The Council On Aging Of Buncombe County Inc

PROMOTING AND IMPROVING THE GENERAL HEALTH AND WELFARE OF SENIOR ADULTS IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY BY ADMINISTERING A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES DESIGNED TO MEET THEIR NEEDS.

RESOURCE COORDINATION (RC) & CARE MANAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS IN OUR RESOURCE COORDINATION, CARE MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES PROGRAMMING INCLUDE 1. PHYSICALLY IDENTIFYING SUBSTANDARD HOUSING AND ASSISTING WITH MORE THAN 100 REPAIRS THROUGH TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, 2. PROVIDING INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE TO OVER 15,000 TRACKED INDIVIDUALS AGE 60+, 3. PROVIDING CARE MANAGEMENT TO CLIENTS FOR IN-HOME AIDE SERVICES WHO RECEIVED OVER 1900 HOURS OF CARE WITH 100% OF CLIENTS ON WAITING LIST RECEIVING WRAP AROUND SERVICES, 4. SERVING HUNDREDS OF CAREGIVERS THROUGH SUPPORT GROUPS AND CARE MANAGEMENT IN BUNCOMBE AND MADISON COUNTIES,AND 5. INCREASING SNAP OUTREACH TO POTENTIAL RECIPIENTS, VOLUNTEERS AND PARTNERS DURING INCREASED BENEFITS ACCESS DUE TO COVID-19. AND 6. ADDRESSING ELDER JUSTICE NEEDS FOR OVER 220 PEOPLE WITH A FOCUS ON THOSE LIVING WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT.

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS: WE RESTRUCTURED OUR ORGANIZATION THIS YEAR AS A RESULT OF NEW AND EXPANDED PROGRAMS, ANALYZING OUR INTERNAL CAPACITIES TO ADDRESS THE HIGH VOLUME OF COMMUNITY REQUESTS, AND TO ENHANCE OUR OUTREACH POTENTIAL THROUGH A REFRESHED EQUITY LENS. THIS RESTRUCTURING OCCURRED PRIMARILY FROM FEBRUARY - JUNE 2022. WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SERVICE, EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY WITHIN LOCAL, REGIONAL AND STATE PLATFORMS TO ADVANCE HOME AND COMMUNITY BASED SERVICES. PARALLEL TO RESTRUCTURING, THERE WERE MULTIPLE TURNOVERS IN OUR FINANCE OFFICE, AS WELL AS MULTIPLE OTHER EMPLOYEE TURNOVERS - INCLUDING RETIREMENTS - DURING THIS TIME. OUR ORGANIZATION HAS MADE GREAT STRIDES TO INCREASE PRIVATE SUPPORT AS WELL AS ENHANCE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TO EXPAND SERVICES, INNOVATE PROGRAMMING OUTSIDE OF TRADITIONAL GOVERNMENT GRANTS, AND COLLABORATE WITH GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER NONPROFITS. WE CONTINUE TO "STAND IN THE GAP" OF SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS IN OUR SERVICE AREA. OUR PERSONNEL HAS GROWN OVER 30% OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS AND WE HAVE COMPLETED OUR BROAD NON- PRESCRIPTIVE 3-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN. WE ARE NOW A LIVING WAGE CERTIFIED EMPLOYER THROUGH JUSTECONOMICS AND FURTHER OUR EFFORTS FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION, DIVERSITY/EQUITY/INCLUSION/ACCESSIBILITY, A "HUB AND SPOKE" MODEL OF SERVICE, AND INTEGRATING IN CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS THAT INCLUDE CLINICAL SETTINGS. IN JUNE, WE BEGAN RECOVERING FROM A RANSOMWARE INCIDENT AND SUCCESSFULLY REGAINED ACCESS TO OUR INFORMATION, BEGAN REBUILDING OUR IT ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPED A RELATIONSHIP WITH EPSILON, INC. FOR STAFF TRAINING, DARK WEB SCREENING, AND ENHANCED SECURITY MONITORING AS WELL AS ADDING CLOUD STORAGE AND ADDITIONAL NETWORK SUPPORT FOR THE ORGANIZATION.

INSURANCE SERVICES MEDICARE PROGRAMMING THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN THE ACQUISITION OF AN OFFICE SPACE FOR A "MEDICARE CENTER," A FACILITY DEDICATED TO THE MEDICARE PROGRAM. THE SPACE PROVIDES OFFICES FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS, AS WELL AS MUCH NEEDED SPACE FOR CLIENT CONSULTATIONS AND CONFERENCES. THE COUNCIL ON AGING'S SHIIP MEDICARE PROGRAM WAS THE LEADING COUNTY IN NORTH CAROLINA FOR BOTH CLIENT CONTACTS AND COST SAVINGS FOR 2021. WE HAD OVER 3,100 CLIENT CONTACTS AND SAVED CLIENTS MORE THAN 1.6 MILLION DOLLARS. THROUGH OUR BENEFITS ENROLLMENT CENTER FOR LOW-INCOME MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES, IN 2021 WE ASSISTED NEARLY 700 INDIVIDUALS, HELPING THEM TO APPLY FOR VARIOUS LOW- INCOME SUBSIDY PROGRAMS. THE TOTAL VALUE OF BENEFITS FOR OUR CLIENTS EXCEEDED 1.1 MILLION DOLLARS. AFFORDABLE CARE ACT NAVIGATION A SNAPSHOT OF THE CHANGE IN THE NAVIGATOR PROGRAM FROM FY 21 TO FY 22 CAN BE SEEN IN THE DIFFERENCE IN THE BUDGETS. IN FY 21, COA WAS ALLOCATED 80,000 FOR THE PROGRAM AND IN FY 22, OUR BUDGET WAS 337,000. THIS INCLUDED NEW STAFF, EQUIPMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUTREACH AS WELL AS PARTNERSHIP WITH CAREREACH TO SERVE MCDOWELL ACCESS TO CARE AND HEALTH (MATCH) AND THE TOW RIVER PROJECT ACCESS (TRPA) AS SUBGRANTEES. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH MATCH SINCE ITS INCEPTION AND TRPA FOR THE PAST 3 YEAR. WE ADDED ONE BILINGUAL SPANISH SPEAKING EMPLOYEE WHICH ALLOWED US TO REACH OUT TO A NEW DEMOGRAPHIC WITHIN OUR AREA. WE HAD 569 APPOINTMENTS, 121 OUTREACH EVENTS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE ADVERTISING IN SEVERAL WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA NEWSPAPERS, INCLUDING LA NOTICIA FOR SPANISH PROGRAM COVERAGE. WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO RUN SEVERAL COMMERCIALS EMPHASIZING A NEW SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD THAT WAS OFFERED TO LOW INCOME WORKING FAMILIES. PREVIOUSLY WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO ENGAGE IN FREE MARKETING ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND USING FLYERS. THESE INCREDIBLE MILESTONES HAVE ALLOWED US TO INCREASE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE INSURANCE FOR ADULTS OF ALL AGES IN NINE COUNTIES.

SENIOR DINING & WELLNESS WHAT A YEAR IN SENIOR DINING WE SERVED OVER 35,000 MEALS THANKS TO CONSUMER CONTRIBUTIONS, THE BLOCK GRANT FUNDING AND COVID-19 FUNDING TO HELP US EXCEED OUR GOALS AND SERVE MORE THAN 200 NEW PARTICIPANTS AND MORE THAN 800 WITH MEALS AND FRESH PRODUCE. WE CONTINUED TO OFFER SERVICES IN- PERSON WHEN POSSIBLE, AS WELL AS WITH DELIVERY AND CURBSIDE PICKUP. 1. WHEN ASKED ABOUT OVERALL HEALTH 40% SAID THEIR HEALTH WAS BETTER SINCE BEING PART OF THE SENIOR DINING PROGRAM, 99% SAID THEIR HEALTH WAS THE SAME OR BETTER. 2. 77% OF RESPONDENTS STATE THAT THEIR INTAKE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES INCREASED BECAUSE OF THE HOT MEALS AND PRODUCE THEY RECEIVE FROM THIS PROGRAM. 3. OVER HALF SAY THE MEAL THEY RECEIVED FROM THE SENIOR DINING PROGRAM IS THE MAIN MEAL OF THEIR DAY. 4. IN TERMS OF MEETING PARTICIPANTS' NUTRITIONAL NEEDS 97% SAY THAT IT HAS HELPED. 5. WE SUPPORT EXERCISE PROGRAMS PROVIDED AT THE SITES. 99% SAY SIMPLY ATTENDING SENIOR DINING THEIR RATE OF EXERCISE HAS INCREASED. 6. ATTENDING SENIOR DINING HAS IMPROVED THEIR MOBILITY, ENDURANCE, AND STRENGTH. 64% SAID IT HAD IMPROVED AND 100% SAID IT HAD EITHER IMPROVED OR STAYED THE SAME. 7. ONE OF THE CORNERSTONES OF THE SENIOR DINING PROGRAMS IS THAT IT IS MORE THAN JUST A MEAL. WHEN ASKED ABOUT SOCIALIZATION 84% SAY THE PROGRAM HAS GIVEN THEM MORE PEOPLE TO TALK TO.