Care Providers Action - June 10, 2011
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ElderNomics in Minnesota: Starting the Conversation Training ProgramBy Patti Cullen, CAE On Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. training via videoconference will be hosted by the Aging and Adult Services Division, Minnesota Department of Human Services. The topic will be ElderNomics in Minnesota. (NOTE: In the event of a Government shut-down this event will be cancelled and rescheduled for a later date (to be determined).) Presenter(s) What can we do to help older Americans who are struggling to make ends meet in today's economy? The Minnesota Women’s Consortium and Mature Voices Minnesota, in partnership with the National Council on Aging (NCOA), are working to give a voice to these vulnerable older adults through the One Away campaign, also called ElderNomics Minnesota. Through this campaign the Minnesota Women’s Consortium is capturing the real stories of older adults in their communities, encouraging conversation at every level around the economics of caregiving, and engaging individuals and organizations. Hoped-for outcomes include policy change on the part of governments and employers, and increased awareness of the need for self-advocacy and financial planning on the part of individuals and supportive organizations. In the long term, ElderNomics Minnesota hopes to move beyond "preventing elder poverty" toward building economic security for people of all ages. This videoconference will premiere the first Minnesota video produced for this campaign, “The Cost of Caregiving,” and provide a toolkit for related organizational and citizen action, including key resources for caregiver support. The session will also include a review of the Minnesota Elder Economic Security Index, a county-by-county index of the level of income elders living in Minnesota need to maintain economic security. In the spirit of "keeping it real," participants in at least three Greater Minnesota counties will be asked to present comments sent from their residents to the National Council on Aging about this issue. The videoconference will provide opportunities for discussion. At the conclusion of the session participants will be asked to indicate what action they will take as a result of what they learned. The target audience for the videoconference includes county workers who serve older adults, providers that serve older adults, employers, other representatives of agencies and local businesses that deal with older adults, and individual older adults and caregivers (please note, the focus of the presentation is systemic change, not individual problem-solving). Learning Objectives Each person must register to attend the videoconference. Registration closes at 5:00 p.m. on the Monday prior to the session. By registering, you understand that the session will be videotaped with the possibility of your visual and audio likeness being recorded for reproduction and distribution. Patti Cullen, CAE |