Administration on Aging

1. Administration on Aging Reauthorization listening forum Dallas, Texas February 18, 2010

2. Prevention & Wellness - Healthy Aging • Title VI requirements in providing services to the Native American elders. • Includes: Nutrition, congregate & home delivered meals, some transportation, information/assistance, nutrition education, nutrition counseling. • Our primary concern for our elderly to stay healthy, so they can stay in their own homes as long as possible. • We have to be creative on how we can provide prevention and wellness services for our elderly.

3. Prevention & Wellness – Healthy Aging • Title VI programs rely on the Indian Health Service Diabetes Programs. Without the coordination of services we would not be able to meet our requirements. An increase in funding for the IHS Diabetes program is under the Indian Healthcare Improvement Act and their support of additional funding would also support our efforts in providing educational materials and in-service training for our elderly.

4. Prevention & Wellness – Healthy Aging • Some Title VI Programs have bi-weekly screenings for Diabetes, blood pressure checks, to ensure our elders are monitored more closely to prevent complications related to diabetes, heart disease. (With the assistance of the CHN/CHR programs.) • We partner with health care facilities and encourage the participation of our elders to join the walk/runs sponsored for wellness, (if a Health Educator is funded). • An exercise facility is open to the elderly to utilize stationary bicycles and other exercise equipment.

5. Prevention & Wellness – Healthy Aging • Our healthcare facility created an exercise video to encourage the elderly to exercise in their chairs, for those in wheel chairs and those with limited walking ability. • This video can be used by our homebound. The use of the Omaha language to explain what areas to move to the elderly was funny, but the elderly understood exactly what the exercise was about. • Without a healthcare facility, many Title VI programs would have a hard time meeting this need.

6. Prevention & Wellness – Healthy Aging • The Title VI Director has to be creative in many ways. We sometimes struggle to meet the prevention and wellness aspect of need for our elderly. • Our elders are proud individuals and do not like to be dependent on anyone, so we have to encourage them to come into the centers to eat a nutritious meal. • We also find other things to keep their interest, by looking for items to give them as little incentives, such as individual shampoos, lotions etc.

7. Prevention & Wellness – Healthy Aging • These incentives are on a donation basis. We do not have funds for them, but are resourceful in finding a partner. Food items are also incentives for the elderly. There are many farmers in our area who may donate to the program, rather than let their crop go to waste. These items are really a goal we have every year. • Keeping Healthy Aging in mind, and without funds, we work hard to bring prevention and wellness into our programs.

8. Prevention & Wellness - Healthy Aging • In closing, many things go into keeping our elders healthy, but it is not an unreachable goal by the Title VI programs on behalf of our elders. • Any questions, I can be contacted as follows: Sydney J. Bird, Director Macy Senior Citizen Center P.O. Box 308 Macy, NE 68039 402/837-5739