Blueprint for Aging Rethink Aging Newsletter July 23, 2007
In this edition: Project Update
These are the times to grow our souls. — Grace Lee Boggs
|
AGING WITH ATTITUDE
This segment may contain unconventional material in order to present a variety of ways to think about aging. Bill Moyers talks with 91-year-old activist Grace Lee Boggs Life (Part 2) Perspectives: Larry Gelbart, Melvin Van Peebles, and Marilyn French on aging Seniors with Low Incomes Build Skills and Support Their Communities Through Senior AIDES Program Seniors Rock Redux: Young at Heart Chorus
WHAT'S WORKING Project FRESH Connects Seniors with Fresh Produce
In 2005, the Southside of Ypsilanti was documented as a "food desert"—an area without easily accessible stores for fresh fruits and vegetables. See map.
To provide a solution, state and local organizations partnered to make produce coupons available to eligible seniors through Senior Project FRESH. So far, about 65 seniors at Towne Centre and Chidester Place have received coupons to be used at the Ypsilanti Farmers' Market.
Click here for information on signing up for Project FRESH.
Click here to read more about the program.
OF INTEREST New Website Supports Senior Transportation Goals
The National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST) has launched a new website to forward its mission "to increase transportation options for older adults and enhance their ability to live more independently within their communities throughout the U.S." Click here to visit website.
Improving Quality of Care for People with Dementia and Their Caregivers: A Grassroots Exchange of Programs That Work
Friday, August 31, 2007 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Turner Senior Resource Center 2401 Plymouth Rd, Ste C Ann Arbor, MI 48105 (734) 764-2556
Presented by US-Japan Grassroots Collaboration
Click here to view flier.
New Book Helps Women Plan for Retirement
Women face a greater risk of poverty after retirement. A new book by Heinz Philanthropies Women's Retirement Initiative helps women plan for the future. Click here for free online copy.
Senior Resource Guide
Click here for an online version of the Senior Preferences guide, or contact Dave Goldsmith (1-800-837-2637) for copies.
ON THE HORIZON Senior Summit Sponsored by the Senior Advocates of Washtenaw November 16, 2007 Seniors and others are invited to discuss senior issues with elected officials and their staff members. Aging with Attitude Community Art Exhibition March 2008 This multi-media, all-ages exhibit will feature art that challenges and expands perceptions of aging.
ADVOCACY RESOURCES July 2007 Advocate from Area Agency on Aging 1-B Gateway to Older Americans Act Amendments 2006 |
Transportation Pilot Orientation at Clark East Towers
|
Transportation Pilot 
Building systems that make Washtenaw County a great place to age
Transportation Pilot Launched in Ypsilanti, Chelsea, and Dexter
Blueprint for Aging Pilot Projects Coordinator Rachel Dewees explains the pilot at the Clark East Towers information session
Clark Towers residents and others had a lot to say about transportation at a recent information and orientation session on the Blueprint for Aging Transportation Pilot Project. "My experience is that there's too many options, and I don't know what I qualify for," one senior said. Another lamented the lack of affordable transportation for spontaneous travel. While some services provide low-cost rides to seniors able to make an appointment a day or two in advance, seniors who need to make unplanned or emergency trips are often forced to rely on more expensive services: "So many times, I can't plan ahead. I spend a lot of money on taxis—it costs me $13 anytime I go someplace." Others who came to the orientation session talked about lack of appropriate seating for seniors and people with disabilities and about the amount of time they spend en route to their destination. "My doctor's office is on Clark Road," said one resident of Clark Towers, "it takes me one and half to two hours just to get there." The Transportation Pilot Project was designed to study issues, like these, that Washtenaw County seniors face every day in order to get where they need to go. The program was launched on July 1st in Ypsilanti and the Chelsea/Dexter area. Fifty-five seniors are currently using travel vouchers, or coupons, and tracking their use of transportation in travel diaries and on the vouchers themselves. "From the vouchers we will gain valuable information about how and where seniors travel when barriers like cost are removed or reduced and when seniors have a range of options," says Pilot Projects Coordinator Rachel Dewees. "The most exciting part is thinking about how this information can be used in the future to improve transportation for seniors in Washtenaw County, and, as a result, improve their ability to age in place. When people of any age can get where they need and want to go, they have greater independence and are more likely to avoid social isolation—two strong factors affecting quality of life for seniors in particular." "And we all benefit," Dewees adds, "when seniors are more visible and engaged in community life."
Clark Towers residents Janet Mackie and Esther Harrison See side panel for additional photos One senior who participated in a small study in preparation for the pilot's full launch highlights the benefits of programs that support senior transportation. "The money always goes toward where I have to go—like medical appointments," says Sandra Griffiths of Chidester Place. "I'll use vouchers for those appointments, but also go places I wouldn't go." "I feel good about it," she says, of her participation in the study. "I feel more independent, like it gives me a little more freedom."
For more information about the Transportation Pilot Project, please contact Rachel Dewees at (734) 712-2586 or rdewees@csswashtenaw.org. |
Blueprint Events Aging in Place: Neighborhoods An Osher Lifelong Learning Mini-Course
Tuesday, July 31, 2007 This interactive session will explore ways to make neighborhoods more aging-friendly and discuss the resulting benefits for all residents. Participants will learn about various models of neighborhood-based support, including Beacon Hill Village in Boston and the Blueprint for Aging Community Volunteers Pilot Project, serving four Washtenaw County communities.
The course is free—call (734) 998-9351 to register, or click here for a registration form.
To read more about the Community Volunteers Pilot, click here. For more information on the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Michigan, click here.
How Will I Pay for Long-Term Care? An Educational Program on Long-Term Care Options for Seniors
Monday, August 27, 2007 This program will discuss a range of payment options for in-home services, assisted living, and nursing home care. It will also discuss "money follows the person," a legislative initiative that would give seniors using public assistance more choices about where to live.
Free and open to the public. Click here to download flier. |
What Is the Blueprint for Aging? The Blueprint for Aging is a collaborative of seniors, community members, nonprofits, businesses and government agencies working to improve services, care, and quality of life for older adults in Washtenaw County.
Aging in Place: Improving options and quality of life for seniors Senior Leadership: Utilizing the skills and wisdom of older adults Technology Innovation: Using technology to streamline systems Foundation Building: Structuring an elder-friendly community
Learn More For more information about the Blueprint for Aging, visit our website at www.Blueprint.For.Aging.org, or contact us at (734) 712-0548. |
© 2007 Blueprint for Aging
5361 McAuley Drive, PO Box 995, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 / Phone: (734) 712 0548 / Fax: (734) 712 7765 / Email: blueprintforaging@csswashtenaw.org