Area Agency on Aging District 7 celebrates 40 years of service
Lead Summary
By
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By JENNIFER-DOVYAK LEWIS
AAA7
2012 marks 40 years of home and community-based services that the Area Agency on Aging District 7 has provided to the community. The Agency, which covers ten counties in southern Ohio, has a number of events planned throughout the year to celebrate, including the unveiling of a special logo to commemorate the milestone.
The AAA7 was founded in 1972 when Rio Grande College in Rio Grande, Ohio, was selected to sponsor one of only four model projects in Ohio that were funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging to focus on the ways and means to assist older adults living within the district.
The Area-Wide Model Project developed social services, such as transportation, and information and referral, for older Americans in four counties, including Gallia, Jackson, Meigs and Vinton. Grants from the federally-legislated Older Americans Act (OAA) of 1965 and related amendments provided the funding for services, and agency operations were later expanded to ten counties including Adams, Brown, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Vinton. Meigs County was later transferred from the AAA7 to the Area Agency on Aging District 8, based in Marietta.
Today, the AAA7 is one of twelve Area Agencies on Aging throughout the state of Ohio and has four office sites through its district with Administrative Offices in Gallia County (Rio Grande) and satellite offices in Adams County (West Union), Pike County (Waverly) and Scioto County (Portsmouth).
Program growth in the Agency occurred throughout the years, and over the 40 years, many programs and services have been added. The services the AAA7 provides are available for seniors and those with disabilities who meet a nursing-home level of care, yet wish to remain in their own homes.
The AAA7 provides assistance with developing a care plan for each consumer that meets their needs with services that allow them to remain safe and independent at home. Services are available for seniors age 60 and older and those with disabilities, and are determined based on eligibility.
Services an individual could receive include personal care, home-delivered meals, emergency response systems and transportation just to name a few. Other services surround service coordination for selected apartment complexes in the district, emergency home repair assistance, and caregiver support. The Agency’s Resource Center is available to help answer questions and help determine some of the eligibility with a simple phone call to the Agency.
Those who feel they might benefit from the types of services mentioned here, or who know of someone who might be able to benefit, are encouraged to give the Agency a call. Trained staff at the Agency is ready to assist callers with determining what resources are available either within the Agency or in the community in order to make long-term care options easier to understand and determine.
Most recently, the AAA7 has been engaged and involved in a number of activities and initiatives designed to support the rapidly increasing older adult population. The Agency is working with local hospitals on post-discharge assistance and transition to home; as well as enhancing the Agency’s Aging and Disability Resource Center, which is designed to serve as a resource for the community with questions involving in-home and long-term care options.
“We are so delighted to celebrate 40 years of service to our community in 2012,” commented Pamela K. Matura, Executive Director of the AAA7, who has been with the Agency since 1989. “Over the years, we have grown as an Agency, but have still kept to our mission of assisting individuals to maintain independence and personal choice by providing resource options and services.
"Seniors and those with disabilities are so important to us and we continue to advocate for vital services that allow them to live safely and independently in their home. Thanks to a wonderful Provider network and supporting agencies and organizations in the community, we have been able to provide these needed services and programs to our communities for the past 40 years. It’s been exciting to watch our Agency develop over the years, and we are thrilled to celebrate this important milestone for our organization along with our communities served.”
The Agency is planning an Anniversary celebration at its annual Appreciation Brunch which is held during June in Portsmouth. Additional events for staff and the community will continue throughout the year to celebrate the special milestone.
Your local Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. provides services on a non-discriminatory basis. These services are available to help older adults and those with disabilities live safely and independently in their own homes through services paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, other federal and state resources, as well as private pay. The AAA7’s Resource Center is also available to anyone in the community looking for information or assistance with long-term care options. Available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., the Resource Center is a valuable contact for learning more about options and what programs and services are available for assistance.
Those interested in learning more can call toll-free at 1-800-582-7277 (TTY: 711). Information is also available on www.aaa7.org.[[In-content Ad]]
AAA7
2012 marks 40 years of home and community-based services that the Area Agency on Aging District 7 has provided to the community. The Agency, which covers ten counties in southern Ohio, has a number of events planned throughout the year to celebrate, including the unveiling of a special logo to commemorate the milestone.
The AAA7 was founded in 1972 when Rio Grande College in Rio Grande, Ohio, was selected to sponsor one of only four model projects in Ohio that were funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging to focus on the ways and means to assist older adults living within the district.
The Area-Wide Model Project developed social services, such as transportation, and information and referral, for older Americans in four counties, including Gallia, Jackson, Meigs and Vinton. Grants from the federally-legislated Older Americans Act (OAA) of 1965 and related amendments provided the funding for services, and agency operations were later expanded to ten counties including Adams, Brown, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Vinton. Meigs County was later transferred from the AAA7 to the Area Agency on Aging District 8, based in Marietta.
Today, the AAA7 is one of twelve Area Agencies on Aging throughout the state of Ohio and has four office sites through its district with Administrative Offices in Gallia County (Rio Grande) and satellite offices in Adams County (West Union), Pike County (Waverly) and Scioto County (Portsmouth).
Program growth in the Agency occurred throughout the years, and over the 40 years, many programs and services have been added. The services the AAA7 provides are available for seniors and those with disabilities who meet a nursing-home level of care, yet wish to remain in their own homes.
The AAA7 provides assistance with developing a care plan for each consumer that meets their needs with services that allow them to remain safe and independent at home. Services are available for seniors age 60 and older and those with disabilities, and are determined based on eligibility.
Services an individual could receive include personal care, home-delivered meals, emergency response systems and transportation just to name a few. Other services surround service coordination for selected apartment complexes in the district, emergency home repair assistance, and caregiver support. The Agency’s Resource Center is available to help answer questions and help determine some of the eligibility with a simple phone call to the Agency.
Those who feel they might benefit from the types of services mentioned here, or who know of someone who might be able to benefit, are encouraged to give the Agency a call. Trained staff at the Agency is ready to assist callers with determining what resources are available either within the Agency or in the community in order to make long-term care options easier to understand and determine.
Most recently, the AAA7 has been engaged and involved in a number of activities and initiatives designed to support the rapidly increasing older adult population. The Agency is working with local hospitals on post-discharge assistance and transition to home; as well as enhancing the Agency’s Aging and Disability Resource Center, which is designed to serve as a resource for the community with questions involving in-home and long-term care options.
“We are so delighted to celebrate 40 years of service to our community in 2012,” commented Pamela K. Matura, Executive Director of the AAA7, who has been with the Agency since 1989. “Over the years, we have grown as an Agency, but have still kept to our mission of assisting individuals to maintain independence and personal choice by providing resource options and services.
"Seniors and those with disabilities are so important to us and we continue to advocate for vital services that allow them to live safely and independently in their home. Thanks to a wonderful Provider network and supporting agencies and organizations in the community, we have been able to provide these needed services and programs to our communities for the past 40 years. It’s been exciting to watch our Agency develop over the years, and we are thrilled to celebrate this important milestone for our organization along with our communities served.”
The Agency is planning an Anniversary celebration at its annual Appreciation Brunch which is held during June in Portsmouth. Additional events for staff and the community will continue throughout the year to celebrate the special milestone.
Your local Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. provides services on a non-discriminatory basis. These services are available to help older adults and those with disabilities live safely and independently in their own homes through services paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, other federal and state resources, as well as private pay. The AAA7’s Resource Center is also available to anyone in the community looking for information or assistance with long-term care options. Available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., the Resource Center is a valuable contact for learning more about options and what programs and services are available for assistance.
Those interested in learning more can call toll-free at 1-800-582-7277 (TTY: 711). Information is also available on www.aaa7.org.[[In-content Ad]]