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Issue #4 - June 2022

Message from NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen

June marks two important moments for reflection and action.   

Pride Month is a time to celebrate and bolster our resolve to support LGBTQ+ older adults. In this edition of Inside NYS Aging, NYSOFA Advocacy Specialist Colleen Scott offers insights to overcome disparities, and Sherrill Wayland, of SAGE, shares resources and best-practices for LGBTQ+ competency in aging services.  

We’re also now analyzing the results of NYSOFA’s recent survey on LGBTQ+ services for older adults. I appreciate all who participated. Please stayed tuned for further technical assistance and support. 

June is also a solemn time for awareness of an all-too-often hidden problem: elder abuse. For World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on June 15, NYSOFA is calling on all aging services providers to cast light on this important issue.  

Please share our WEAAD digital media campaign page, which offers social media tools. Encourage everyone you know to use these tools. We’re also asking you to do a little bit more this year by organizing local media events on June 15 using our toolkit of resources. If you need assistance in this effort, please don’t hesitate to reach our communications team at communications@aging.ny.gov.   

I also look forward to seeing you on June 7-8 for the Aging Concerns Unite Us conference to share more about some of the exciting work happening at NYSOFA and throughout the field of aging services. 

Sincerely,  

Greg Olsen  
Director, New York State Office for the Aging 

A Warm Farewell to Jennifer Rosenbaum After Three Decades of Service

NYSOFA bids a warm farewell to Jennifer Rosenbaum on her retirement! Jennifer came to NYSOFA over 30 years ago and has risen through the ranks to become a true leader in the agency. 

“I feel really fortunate," she says. "It’s been my true career choice to work in the field of gerontology, and to do it in public policy and in service to older adults and their families in our state.”  

Read our profile and join us in celebrating Jennifer's accomplished tenure at NYSOFA! 

SAGE is an important NYSOFA partner whose mission helps address disparities and assure competent care for LGBTQ+ older adults. 

For our Pride Month edition of 5 Questions, we talked to Sherrill Wayland, Director of Special Initiatives at SAGE, to hear more about SAGE and ways that aging services providers can best serve LGBTQ+ older adults in their communities. 

Read 5 Questions with Sherrill Wayland
Season Two of What's Cooking with NYSOFA is launching! Tune in on YouTube or Facebook at 12:30 p.m.on Friday May 27 to cook alongside NYSOFA dietitian Wendy Beckman. In episode 1, we're making a healthy Herbed Potato Salad, perfect for a summer picnic or backyard BBQ!

Your Community Engagement to Address Disparities 

Learn what the Older Americans Act says about disparities, and how NYSOFA’s new training series can help you build a strategy for community engagement. 

Learn More

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is June 15. NYSOFA and the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) are working together to inform the public about elder abuse, potential signs of abuse, and resources to help. 

Join us by wearing purple on June 15. Take a selfie, post it to social media, and talk about elder abuse. Tell your colleagues, friends, and family to do the same.

Need ideas? See our toolkit for sample social media posts. Share it today.

NYSOFA and OCFS have also asked counties to coordinate local press conferences on June 15 to raise awareness about elder abuse. See our toolkit with a sample media advisory, press release and background information. If you need assistance with these resources, contact Roger Noyes at roger.noyes@aging.ny.gov.
Connections to Support LGBTQ+ Older Adults 

Despite progress, unconscious, implicit, and institutional forms of bias continue to affect LGBTQ+ individuals in profound ways. For Pride Month, NYSOFA Advocacy Specialist Colleen Scott discusses how aging services providers can overcome disparities, along with resources to help them do it. 
Read the Connections Article
Level up your team's communication skills with these free webinars from NYSOFA.

This afternoon, May 24, at 2 p.m. the NYSOFA Communications Team is hosting LinkedIn 101 for the Aging Services Professional. With the ACUU Conference right around the corner, this is a great time to clean up your LinkedIn - or consider setting one up. LinkedIn is the largest professional digital networking site, and a great profile can establish your professional presence and credibility.
RSVP

In June, the NYSOFA communications team is opening Office Hours! Drop in to ask your questions about social media, press releases, graphic design, event planning or whatever communications-related issue is vexing you. Roger, Kelly, and Alex will be on standby with coffee in hand and good advice at the ready. Details about Office Hours. 
RSVP

Building on our comprehensive effort to battle social isolation and support aging-in-place, NYSOFA is delivering voice-operated smart technology into the homes of over 800 older adults. 

Under the program, NYSOFA will work with local offices for the aging and partners to identify older adults who would most benefit from the technology: ElliQ by Intuition Robotics, which is the first-ever proactive and empathetic care companion. 

Read our release.

Join us on May 31 at noon for a demo to learn more

Meet Volunteer Ombudsmen Janice and Alice Jean 

The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) is a resource for older adults and people with disabilities who live in long-term facilities. Volunteer Ombudsmen, like Janice and Alice Jean, provide an essential service to some of our most vulnerable people. They bring lifetimes of expertise from various careers, transforming these skills into education, empowerment, and advocacy.

To thank these brilliant volunteers for their years of dedicated service, LTCOP presents a new Volunteer Spotlight series of videos. Please share our video interview on social media and help recognize the work of Ombudsmen across New York State advocating for long term care residents. 
SNAP-Ed New York: Celebrate Summer with NYS Fruits and Vegetables!

Color your plate with fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables this summer. In our June SNAP-Ed column, NYSOFA dietitian Lisbeth Irish explains the benefits of variety in your diet, especially for older adults. You'll also find recipes and resources for finding and cooking with in-season produce. Please share.

Coming Up...

Join the conversation during NYSOFA's Facebook Live events! Please consider sharing these events in your circles of influence.

May 24, 2 p.m. LinkedIn 101: For Aging Services Professionals 
May 26, 1 p.m. Live with Greg: The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
May 27, 12:30 p.m. What's Cooking at NYSOFA: Herbed Potato Salad
June 2, 1 p.m. Live with Greg - Age Friendly Communities
June 9, 1 p.m. Live with Greg - Supporting the Aging LGBTQ Community
June 10, 1 p.m. Ask the Experts - Exploring Fruit & Vegetables
June 22, 10 a.m. Office Hours with the NYSOFA Communications Team
Learn More About NYSOFA Events

In Case You Missed It:

Broome County Office for the Aging
Broome County OFA was recently highlighted in a local news piece about many of their innovative programs including:
-Senior to Senior Dinner Dance, bringing generations together,
-Happy to Chat Benches to reduce social isolation,
-Virtual Senior Center to bridge the digital divide.
Learn More
 

Aging Services Providers Invited to June 15 Sepsis Summit Addressing Medical Emergency 

Sepsis is a medical emergency of danger to older adults. Individuals 65 and older are 13 times more likely to be hospitalized with this condition, which is responsible for 1 in 5 deaths nationally.  

The Home Care Association of New York State (HCA) is bringing together providers from across the continuum to address this crisis during an All-Sector Sepsis Summit on June 15 from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the Albany Hilton. Registration is free.  

The summit will feature state, national and industry leaders presenting innovations in research, intervention, and new models of care.  

Learn more and register

 

Thanks for sticking it out until the end! If you found this content valuable, please share with your coworkers and colleagues in the aging services network!
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