Programs & Services

SENIOR NEEDS FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CHAIRS:

1. Improve Transportation
Mike Salamone - msalamone@ridemedinaco.org

The vast majority of responses regarding the biggest problem in Medina County for older adults centered on transportation. Older adults would like to have more accessible, affordable, regular transportation that reaches desired destinations, often beyond the boundaries of Medina County. IntelliSolve, Inc. recommends the following transportation improvement strategies: 

• The Medina County Transit Consortium should encourage a more fully integrated planning process including coordination with community-based organizations, as well as with human services and government-sponsored transportation programs. This task force should be composed of relevant stakeholders, including but not limited to, county commissioners, MCFFC, county public transit, private transit providers, older adult service providers, older adult caretakers, and older adults representing various geographic locations;
• Inventory the existing transit services, schedules, costs, and available routes (overlayed on GIS) to obtain a clear picture of what transit is available, where it is located, how often and to where it runs, and how affordable it is for older adults;
• Review existing Medina County Transit Authority ridership survey findings to analyze transit utilization and customer satisfaction data and make data-informed decisions;
• Identify opportunities (both within and outside of the city or county limits) to expand services or collaborate between providers to provide services where demand is not currently being met. Possible partners include: Geauga County Transit, Lorain County Transit, Laketran Akron, Metro Brunswick Transit, Alternative Medina County Transit, Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (PARTA);
• According to the Census Bureau, every senior over 75 has two or more disabling conditions. Existing transportation providers should consider how they will collaboratively partner with those serving older adults with disabilities (e.g., Medina County Creative Housing, MRDD, etc.) to ensure the county is meeting the transportation needs of the older adult population with disabilities;
• Research other communities (e.g., Cuyahoga County and outer ring suburbs) to determine how they addressed the increasing demands for convenient and affordable public transportation during diminishing funding;
• Offer driving assessment and training to help older adults remain on the road as safely as possible for as long as possible;
• Increase investment in public transportation to improve mobility for older adults. Transportation remains very expensive and greatly under funded in Medina County. More financial investment is needed from the private sector to make up for the lack of public funding that has plagued transportation in Ohio and in Medina County. There needs to be a transportation champion in Medina County who will work tirelessly to assure that the transportation needs (both current and future) are met;
• Create public transportation services and pedestrian-friendly environments for older adults, particularly in the more rural areas that may not currently offer convenient alternatives to driving; and
• Consider the expansion of senior transportation by funding community design initiatives that make shopping, entertainment and essential services more easily accessible. Possible solutions might include improvements to roadway design such as large print road signs, grooved lane dividers, dedicated left turn lanes, and extended walk times at pedestrian crosswalks to accommodate older drivers and pedestrians.  

2. Increase Housing Alternatives & Affordability
Debbie Kubena-Yatsko - debbie@mmha.org

Affordability of housing and housing related costs, as well as the need for housing alternatives for older adults was also identified as a significant need in MedinaCounty. Older adult concerns regarding housing centered around the desire to remain independent, to maintain their current home, to afford utilities and repairs, and to be able to adapt their home to meet changing needs as they age. Currently, much of the focus related to senior housing is on people in crisis. Much remains to be done to be proactive in providing preventative services to help older adults afford and maintain their homes, or become aware of housing alternatives before they experience a housing crisis. IntelliSolve, Inc. recommends the following housing improvement strategies:

• The Medina County Housing Network should encourage a more fully integrated planning process including coordination with community-based organizations, as well as with human services and government-sponsored housing programs. This task force should be composed of relevant stakeholders, including but not limited to, county commissioners, Senior Focus (MCFFC), public and private housing providers, county and city planners, older adult service providers, older adult caretakers, and older adults representing various geographic locations;
• Inventory the existing housing services, providers, costs, and locations to obtain a clear picture of what housing and housing resources are available to older adults, who is providing these housing options or services, and how affordable it is for older adults;
• Finalize and distribute widely the Housing Pathways model so that all providers of service to older adults are aware of the housing issues facing older adults, the decision-making process that often occurs when making housing decisions, and the resources available within the county to assist older adults with housing-related issues;
• Promote the development of home modification and home improvement programs that assist older citizens to adapt their existing homes to meet their needs, and market more effectively the existing services and programs available to seniors (e.g., home weatherization, home maintenance and repair, chore services, home adaptation, etc.);
• Ensure that there are resources in place to assist older adults in obtaining housing that is affordable and appropriate in size and design to accommodate their changing needs;
• Consider innovative ideas for helping older adults age in place, such as home sharing projects between seniors and young adults;
• Together with cities and townships, community-based organizations, human services, and government-sponsored housing programs, assess the existing land use plans, zoning ordinances and building codes to promote the development of a range of housing options that meet the needs of the county’s aging population (e.g., access to transportation links, walkable distance from daily needs like medical services or shopping);
• Consider the expansion of senior housing partnerships with local non-profits and vendors to address countywide housing needs. Possible partnerships include: Working with Home Depot to provide adaptive living workshops where participants would receive discounts on materials to modify their homes; expanding partnerships with the Medina County Career Center and the Office of Workforce Development to modify existing homes or build new homes for seniors; or collaboration with The Medina Metropolitan Housing Authority and Senior ICAT to perform a housing assessment during in-home visits to ascertain specific needs of seniors with significant needs;
• Encourage all agencies who are considering new projects and grant writing efforts to submit their ideas through the Medina County Housing Network to increase county-wide awareness of housing projects, increase collaboration between partners with similar interests and objectives, reduce redundancy of program services and duplicate grant applications, and increase economies of scale; and
• According a survey by Catholic Charities Services of Medina County, sixty-four percent (64%) of those for whom an assessment was completed identified housing as an issue. Of these individuals, seventy-five percent (75%) had geropsych issues. The Medina County Housing Network should facilitate the development of a plan for addressing this population’s housing-related needs.

3. Increase Financial Management Assistance
Mead Wilkins - wilkinm03@odjfs.state.oh.us

While the vast majority of older adults responding to the survey indicated they had enough money to pay their rent or mortgage and utilities and purchase the food and gas they needed over the last year, many mentioned the increasing difficulty in affording these expenses as the economy continues to be poor and gas prices keep climbing. Nearly 1 in 4 survey respondents said they were concerned about outliving their financial resources and about 1 in 5 indicated they have had to change their way of life significantly in the past year to pay their medical bills. With the full financial implications from the recent housing foreclosure crisis and the Federal Government “Bail Out” of Wall Street still unknown, it is important to take as proactive an approach as possible to ensure that a year from now, older adults are still able to afford their living expenses and can maintain their independence and financial security. IntelliSolve, Inc. recommends the following financial management assistance strategies:

• Medina County should continue to assist older citizens by providing and expanding appropriate tax assistance, rental assistance, and utility assistance to offer a level of relief to those most in financial need. MedinaCounty should continue to examine opportunities to reduce the financial burden of older adults. A good example of how this could be achieved is the recent budgeting payment option for paying property taxes in Medina County;
• Inventory the existing financial assistance available to County residents, both public and private to obtain a clear picture of what assistance is available, who is providing the service, where it is located, how often and where it is offered, and how affordable it is for older adults. This inventory of resources should be made available, in a variety of formats, to all older adults in the County;
• The Medina County Financial Stability Partnership should ensure that all older adults needing financial management assistance are aware of this resource and are able to access and afford this service. Classes on budget management, asset building, managing retirement investments and income, and understanding and acquiring long-term care insurance must be readily available and accessible to older adults across the county. The County should fully utilize existing resources such as OSU Extension’s Master Money Manager Program, Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP), Homestead Exemption Program, and the United Way’s Sustainable Families initiative, as well as encouraging local churches and professionals (e.g., local accountant, attorneys, financial planners) to provide a portion of these programs for little to no charge to seniors as part of their community service; and
• Medina County should develop or partner with others who offer job training and retraining programs and lifelong learning opportunities that assist older adults who wish to remain in the workforce do so successfully. A variety of employment options, such as part- and flex-time work options, should be made available to attract and retain older adults who may want or need to remain in the workforce but may require flexible, adaptive workplace opportunities.

4. Increase Safety and Security
Christine Fozio - cfozio@medinaco.org

While the majority of Medina County residents surveyed reported feeling safe during the day within their neighborhoods, a substantial number reported not feeling safe in those same neighborhoods at night. There is also a significant need to improve other areas of safety and security. For instance, almost 1 out of every 3 older adults does not have a working fire extinguisher or know how to use it and only 1 out of every 3 older adults respondents have a “Vial of Life” in their refrigerator with a list of current medication, doctors, and emergency contacts with the corresponding sticker on their front door. IntelliSolve, Inc. recommends the following strategies for increasing safety and security:

• Develop a task force of relevant stakeholders (i.e., representatives from police and fire, hospitals, city or township government, caretakers, and older adults), both within each community and across the county, to identify other areas of safety and security that may need addressed to ensure all seniors feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods, are aware of and possess the knowledge and tools to handle emergencies, and have community safety nets when they do not have a local family member to help them in times of need. The Senior ICAT Geriatric Assessment is a model for how such an approach could be implemented through interdisciplinary cooperative partners across the county, in a variety of environments, to achieve safety and security goals for older adults;
• Increase the awareness and utilization of neighborhood watch programs, especially in the areas where individuals were more likely to report feeling less safe (e.g., areas with respondents reporting incomes of less than $24,000);
• Continue to build relations between the police, fire departments and older adults to improve older adult awareness of programs and services and strengthen partnerships between citizens and their community protectors. Opportunities for building these relationships while increasing safety and security knowledge might include fire safety workshops offered at older adult housing, libraries, or senior and community centers; community policing on foot in areas frequented by older adults; and increased pubic awareness of programs these department have in place to increase community and senior safety (e.g. Adopt a Senior, Watching Our Neighborhoods, tip lines, fraud and scam seminars, Jobs and Family Services Adult Services Program, etc.); and
• Medina County should offer additional education and training for older adults about how to protect themselves against financial fraud and predatory lending, focusing on those with incomes below $10,000 who indicated that they had not received such training and are perhaps the least able to afford to be a victim of this type of crime.

5. Improve Health and Well Being
Commissioner Patricia Geissman - pgeissman@medinaco.org
As older adults age, their emotional and cognitive well being is often in jeopardy. Many live in isolation, have experienced losses and don’t recognize symptoms of depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment or the covert dangers of alcohol and substance abuse (including prescriptions, over the counter/herbal and illicit drug use). Awareness, advocacy, assessment and access need to be at the forefront of potential geropsych issues. Behavioral health and well being are paramount to maintaining autonomy and independence.

·         The Medina County Health Forum should encourage a more fully integrated planning process including coordination with community-based organizations, as well as with human services and government-sponsored health and wellness programs. This task force should be composed of relevant stakeholders, including but not limited to, county commissioners, Senior Focus (MCFFC), public and private healthcare providers, older adult service providers, older adult caretakers, and older adults representing various geographic locations;

·         The Medina County Health Forum should continue to fully recruit and engage all relevant program providers (e.g., Emergency Rooms, Primary Care Physicians, Senior ICAT, Geriatric Case Management, etc.) in the development of a mechanism or procedure for identifying those older adults who do not have someone who could take care of them if they became sick or disabled. Intervene early to design a plan of action for dealing with the issues that might occur if this person were to become sick or disabled and connecting them in a timely and proactive fashion to community resources; 

·         Develop a mechanism or procedure for identifying those older adults who do not have dental insurance and are facing significant health concerns as a result. While there is a dental clinic at the Department of Health, there is a huge demand for services potentially exhausting future budgets as this service is more fully utilized. The Department of Health should consider developing partnerships with local dentists to build a cooperative of providers who will offer pro bono care in collaboration with local hospitals or through mobile dental units;

·         Develop an inventory of public and private providers of food banks, food-rescue, and food lines to obtain a clear picture of what assistance is available, who is providing the service, where it is located, how often and where programs are offered, and how affordable it is for older adults. Specific attention should be given to addressing the food security needs of shut-ins, those with lower incomes, and individuals with special diets that are not closely following their recommended regimen; and 

·        Consider developing a countywide marketing campaign to increase older adult involvement in community activities and physical activities, such as the Step Up to Health Program. Determine specific barriers to low participation, especially for those reporting incomes below $10,000. Identify useful strategies for increasing participation (e.g., improving transportation, making pathways and curbs user friendly, including more topics or activities that would have appeal for older adults, designing a public relations campaign to attract older adults to local events, activities, parks, recreation centers, senior centers, and town centers).

 6. Enhance Public Awareness and Service Outreach
Laura Toth - ltoth@medinaco.org
This survey made it quite clear that there is still a great deal of public awareness and outreach that needs to occur to ensure older adults are aware of the existing services, know how to access these services, and are comfortable reaching out to providers. IntelliSolve, Inc. recommends the following strategies for enhancing public awareness and service outreach:

• Medina County providers of older adult services and their funders should create and expand opportunities for the effective and purposeful participation of older adults on community boards and commissions as well as to create and expand meaningful volunteer opportunities in local government and non-profit organizations. This grassroots involvement would allow older adults to become intimately familiar with local resources and to become advocates in the building of public awareness and outreach for these resources; and
• Medina County should promote the development of a primary point of entry for information and access to all aging services. This single point of service should be committed to providing timely and relevant information to older adults about available resources throughout the county. They should also be committed to supporting the continuum of supportive services that older adults need to remain living independently at home and in the community. This single point of service would not seek to replace existing avenues for the provision of information and access; rather, it would act as a portal to these resources by providing links to these services in a way that is easy for older adults to navigate. An example for how this has been done in Cleveland is Seniors Connect.org (www.seniorsconnect.org), a website that has a user-friendly portal for accessing information and resources for seniors and is offered in partnership with the Cleveland Public Library.