News

Fan Care Program for 2013

Being too hot in the summer is as debilitating as being too cold in the winter. That’s why Dominion and the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) help low-income, older citizens through the Fan Care Program. Dominion is Fan Care’s primary sponsor. The program provides a free fan to Virginians age 60 and older in Dominion’s service area. Recipients must demonstrate a need for cooling assistance and meet eligibility requirements. Limited funds also are available for air conditioners for those with more serious health problems.

Local area agencies on aging screen applicants and distribute fans. For a list of participating area agencies on aging, click here or call the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services at 1-800-552-3402.

You can help by sending a tax-deductible contribution to your nearest area agency on aging. Make the check payable to Fan Care.

(ES 5/24/2013)

Webinars on Alzheimer’s Disease and Resources

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL) are collaborating to host a five-part webinar series with the goals of 1) improving coordination of federal resources available to assist people with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias and their family caregivers and 2) encouraging awareness of research participation opportunities.

NIA & ACL invite you to take advantage of these opportunities. You can register for register for all the webinars or just the one or two that most interest you. Registration will open approximately two months in advance of each webinar.

(NASUAD 5/17/2013)

Facilitating Medicaid and CHIP Enrollment and Renewal in 2014

On May 17, 2013, CMS' Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services sent an information bulletin to State Health Officials and State Medicaid Directors offering optional strategies that can help make significant progress toward reducing the number of uninsured individuals and optional tools to help states manage the transition to their new eligibility and enrollment systems and coverage of new Medicaid-enrollees.

For more information, please see the letter which is available online here.

(NASUAD 5/17/2013)

2013 Best Practices Awards Program

A caregiver program at Williamsburg’s Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health modeled on the Rosalynn Carter Institute on Caregiving’s signature program won the top 2013 Best Practices Award. This year’s top award honors the Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health for its “Caring for You, Caring for Me”. See the 2013 awards Press Release.

The Council has recognized organizations as examples of best practices since 2006. A list of these organizations and a brief overview of their programs can be found on the Best Practices Awards page.

(AJH 5/13/2013)

May is Adult Abuse Prevention Month

Gov. McDonnell has proclamed May as Adult Abuse Prevention Month in Virginia, noting that older Virginians and Virginians with disabilities may be targets for abuse, which can occur in families and communities of all social, economic, racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Learn more at The Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime PSA on elder financial abuse.

AJH 5/13/2013)

A Profile of Older Americans: 2012

The Center for Disability and Aging Policy at the Administration for Community Living has released their annual summary of the latest statistics on the older population. The report covers 14 topical areas including population, income and poverty, living arrangements, education, and health. The Profile has proven to be a very useful statistical summary in a user friendly format. It is a web based publication and is posted (along with versions from previous years) at: http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Aging_Statistics/Profile/index.aspx

(CS 4/22/2013)

Virginia Caregiver Coalition News

The Virginia Caregiver Coalition (VCC), celebrating nine years of helping Virginia’s family and professional caregivers, presents their new logo – A Ribbon of Support. The VCC is dedicated to improving the caregiving experience through education, advocacy and resource accessibility so that caregivers are valued and supported. For further information on the Virginia Caregiver Coalition, please view this slideshow (pptx).

VCC Logo The Virginia Caregiver Coalition (VCC) is a member of ARCH National Lifespan Network. The ARCH National Respite Network is the only national support and advocacy organization dedicated solely to promoting the development of quality respite programs. Technical support supplied to the VCC by ARCH has been invaluable as the Coalition partners with DARS to implement Virginia’s Lifespan Respite Care Program for caregivers of individuals of all ages and disabilities. For further information on ARCH, please go to: http://archrespite.org.

(EN 4/12/2013)

50th Year of Older Americans Month

May 2013 is Older Americans Month's 50th year, and to help communities with the celebration, the Administration for Community Living has updated its website. The site contains resources and ways to help spread the word about Older Americans Month and plan an event in your community. The website features:

"Unleash the Power" Challenge: A contest in which organizations can nominate individuals who have used their talents and expertise to make a positive impact in their communities.
Activity Ideas: Get inspirations and ideas on how you can celebrate Older Americans Month locally by unleashing the power of age through community and creativity.
Social Media Gallery: Get content you can use to promote Older Americans Month to your social media networks.
Download Center: Access a collection of images for your organization's website, and text for newsletters.

Visit the ACL site for more information.

(NASUAD 3/29/2013)

2013 HCBS Conference

The National Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Conference is the premier event showcasing promising practices in long-term services and supports. It has earned a stellar reputation for bringing together our nation's leaders in the field while offering exceptional learning and networking opportunities for professionals who administer home and community based services throughout the country.

NASUAD, together with the District of Columbia Office on Aging, Maryland Department of Aging, Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, and an outstanding national committee, is planning for this year's National HCBS Conference, September 9-12, 2013, in Arlington, VA.

Click here to learn more and register for the conference.

(update 5/20/2013)

Stay Current with DARS news on facebook

To connect with Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services on facebook, click either link! https://www.facebook.com/vadars

Weekly e-Mailings

The Virginia Division for the Aging posts topics of interest weekly to the aging network. You may peruse VDA's Weekly e-Mailings on our website.

Dial 2-1-1 for Community Services

2-1-1 is an easy to remember phone number connecting Virginians with free information on available community services. When you dial 2-1-1, a trained professional will listen to your situation and suggest sources of help using one of the largest databases of health and human services in Virginia. During times of disaster, 2-1-1 will also act as an additional source of information for citizens. For more information about 2-1-1 go to www.211virginia.org.

Board, Council and Commission Meeting Announcements

For meeting dates, please visit our Boards page. View directions to VDA. (.pdf)

Submission of News Items for VDA Web Page

If you have items of interest to Virginia's aging population, their families and caregivers, or to individuals who work or volunteer in the aging field, please submit them to VDA's Web Page Designer. Note: Submission of an item does not guarantee that it will be placed on the VDA web page.

Note: Links to web sites produced by organizations other than the Virginia Division for the Aging (VDA) are provided for your convenience. When you select one of these links, you will leave VDA's web site. VDA is not responsible for the content of linked web pages, and does not endorse products or services that may be offered on the linked pages. Also, the privacy policies of these sites may differ from the privacy policy followed by the Division for the Aging. Please report incorrect or outdated links to VDA's Web Designer.

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