Age Well – Live Well Kingston https://livewellkingston.org WE ARE BUILDING A BETTER KINGSTON TO WALK, BIKE, EAT, AND PLAY! Wed, 31 Oct 2018 16:49:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 Age Well Quarterly Update – Fall 2018 https://livewellkingston.org/age-well-quarterly-update-fall-2018/ Wed, 31 Oct 2018 16:47:01 +0000 https://livewellkingston.org/?p=8678

Objective 1:

To have an engaged and active focus team that can implement the mission of Age Well

  • Current members of focus team include Marge Gagnon-chair, Elaine Habernig, Jane Riley, Claire O’Brien, and Emily Flynn. Francesca Ortolano attends as her schedule allows. Depending on location, residence of the housing site of the meeting location come.
  • Toby Krawitz because of personal issues has resigned from the heal well committee
  • Emily Flynn is instrumental in coordinating our projects to the City of Kingston, taking photos and videos to post them on the website

Future needs:

  • Additional recruitment for task implementation
  • Engage a note taker for Age Well meetings

 

Objective 2:

Seniors in the City of Kingston will have access to a comprehensive list of available resources

  • Facilities that have computers have access to
    • NY Connects
    • UCOFA Monthly newsletter
    • Live Well Kingston
    • Healthy Ulster.net
  • Facilities and agencies post senior events and activities at their locations
  • Increased contacts with SSIP with access to their monthly newsletter. This provides additional contacts with a different social and supportive group.  This group is growing and may expand to both a breakfast and a luncheon group that meets weekly

Future Activities:

  • Continue to add resource listings to the Live Well Kingston Website
  • Include information and recruitment strategies about the NYS Action Policy Council Ulster County Chapter

 

Objective 3:

Explore opportunities to enhance communication with all seniors including those who do not currently have access to technology

  • There are now 26 seniors that have graduated from the Cyberseniors Project—22 at Governor Clinton and 4 at Yosman Towers
  • 4 seniors have completed a refresher course
  • 3 new high school students have been recruited as mentors for Yosman Towers
  • Joshua created a comprehensive list of telephone companies that access the internet and are affordable for the low income population. This is now on the website
  • Our project is being used as a template in Saugerties and a new outreach/contact with Ellenville High School and healthy Way has been started

Future Activities:

  • Provide a technology Q+A café once a month at each housing site. This will start this fall
  • Explore the possibility of helping seniors create banking portals and health portals
  • Hold a technology event at Governor Clinton to introduce new technologies. This will involve Evolving Media, AT&T, the Age Well Committee with recruitment for participation to be City wide
  • Continue conversations with evolving media and schools to provide live streaming of Lunch and Learn events

 

Objective 4:

Improve Access to transportation

  • Community Action can provide transportation for people qualifying for Medicaid transportation
  • Difficulties with new meter system have been identified by the senior group with a request for easier to follow instructions and better signage
  • Explored opportunities for transportation to UC Community Action Food distribution program—survey was completed by Emily Flynn to identify food insecurity need vs. wish

 

Future Activities: 

  • Improve bus signage and schedules so they are easier to read and understand
  • Continue to explore opportunities for transportation to UC Community Action Food distribution program
  • Continued upgrading of information re UCAT and City of Kingston transportation
  • Create a short video and place on website so seniors have information on how to use WOOSH

 

Senior Center

No Activity

Age Well Mission

“Redesigning the Future of Aging”

To create a supportive environment that promotes active aging for seniors that includes the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, intellectual, financial, professional and vocational dimensions of life.

We will do this through performing a community assessment, policy adoption, program implementation, and information access with a focus on active aging through all levels of functional ability.

The Purpose of this team will be consistent with the purpose of The Live Well Kingston Commission, which is to:  

  • Serves as a resource for education and a catalyst for decisions that foster healthy attitudes
  • Acts as a catalyst of programming, policy, systems and environmental change
  • Creates synergies among organizations to provide healthy eating and physical activity programming for all people using Kingston’s assets
  • Creates alignment among the efforts of several organizations and groups
  • As a partnership, leverages resources and funding for the efforts of the coalition
  • Promotes efforts of the member organizations and partnerships within the coalition
]]> Age Well is Creating Resources and Opportunities for Seniors https://livewellkingston.org/age-well-is-creating-resources-and-opportunities-for-seniors/ Tue, 28 Aug 2018 17:28:10 +0000 https://livewellkingston.org/?p=7689 Age Well Focus Team Update

The Age Well Focus Team meets regularly with a rotating schedule of locations: City Hall, Yosman Towers and the Governor Clinton complex. The regular members are: Marge Gagnon-chair, Elaine Habernig, Jane Riley and Claire O’Brien, and Emily Flynn. Francesca Ortolano, the building manager, attends as her schedule allows.

Progress has continued with the “Cyber Seniors” program in which 24 senior residents have been matched up with students from Kingston High School to teach them how to use the computers that have been installed at the Governor Clinton Apartment complex and Yosman Towers. Refresher courses will be offered this fall.

We have created resources for seniors including:

We are starting the planning process with a community partner to present technology options for seniors this November. Keep an eye out for that event.

As a dual Focus Team effort, Age Well and Eat Well have been collaborating to work on food insecurity for seniors. Brain storming has been happening around providing transportation for seniors at Governor Clinton and Yosman Towers to Community Action’s Mass Distribution of food. A food survey was taken and results complied.

Community Action is looking for drivers (who will get reimbursed) for seniors who need transportation for non-emergency medical appointments. Visit www.uccac.org, call (845) 338-8750 x102 or email ghoward@uccac.com for an application.

Age Well participated in the Paint the Town Yellow project with an inter-generational event where preschoolers from Livingston Street Early Childhood Community visited the seniors at Yosman Towers, did a flower craft, and sang and talked about happiness.

Ongoing and future projects and goals

  • Recruit additional members to Age Well
  • Continue to work on a way to live stream the U.C. Office of the Aging’s Lunch and Learn programs for anyone who is not able to participate in person
  • Educate seniors about the benefits of, and how to access, health and banking portal websites
  • Improve transportation options and infrastructure
  • Discuss the creation of a senior center
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