 Results Statement: Quality and years of healthy life are increased for Carroll Countians over age 60.
People between the ages of 60 and 90 represent the largest growing population in the United States - and in the world. The ripple effect of that growth is uncertain, but is expected to be far-reaching. Historically, local older adults are strongly independent, hesitant to ask for help, and often stoically bear burdens of illness or infirmity. But the recent years of population explosion, and the establishment of a wealth of older-adult living communities, may have altered that picture.
This Leadership Team has completed an Elder Health Needs Assessment to gather information about this segment of our population, and key indicators of older adult health have been identified to determine the focus of the group’s efforts. Specific activities to bring about improvements in each indicator, led by the Action Teams below, are now underway.
Partnership Staff Contact:
Tricia Supik
410-871-6784
Tricia@carrollhospitalcenter.org
Click on the organizational chart items to view the details of each.
Elder Health Leadership Team
The Elder Health Leadership Team is a group of local representatives from leading community organizations whose missions involve service to populations over age 60. Members are considered to be highly informed in the field of elder health and elder services.
The Team is responsible for:
- Selection of the key indicators of elder health for our community, including data sources, benchmarks, and improvement targets,
- Development and implementation of strategies that will positively move those indicators;
- Monitoring progress and opportunities that can be addressed to improve the health and quality of life for the ever-expanding older adult population and their caregivers,
- Promoting awareness of information discovered in the “Face of our Senior Community” older adult needs assessment.
Caring Carroll, Inc.
Faith in Action Carroll County Neighbors Helping Neighbors was founded by The Partnership in 2005 with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to provide a local program coordinating volunteers who help home-bound adults.
In December of 2007, the Faith in Action Coalition established a new organization - Caring Carroll, Inc. - to focus on maintaining this important volunteer coordination program. Caring Carroll volunteers make friendly visits, give daily telephone reassurance, perform light housekeeping, provide transportation to medical appointments, do light errands and shopping, or make small household repairs and improvements for disabled or chronically ill adults with no friends or relatives to assist them. With vital support from local faith communities, Caring Carroll trains, coordinates and supports caring volunteers who help older adults continue living safely in their own homes. To get involved or for more information, contact:
Caring Carroll, Inc.
P.O. Box 842
Westminster, MD 21158
410-775-5596
CaringCarroll@Hotmail.com
Seniors Keep In Touch
Seniors Keep In Touch (S.K.I.T.) is a free service that provides safety and social calls to seniors who are isolated and live alone, and also serves as a link between Carroll County’s aging population and other public and private services.
In 1996, members of the Health Promotion Council identified the need for isolated seniors to receive daily safety checks and socialization phone calls through a telephone reassurance program. It was felt that such a program could help prevent the need for many elderly to receive premature institutional care by allowing them to remain in their homes. It also provides “peace of mind” for caregivers.
For a number of years, the program was administered by The Partnership. Today, it operates under the auspices of the Community Foundation of Carroll County, and is housed at the offices of the Carroll County Bureau of Aging. S.K.I.T. staff provides this vital service to about 75 older adults in Carroll County.
For more information, contact the Program Coordinator at 410-386-3812 or fbauernschub@ccg.carr.org.
Home Safety/Fall Prevention Action Team
The Elder Health Leadership Team has identified home safety, with emphasis on the prevention of falls, as a priority for improvement in our older adult community. Falls are a leading preventable cause of injury, disability, and death among older adults. This Action Team is working on strategies to reduce falls, in order to help older adults in Carroll County continue living safely and independently in their own homes for as long as possible.
Cardiovascular Health Action Team
Heart health for older adults is a prominent concern in our community. A plan to raise older adults’ understanding of the early warning signs of stroke is being developed. This Team’s plan will include activities to measure improvements in stroke awareness.
Motor Vehicle Safety Action Team
Elder Health Team members are strongly committed to seeking improvement in seat belt usage and safer driving by older adults. The Action Team is bringing the "Car Fit" program to our community, which offers older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles "fit" them, and which provides information and materials on community-specific resources that could enhance their safety as drivers. Volunteers are needed to help implement “Car Fit,” and to raise awareness of the event.
Health Care Planning Action Team
Older adults can only maintain optimal health and functioning with timely access to primary and community health services. Access to services becomes more difficult when multiple service providers are involved, needs span health and disability support services, and/or the person’s condition fluctuates. For this reason, advance planning by older adults and their families is crucial to proactively maintain a healthy continuum of services and living environments.
Planning for a “Length of Stay” education program for the community at Carroll Community College is underway to help older adults plan for “when Medicare says no” to a hospital stay.
Also, the Advance Directives Action Team is looking into the procedures currently in place among local older adult service providers regarding documents to ensure the type of care that clients would want if they were too ill or hurt to express their wishes.
Links
The Face of our Senior Community – 2008 Elder Health Needs Assessment Results
Care.com – caregiver support resources and articles.
CARFIT for Mature Drivers
Carroll County Adult Evaluation and Review Services - Carroll County Health Department
Carroll County Bureau of Aging
Center for the Study of Aging at McDaniel College
Community-Based Fall Prevention Programs
Elder Health Resources List
Healthy Aging - US Centers for Disease Control
Healthy Vision 2010 - includes goals related to protecting and improving vision for older adults.
Maryland Influenza Tracking
National Aging Statistics
National Care Planning Council
Page updated: 02/10 |
