Aging Advisory Board Minutes 080817

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be meeting with each member individually to address some concerns. Discussion followed on ways to build consensus and support from the municipalities. Ms. Altpeter agreed to represent the Advisory Board on the Intergovernmental Parks Work group. • Transportation—Alex Castro: There was good representation from service providers. Mobility Management Specialist Lisa Berley informed the group about the Volunteer Driver program and the kind of medical trips requested. Mary Fraser announced that Orange County was recently awarded an AARP Challenge grant of approximately$10,000 to purchase bus stop seats. • Housing—Dick White: The Towns and County planning departments were represented. Work will include identifying one site per jurisdiction for senior housing, continuing the a Aging in Community lecture series, and proposing changes to local ordinances to promote senior housing options. • Civic Participation and Employment—Colin Austin/Winston Liao: Hiring an Employment Specialist is a great achievement. Jim Johnson and the UNC Business School is a valuable connection. DSS has received funds to work with dislocated workers. Other public resources such as the Economic Development Department and the Chambers of Commerce were identified. The business community also needs to become involved in this process. The Employment Specialist has held focus groups at each Senior Center to identify needs. A DSS sponsored job fair is being planned for September at University Place. The Workgroup timeline has been developed and this format should be shared with the other workgroups. • Community and Health Services—Yvonne Mendenhall: The focus of the first meeting was to identify tasks that could be accomplished in the first year. Current Aging Transitions and Volunteer Connect services include Seniors and Law Enforcement Together(S.A.L.T.) home visits and the Volunteer Driver program. UNC Hospital-Hillsborough is interested in connecting patients and the faith community. Another focus is improving long term care by encouraging volunteers in facilities. • Social Participation and Inclusion—Donna Prather: This workgroup will meet in the near future. Continuing Projects Janice Tyler reported that there are currently 11 persons enrolled in the Project EngAGE class that will begin September 15. One of those classmates is Advisory Board member Vibeke Talley. Alex Castro relayed the latest service totals from S.A.L.T. and the Orange County Rural Alliance (OCRA). The need for additional volunteers continues. OC CARES staff was featured in a statewide and a national webinars in recent weeks. The link will be sent to the Advisory Board members. The project will be entering its third and final year of Administration for Community Living funding in September. Committee Progress Reports Dementia Friendly Business Campaign—Lorenzo Mejia has approached Suntrust Bank about training its staff and requests that all Advisory Board members and staff who are Suntrust customers encourage them to sign on. Long Term Care Learning Collaborative—Yvonne Mendenhall reported that the Signature Health long term care facility has scheduled a falls prevention workshop for its staff and residents. Senior Tar Heel Legislature—Dick White reported that the STHL has scheduled officer elections for this fall and he hopes the organization will develop a more focused approach to its advocacy efforts in the future. Adult Care Home Committee—Yvonne Mendenhall referenced the MAP workgroup's efforts to involve volunteers in activities in the facilities.