to advance CIE opportunities and outcomes for people with disabilities receiving MLTSS.

Tuesday, February 8th
3:00-4:30 pm EST
To Register Click HERE

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Dementia Training for Law Enforcement Personnel: Building Partnerships to Enhance Community Safety

This webinar will review the development of a successful local law enforcement dementia training program, describing key challenges and lessons learned. Participants will learn strategies for successful outreach and program development that they can use to build partnerships with law enforcement in their own communities. 

Thursday, February 24th 
1:00-2:00pm EST
To Register Click HERE

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Driving and Dementia: Is it Safe?

Driving requires complex cognitive abilities. Because of this, there will come a time when a person living with dementia will need to stop driving. The loss of being able to drive often is seen as a loss of independence, so it is a
difficult decision for the person living with dementia and their caregivers. Get tips to develop a driving cessation plan before safety becomes an issue.

Friday, February 25th 
10:00-11:30am EST
To Register call 502.629.1234 or Click HERE

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Save the Date!

2022 Optimal Aging Conference

For more information click HERE

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Alli Woosley

OADC Coordinator

Louisville Metro Government

Department of Resilience & Community Services

The Edison Center

701 West Ormsby Street, Suite 201, Louisville, KY 40203

502.574.5092

allison.woosley@louisvilleky.gov 

You can now get text reminders for TRIAD and links to the OADC newsletter on your phone by clicking the seal below and simply entering your phone number!