October 4, 2023
Bi-Weekly Executive Newsletter
Director of Older Adult Services Jim Ellison and County Executive Dave Coulter talk with a participant at the Royal oak Senior Expo on Oct. 4.
Dear Friends,
I’ve been connecting with older residents quite a bit in recent months and it has reminded me what a vital – and growing – part of the community they represent.
I have or will be participating in lively discussions at retirement communities, packed senior expos across the county, volunteer award luncheons and summits hosted by lawmakers. All these activities have one thing in common: a highly engaged population who are interested in learning more about what Oakland County is doing, not only for them, but their grandkids and neighborhoods and communities.
And Oakland County has a great story to tell about the services we’re providing for our older residents. We’re committed to serving the needs of all our residents including the older adults who have contributed so much.
The county is improving and expanding the services we offer to older adults, who continue to grow at a greater rate than the population of children in the county and state. That trend is expected to continue until 2045, so it is essential that Oakland County makes sure that there are opportunities for older residents to live the best lives they can, full of friends, family, laughter and activity.
That’s why we’ve done a number of things for older residents, including:
- Investing $5 million in grants to 29 senior centers across Oakland County to do everything from upgrade kitchens and expand nutrition programs to completing new roofs and other infrastructure to improving and expanding recreational, sports and parks activities.
- Creating the new position of Director of Older Adult Services and hiring former state Representative and Royal Oak Mayor Jim Ellison for the job. He is working with the older population in Oakland to make sure they know about all the great local, state and federal resources that are available for seniors.
- Coordinating the expansion of public transportation throughout Oakland County with the help of a millage approved by voters last year. Local providers have increased the communities they serve and the hours they operate while SMART recently expanded into the job centers of Novi, Wixom and Bloomfield Hills. And this is just the start of a more seamless system of transit that will help people of all ages access jobs, shopping, doctor's appointments and all the other daily chores of life.
- Providing health services in our public health clinics in Pontiac and Southfield, as well as information on Elder Abuse Prevention and staffing a “nurse on call” hotline for people with questions about health and medical issues. 800-848-5533
- We also give free passes for entry into Oakland County Parks for recreational activities and other programming geared toward older adults.
Oakland County also has invested federal funds into programs that help older residents, their families and their communities.
- Through our Oakland80 initiative, we’re helping to keep our younger people here by providing opportunities to build their futures in Oakland County with education and training assistance.
- The non-profit Oakland THRIVE that we support provides resources to the small businesses we all visit, including those owned by women, minorities and veterans.
- And we’ve invested $40 million in improving and expanding access to mental health services to people of all ages, young and old alike.
There is so much more I could mention from the prescription discounts, home improvement programs, services for veterans and financial empowerment counseling. Those are all things you can find out more about on our website: oakgov.com/health/seniors.
Just our presence in the community at senior centers and clubs and senior communities shows that Oakland County is just a phone call or a visit away from providing the information you need to navigate healthy, active and fulfilling aging.
With gratitude,
Dave Coulter
Oakland County Executive
Ten Main Street Oakland County Communities Launch New Online Marketplace to Support Downtown Small Businesses
Ten Main Street Oakland County communities are collaborating to help their downtown small businesses gain e-commerce capabilities with the launch of ShopOCMainStreets.com, the first website of its kind in Michigan. This platform allows shoppers to complete e-commerce transactions securely with one checkout process. Nearly 70 downtown businesses have already loaded their products to the new site.
Products include apparel and accessories, bath and beauty, books, collectibles and antiques, food and beverage, health and wellness, home and garden, pet supplies and more. Participating MSOC downtowns are Franklin, Highland, Holly, Lake Orion, Oak Park, Ortonville, Oxford, Pontiac, Rochester and South Lyon.
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