Senior News and Events

One of six national workshops on “aging in place” to be held in Kansas City

As part of the national movement to promote the Aging in Place Initiative, aimed at helping older Americans remain in their communities, the Kansas City metropolitan area has been selected to host the third of six national workshops sponsored by MetLife Foundation, Partners for Livable Communities (Partners) and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). The workshop will be hosted by the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging, the Mid-America Regional Council, the Shepherd’s Center Kansas City Central, and the Wyandotte/ Leavenworth Area Agency on Aging, and will be held at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center, 4801 Rockhill Road, February 4, 2008 from 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

The Kansas City area discussion will complement the national conversation taking place on aging and highlight the creative work already occurring in the Kansas City region to make it a first-rate place for all age groups. This workshop will allow local decision makers and community leaders to identify key areas to enhance housing choices for older adults and together facilitate taking action in creating housing options for a livable community.

With the Kansas City metropolitan statistical area (MSA – 15 counties) approaching the two million population mark, local leaders are calling for strategies to help strengthen “aging-in-place” services and to work on methods to broaden the housing options between home and health-care facilities. In a nation where one in every four renters aged 50 and above pays 50 percent or more of their annual income on rent, the region’s representatives are gathering to explore options that provide a range of affordable housing types that include supportive arrangements and services.

“The time to start planning to make our communities good places in which to grow up and to grow old is now, and housing is one of the critical issues that must be considered in the planning process,” said Sandy Markwood, CEO of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. “Although housing will be the focal point of this workshop, the speakers and panelists are well aware that creating a livable community for all ages involves all aspects of community living — health, transportation, public safety, workforce development, civic engagement, aging and human services — to name a few.”

Attendees will also learn how to apply for “JumpStart the Conversation” grants, which will be given to groups taking action on the Aging-in-Place initiative at the local level.

“Through the workshop and grant opportunities, communities will gain a renewed sense of urgency when it comes to considering community livability for all ages,” said Robert McNulty, president of Partners for Livable Communities. “We’re looking to bring together an energized group of organizations and individuals in order to face the challenges that accompany this time of change.”

The Kansas City Workshop “Housing's Role in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area: Creating a Livable Community for All Ages” has been rescheduled for:

REGISTRATION
You can re-register for this workshop online.

Hospice Foundation donates to Home Delivered Meals program

Peterson presents a check to Aging Services Director Jacqui Moore along with members of the Commission on Aging and MARC staff

At the Commission on Aging meeting on August 8, Nancy Peterson of the Hospice Foundation presented a donation to our Home Delivered Meals program.

The $1,000 donation will help MARC deliver meals to the homebound ill and elderly.

Peterson stated that their organization enjoys making these sort of donations to agencies that work for their clients in similar situations.

Area Agencies on Aging partner with Humana on home-delivered meals

Jo Willis, a Raymore, Mo. resident, opening a box received from Humana

After a hospital stay, seniors — especially those who live alone — often don’t feel up to cooking or grocery shopping. But nutrition is more important than ever after an illness, and a poor diet sometimes contributes to the need for rehospitalization. Humana, Inc. has partnered with Area Agencies on Aging to provide free home-delivered meals to eligible plan members following hospital stays.

MARC’s Aging Services Department, which serves as the Area Agency on Aging for the five counties on the Missouri side of the MARC region, is participating in the program, along with the Johnson and Wyandotte County Area Agencies on Aging on the Kansas side. The Kansas City area is one of eight metropolitan areas in the country where Humana offers this service, called the FeelGoodFood project.

Nurse case managers provide seniors who are covered by Humana insurance plans with information about enrolling in the program during or immediately following their hospital stays. Those who choose to participate will receive a package of 10 frozen meals, delivered to their homes, at no charge.

While the Humana program is new, MARC’s Aging Services Department has delivered meals to area seniors for many years, both through its home-delivered meals program and at 19 senior centers that serve congregate meals.

4th Annual Missouri Show Me Summit on Aging and Health

The 4th Annual Missouri Show Me Summit on Aging and Health will be held September 17-19, 2007, at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri. The event will host over 30 educational workshops on various senior issues, national speakers, state and local government dignitaries, and vendors showcasing various senior related products.

Missouri Lt. Governor announces publication of Senior Report

Anna Badami and Lt. Gov. Kinder - Anna is 91 years young and has
been a volunteer at Don Bosco
for over 26 years.

Before a gathering of seniors on July 31, 2006, at the Don Bosco Center, 580 Campbell, Kansas City, Mo., Missouri’s Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder announced the publication of Missouri Senior Report — Ahead of the Baby Boom: Missouri Prepares.

The report, published by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the University of Missouri – Columbia’s Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis, presents data in a centralized report that will help elected officials and the private sector to prepare for the older population’s needs.

It compares trends of aging Missourians by county and various indicators, including health, crime and transportation. According to the report, the number of seniors in the state will double between 2005 and 2020, from 9.6 to 18.2 percent of the total population.