St. Paul’s Highlighted on CNN

A recent CNN news story highlighted the benefits of St. Paul’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly in San Diego. According to the story, “Help finally arrived for Hudson and her father when they discovered an all-inclusive elder care center that accepted Medicaid. St. Paul’s…functions like a day care for the elderly, providing medical services, social outlets and meals under one roof, along with transportation to and from the Bankers Hill campus.”

The entire story can be found at: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/16/living/caregiver-stress-report/index.html.

Growing our Aging Services Family

On November 16, the Obama Administration announced the 2010 and 2011 grant funding for the Section 202 Capital Advance program. Section 202 provides housing for very low-income seniors, age 62 or older who are at our below 50 percent of median income, however, many households that receive assistance earn less than 30 percent of the median income. These grants help non-profit organizations produce accessible, housing, offer rental assistance and facilities supportive services.

California received nine Section 202 Capital Advance grant awards, six of which went to members of Aging Services of California.  be.group, Petaluma Ecumenical Properties, Retirement Housing Foundation each received two grant awards. In total, these six new communities will add 279 new units of affordable senior housing.

Communities will be built using a host of innovative design aspects including: green technology, universal design, accessibility to public transportation, community-building common space, or access to supportive services. We wish to congratulate each organization who received an award, and we look forward welcoming these communities into the Aging Services family.

A complete description of each project can be accessed here.

The Birth of an Idea

In early 2010, Aging Services of California partnered with the California Association for Health Services at Home to sponsor a joint informational hearing at the California State Capitol. Originally, the hearing was intended to educate members of the legislature and their staff about innovative ways that technology could be used to help older adults age in place. Although we anticipated a fair amount of interest – our state is, after all, home to Silicon Valley – the attendance far surpassed our expectations.

Recognizing Excellence

Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of all the great work the members of Aging Services of California do each and every day. Trying to figure out how to provide quality care for older adults in the face of an ever changing landscape, we understandably tend to focus on the challenges more than the successes. That’s why I was so excited to learn recently that one of our members was recognized nationally for their work.

PEP Housing, a nonprofit that develops and manages affordable housing with services for older adults and people with disabilities, was awarded the 2011 MetLife Foundation Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing for Casa Grande Senior Apartments in Petaluma, Calif.

Casa Grande is not only a “Build-It-Green” certified project, it also is the first green-rated multifamily affordable housing community in Sonoma County. I had a chance to tour Casa Grande last month, and let me tell you, I was impressed. PEP has been able to  drastically reduce its electricity and water usage while providing the nearly 60 residents with a safe, decent and affordable place to call home. In many respects, they have created a new standard for what it means to develop affordable housing.

PEP Housing was one of only four organizations in the United States to receive the MetLife Foundation Award. The foundation also has honored Aging Services members in previous years. In 2010, Satellite Housing was recognized for its work on St. Patrick’s Terrace in Oakland, Calif. And in 2009, two members received the award: Episcopal Senior Communities for Mission Creek Senior Community in San Francisco and Mercy Housing California for Lytton Gardens in Palo Alto, Calif.

We in California like to think of ourselves as innovators who help set the agenda for the rest of the country. Whether it’s in the development of affordable senior housing or the delivery of home and community-based services, we pride ourselves on being ahead of the curve.

It’s great to see others join us in recognizing the passion and commitment with which our members fulfill their missions.

Joanne Handy
President & CEO
Aging Services of California

Handy to Lecture at Los Angeles Jewish Home’s 14th Annual Sarnat Symposium

Aging Services President & CEO Joanne Handy, one of the leading experts on senior care advocacy, will be discussing all of the possible changes to senior care funding in a lecture at the 14th Annual Sarnat Symposium sponsored by the Los Angeles Jewish Home. In a lecture entitled Impact of Federal Healthcare Reform on Aging Services, Handy will discuss the impact of certain health care reform measures on services and support for older persons. She will talk about how to best integrate services across settings in ways that improve outcomes and lower costs. And she will offer up unique insights on Accountable Care organizations, Care Transitions Initiatives, Bundled Payment Pilots, Independence at Home and the CMS Innovations Centers.

To learn more about the Sarnat Symposium or to find out how to register, please visit http://www.jha.org/userfiles//Sarnat2011_Brochure.pdf.