WHAT'S NEW
Welcome New Partners!
Care for Elders is pleased to officially welcome Professional Home Health Solutions and Perry Lee Home Health Care Services to the partnership.
New Governing Council Members
We are pleased to announce that two of the At-Large positions on the Governing Council have now been filled by Barbara McGinity, Program Director of the Better Business Bureau Education Foundation and Dr. Aanand Naik, assistant professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Welcome and thank you Barbara and Aanand!
11th Annual Conference for Direct Care Workers Caring for Older Adults
Care for Elders will be providing the leadership for the 2008 Direct Care Conference. This year's theme is "Creating Your Professional Toolbox: Building Knowledge, Skills and Confidence." The conference will be on February 26, 2008 at the University of Houston Hilton. The conference is a full day of training for paraprofessional staff that directly provides care to the elderly. If your organization is able to provide a door prize or giveaway, please contact Morgan Carnes at mcarnes@careforelders.org or call 713.685.6584. MORE
Healthy IDEAS Spreading Across Texas
Healthy IDEAS will be replicated in Tarrant County, Texas through their Area Agency on Aging! This is a welcome expansion of the program in our state. Their partnership team is in place and local planning has begun. Casa Grande, Arizona will also be implementing Healthy IDEAS with both older adults and caregivers in October 2007, making Arizona the 6th state to be implementing Healthy IDEAS. MORE
ACTION NEEDED
Partner Profiles
We are ready to start adding the "Partner Profiles" of each of our organizational and individual partners to our website. A different partner will be highlighted each month on the CFE home page. In addition, there will be a page on the site where all profiles will be posted. We want to include your logo and a link to your website (if applicable). Please download the partner profile template, complete all questions and return to Morgan Carnes at mcarnes@careforelders.org.
Legislative Alert Mailing List
Don't miss any policy news! Click here to Sign up now for Care for Elders' legislative alerts. All alerts from the Government Relations activities will be sent out via this list rather than the regular email system. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Dianne Long at dlong@careforelders.org.
WORKGROUP & OTHER CFE HIGHLIGHTS
Government Relations Work Group
Federal Bills Impacting Older Adults
It is important that we are not only aware of how older adults are being impacted by policy decisions at a state and local level but that we stay up-to-date with activity at a federal level. Learn more on the CFE website about the Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act of 2007, a federal bill supporting our issue of insuring safe caregivers in the homes of senior and disabled citizens. You can also find information about legislation affecting Older American Act funding. MORE
Quality & Workforce Work Group
Supporting a Trained Workforce
Members of this workgroup are busy helping with the direct care conference (see above) and with finalizing the production of our training manual. In addition, they are helping Houston Community College with the recruitment of home care workers to attend the 16 hour training that HCC adopted from Care for Elders. The Chinese Community Center will be helping to sustain the training by offering the Home Care Attendant course at their location. MORE
Stakeholder Education Work Group
Promoting Consumer Choice, Indepdendence & Safety
Over the next few months, members of the workgroup will draft a plan for distribution of educational materials and personal resource tools to home-bound older adults. The goal of this project is to support personal action toward improved well-being.
Access & Coordination Work Group
Utlizing the Flexible Funding Pool to Meet Client Needs
The Flexible Funding Pool has allowed case managers and enhanced intake & referral staff to meet client needs in areas where there are insufficient or no resources. This includes assisting with critical home repairs, emergency utility needs and dental problems that impact health and quality of life. Even when resources are available, the flexible funding pool allows staff to meet client needs while waiting for services to begin. Two recent requests involved very ill older adults living in the community, who received help while waiting for their hospice services to be approved. MORE
Healthy IDEAS Update
Nation Webcast Presentation
National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA) under the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) invited Esther Steinberg and Nancy Wilson to do a national web cast presentation on October 23, 2007 entitled "Healthy IDEAS: An Evidence Based Depression Program". This webcast was designed for state and community Adult Protective Services representatives, case managers, Area Agency on Aging, ADRCs, mental health professionals and academic institutions who have a role in organizing or providing services to vulnerable older adults. There were over 200 people registered for the presentation.
COMMUNITY EVENT CALENDAR
We need your help to keep the events calendar current and accurate. If you know about an event in the community that would be of interest to the partnership email Morgan Carnes the date, time, location, and brief description of the event. Click here to find out what is happening in Houston during the month of November.
