Shirley and Melvin Springs reside in Charlotte where they were referred by their insurance company to Centralina AAA for support services. Melvin was diagnosed five years ago with dementia. Melvin, due to his diagnosis, needs 24-hour supervision and hands-on assistance with activities related to daily living. Shirley is Melvin’s wife and primary caregiver. She assists him with bathing, dressing, transportation, meals and managing his medication. Shirley and Melvin have support from their family as well as their personal community, but Shirley was still adjusting to her new role as a caregiver and needed an extra hand with Melvin’s care.  

Shirley met with her Centralina Aging Specialist through FCSP who completed an in-person assessment to confirm what supports the couple values and would benefit from in the home. They also discussed ways to assist Shirley and reduce her risk of caregiver burnout. FCSP, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, provided respite services as well as supplemental services.  Respite is a break for caregivers from their normal responsibilities. Respite includes different supports such as in home aid, adult day care or respite in long term care.  Supplemental services are services that assist caregivers with caring for their loved one and include incontinence supplies, liquid nutritional supplements, home safety modifications, medical equipment or assistive technology. 

By receiving respite and supplemental services, Shirley was able to take time back for herself and even go to her granddaughter’s graduation knowing Melvin was home safe and receiving needed care. Shirley and Melvin’s respite caregiver, Barry, has provided continued services after FCSP completed its scope of involvement. Barry has become a valued pillar of support and a companion for both Shirley and Melvin. 

FCSP helped reduce Shirley’s risk of caregiver burnout as well as provided her with the support she needed to care for Melvin in their home. In addition to receiving a well-deserved break, Shirley also received referrals to programing in her community that can assist with additional respite, such as NC Department of Health and Human Service’s Project C.A.R.E. and Centralina AAA’s Building Better Caregivers.   

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Residents have the right to make informed choices for themselves, air grievances and find resolutions to issues with care. This year’s Residents’ Rights theme, The Power of My Voice, emphasizes self-empowerment and recognizes the power of residents to vocalize their preferences, goals and needs in order to live full, enriching lives. 

Many facilities have different events throughout the month of October to celebrate their residents. Check with your facility or your loved one’s facility to find ways to participate. 

Centralina’s Ombudsman program mission is to protect residents’ rights and improve the quality of care and life for residents in long-term care facilities. We provide access and advocacy services that assist residents in protecting their health, safety, welfare and rights. The program provides information to citizens about the long-term care system as well as assistance in accessing services. 

Visit the Consumer Voice website to learn more about Residents’ Rights Month. 

Visit Centralina Area Agency on Aging to learn more about the Ombudsman program. 

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Additionally, Centralina AAA prioritizes fall prevention efforts by collaborating with the Metrolina Falls Prevention Coalition (MFPC). The MFPC works to reduce falls and related injuries through prevention strategies and community education efforts. The coalition is a community of fall prevention professionals, volunteers, advocates and community members collaborating to raise awareness, educate and promote fall prevention practices. Interested in getting involved? Learn more about the MFPC on its website or click here to receive the Metrolina Falls Prevention Coalition newsletter.

Click here for more information on falls prevention and awareness.

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Closer to home, here in NC, individuals who are ‘Hispanic or of Latino Origin’ comprise roughly 3% of the state’s 65+ age group. This broad category includes persons of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American or other geographic origin regardless of race. This is the third largest racial/ethnic group in the state for this age group, following the ‘White’ (77.8%) and ‘Black or African American’ (16.8%) categories.  

To meet the requirements of the OAA, Centralina Area Agency on Aging (Centralina AAA) spearheaded a variety of new collaborations to reach out to the underserved Hispanic older adult population in the region. This included hiring consultant Myra Green, a community health worker who is not only bi-lingual but is also an expert in services for older adults. 

Centralina AAA Director Linda Miller said, “Myra has been a leader the Centralina region’s aging services network needed for decades. Myra has helped create and strengthen connections in the Spanish-speaking community and has supported Centralina AAA to make information and resources available in Spanish. We are excited to have her expertise so that we can better connect with underserved populations.” 

One activity Centralina AAA engaged in with the intention of reaching older Hispanic adults was the Aging and Disability Vaccination Collaborative (ADVC), a grant Centralina AAA received from the U.S. Administration for Community Living to support flu and pneumonia education. Centralina AAA worked closely with Centralina’s Planning Department to identify areas of the region in greatest need. “The ADVC project was just the beginning,” explains Green, “as this connection with older Hispanic adults shed light on additional unmet needs of the underserved population.”   

Centralina AAA then launched a media campaign specifically to educate Hispanic older adults about vaccines and other health-related issues. Part of this campaign included very successful call-in radio and television segments offering answers in Spanish from a local physician. Green elaborates further, “In addition to the need for community services, we identified that many older Hispanic and Latino individuals needed support and resources to overcome barriers and address their own issues.”    

Outreach efforts across the region reached an estimated 1.3 million individuals and included: 

• Billboards in Spanish promoting vaccine education; 

• Educational classes and games for the Latino Group at Eastway Recreation Center; 

• Fall prevention education programs in Spanish; 

• Collaboration with Samaritan’s Feet, Age-Friendly Mecklenburg, Latin American Coalition, Columbian Club-El Puente Hispano in Cabarrus County, local health departments, housing authorities and faith communities; and 

• Flu vaccines were provided to 382 Hispanic older adults across the region. 

In closing, Green suggests that Centralina AAA continue efforts to identify and meet the needs of older Hispanic adults in our region and emphasizes the importance of creative interventions to make these critical connections with agencies and the older Hispanic adults they serve. 

More specific demographic information about older adults for the entire state and each county can be located at  North Carolina Aging Profiles 2022 (ncdhhs.gov). 

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For most people, falls aren’t something they think about preventing until they themselves or someone they know experiences a fall. A common response for victims of a bad fall is to isolate themselves to prevent another fall, which can further put them in danger if unsupervised and increase the likelihood of depression and loneliness symptoms. Luckily, most falls are easily preventable with the right awareness education. Something as simple as going through a checklist to monitor fall hazards in your home can help prevent a fall.

For some older adults, making necessary modifications to increase accessibility in the home are great ways to prevent falls and promote mobility. Small home interventions, like grab bars, non-slip tape and motion-sensing lights make a large impact on an individual’s sense of safety and control within their home. While grab bars can help an older adult stand or stay steady safely, things like non-slip tape are helpful for any potential trip hazards in the house. Even something like an motion-sensing exterior light is helpful in not only helping the individual see outside, but also provides a sense of safety when leaving the home. Renovations like those mentioned, however, are often financially inaccessible for individuals and families.

The NC Fall Prevention Program, created and offered through the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative, is a funded pilot program focused on preventing bad falls before they happen, specifically utilizing fall prevention education and small home modifications. Centralina Area Agency on Aging (AAA) participated as a provider through the pilot program period and provided constituents in the greater Charlotte area with low-level fall prevention home modifications and education. 

Participants were screened in through their healthcare provider and referred to a Centralina provider, who then conducted three home visits. These three home visits included an environmental assessment, fall prevention education and quality assurance assessment of the modifications installed. The environmental assessment helped determine what potential home modifications would promote mobility, allowing the provider time to also call attention to potential fall hazards in the home. During this home visit, providers further educated participants on the importance of clear walkways, minimal fall hazards and assistive modifications to encourage safe mobility in various areas of the home. Additional local resources were reviewed with participants, including applicable evidence-based health programs they could benefit from and information on Centralina AAA’s Housing Home Improvement Program. You can learn more about the Housing Home Improvement offerings through this recent article.

The pilot program closed the opportunity for home modifications on September 30^th 2023. In total, Centralina AAA served 60 constituents in the greater Charlotte area, providing 346 home modifications. The most common fall prevention home modification provided was grab bars, with over 112 installed during the duration of the program. Exterior lighting and anti-slip materials were also highly requested, with 64 exterior motion-sensing lights and 40 anti-slip mats or tape installed for qualifying participants. All participants were also referred to “A Matter of Balance“, an evidence-based health program that encourages participants to change the way they think about falls and be proactive in fall prevention. Participating in programs like A Matter of Balance help to empower individuals to have a sense of control over not only their falls, but their response to falls. A Matter of Balance provides helpful information in advocating for yourself effectively, evaluating what may be a fall risk and seeking further resources to encourage movement.

For adults with a high-risk of falls, the NC Fall Prevention program provided peace of mind and essential resources. Clients who have experienced a fall since receiving the modifications have shared the grab bars they received have been helpful in their recoveries. One participant of the NC Fall Prevention Program is a retired teacher and has a history of falls. For her, the exterior motion-sensing lights and multiple grab bar installations help her to navigate her home with fall prevention in mind. She said the NC Fall Prevention Program has been an invaluable resource to her. “Working with Centralina has been so wonderful,” says the participant. “From the first home visit, Centralina shared resources with me an was so helpful in helping me get my modifications.”

If you are interested in learnings other ways to make your home a safe place for fall prevention, visit Check For Safety A Home Fall Prevention Checklist For Older Adults (cdc.gov).  

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Centralina Area Agency on Aging (AAA)’s mission is to “support and enhance the capacity of service and advocacy systems to promote independence, preserve dignity and advocate for the rights of older and disabled adults and their families.” The Centralina AAA team is comprised of talented and insightful individuals, many of whom have years of higher education, extensive experience in the aging field and a passion for protecting and caring for older adults and people with disabilities. Centralina AAA strongly supports opportunities for professional development and continuing education to help each staff member grow in their roles and responsibilities and best serve residents and member communities throughout our region. This fall, AAA staff took part in three different training and certification opportunities to help increase knowledge and capacity in order to fulfill Centralina’s organization-wide mission to advance opportunity and improve quality of life for our region’s residents and communities.  

Aging Sensitivity Training  

In September, AAA staff participated in an Aging Sensitivity training at a regularly scheduled team staff meeting. Interactive exercises showed participants the difficulties older adults with health problems like arthritis, glaucoma and even stroke side effects face when trying to tackle everyday tasks. Staff utilized provided materials like gloves and glasses that mimicked common health conditions and reported struggling while walking through exercises related to daily activities like reading a magazine, sorting medicine or writing out their name and address. Experienced Centralina AAA trainers provided attendees with considerations and best practices for working with older adults throughout our region who may struggle with daily responsibilities due to health conditions. Those in attendance received certificates of completion and are now able to serve as trainers for future sessions conducted in our region. This training is one of several communication-based courses offered by Centralina AAA that is available to member governments.  

 

Dementia Friends  

Have you ever thought about how many steps it takes to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? It may seem simple to some, but for people with dementia, it can be hard to retrace familiar steps or remember parts of everyday routines. AAA staff were asked in a recent training to list out the steps for a training exercise, only to see during the demonstration how people with dementia may get confused easily or misunderstand directions.  

Dementia Friends, offered through Dementia Friendly America, is a global movement that is changing the way people think, act and talk about this life-changing condition through training that shows people what it’s like to live with dementia. This training is also available to member governments and can be lead and facilitated by Centralina AAA Dementia Champions. In October, AAA staff took part in an informational session to become Dementia Friends, which included presentations, demonstrations and exercises that helped staff better understand the facts behind the condition and tips for how to communicate with and interact with those with dementia. Staff interested can take part in additional training to become Dementia Champions and lead trainings in our region. Centralina Regional Council has partnered with the organization for several years, and even awarded Dementia-Friendly Charlotte-Mecklenburg with the Region of Excellence Award for Aging in Action in 2019. Learn more about Dementia Friendly through these previously written Centralina articles. 

SAGECare Training  

SAGECare is an organization that provides training and consulting on LGBTQ+ aging issues to service providers. Trainings teach providers how to explain terms such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender that can be used with the older adult community, as well as education on the needs of LGBTQ+ older adults, caregivers and their care network. Centralina AAA has been certified as a SAGE Platinum organization for several years, which requires yearly training on new topics to maintain this certification status. All AAA staff completed this year’s training, titled “Identifying & Supporting Caregivers in the LGBTQ+ Community”, in December, which focused on the unique issues experienced by LGBTQ+ caregivers and best practices for supporting this community. Centralina AAA’s 2023 recertification showcases the organization’s commitment to providing an inclusive and affirming environment for LGBTQ+ older adults in our region.  

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If you are interested in learning more about services provided by Centralina AAA to regional residents and member communities, please take a look at this flyer, visit the Centralina AAA website or reach out by phone at 1-800-508-5777 or by email at aging@centralina.org with questions or requests.  

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