Orange County NC Website
MINUTES - Draft <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH <br />September 23, 2020 <br />S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda & Abstracts\2020 Agenda & Abstracts/ September Page 3 <br />o Senior Center Operations <br /> Seymour Center serves 450+ persons daily. <br /> Passmore Center serves 250+ persons daily. <br />o Aging Transitions <br /> It’s the social work section of the DOA. On-staff social workers, <br />occupational therapists, support groups, in-home services, and <br />depression screenings are some of the many services offered. <br />o Volunteer Connect 55+ <br /> It’s the volunteer division of the DOA that has senior center and <br />community based programs including the Project EngAGE senior <br />leadership program that trains OC seniors to become resource leaders <br />and make their communities an ideal place to age. <br /> There are 400+ volunteers. <br />• COVID-19 Arrived… <br />o The DOA became a “senior center without walls”, never closing. <br />o With the assistance of local law enforcement, curbside meals are distributed on- <br />site at the senior centers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. For those <br />dependent on public transportation, local officers and volunteers deliver meals to <br />them. Participants receive 6 meals a week. Almost 1000 meals a week are <br />served. <br />o Monthly commodity food distributions still occur with over 300 persons benefiting <br />from this service. A grocery delivery service has been created, but has been <br />underutilized. <br />o End of Life Senior Resource Team saw a need to develop a form that older <br />adults could use to develop an Emergency and Serious Illness Plan should they <br />be diagnosed with COVID. <br />o Durable Medical Equipment (DME) loan equipment program has continued with <br />DME equipment being delivered porch side. <br />o With limited public transportation and fear of contracting COVID on public transit <br />buses, the DOA Volunteer Driver program kept going to assist older adults with <br />getting to medical appointments and getting groceries. <br />o In response to concerns about social isolation, deconditioning of older adults and <br />access to technology, the following has been done. <br /> With the assistance of our three MSW interns, the DOA is attempting to <br />contact all regular participants that they have not had contact with during <br />COVID. All staff reviewed the departmental database, which has <br />approximately 4,000 persons and has collectively identified individuals <br />that they have not heard from. They will be reaching out to these folks to <br />identify any unmet needs. <br /> At the beginning of COVID, the DOA worked with their IT department to <br />get internet access and computers into all of their low income senior <br />housing complexes. This was not only to help with social isolation, but <br />also for access to telehealth services. <br /> <br /> <br />The BOH members had questions and comments that were addressed by Ms. Tyler. <br /> <br /> <br />V. Action Items (Non-Consent) <br /> <br />A. Policy Approval