Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Washburn County
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Mission Statement
To provide older adults and people with physical or developmental/intellectual disabilities the resources needed to live with dignity and security, to achieve maximum independence and quality of life.
About This Cause
Experience Working with Older Adults: The Washburn County Aging Unit is a county government entity that serves the residents of Washburn County age 60+ and their caregivers. This agency is co-located and works in conjunction with the Aging & Disability Resource Center, which is the first place to go to get accurate, unbiased information on all aspects of life related to aging or living with a disability. The Unit on Aging administers services to older adults and caregivers, within Washburn County, through the direction of the Older American’s Act (OAA), specifically Title III, which is the only federal supportive services program directed solely toward improving the lives of older people. Our programs provide Congregate and Home Delivered Meals, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Family Caregiver Support, and Transportation through the WI 85.21 DOT grant program. The ADRC provides information on a broad range of programs and services, helps people understand the various long-term care options available to them, helps people apply for programs and benefits, and serves as the access point for publicly-funded long-term care, serving older adults age 60+ and people with disabilities age 18+. Population Served: Between 2000-2020, Washburn County’s aging population of 60+ increased 59.86%, from 3888 to 6215. It is estimated by 2040 that this number will top 7440, skyrocketing over 91.36%. (Eric Grosso, Demographer/Program Data Analyst, Department of Health Services, Bureau of Aging & Disability Resources, Office on Aging, Madison, WI, 2021). On March 13, 2020, we suspended all senior center activities and congregate dining at our four meal sites, due to COVID-19. We continued HDM to residents age 60+ and caregivers, with current clients served at 190. Current COVID home-delivered meal demographics of deliveries is (113) female, (77) male, age 50-59 (5), 60-74 (70), and 75+ (113). In 2019, total congregate and home-delivered meals provided were 33,282. Since COVID, we have experienced significant transformation in our service type and delivery methods as needs changed. We are now estimated to finish out 2021 with 36,498 at a 9.7% increase from pre-COVID numbers. From January-March 2021, the Aging Unit conducted a 10 question social isolation survey as a tool for the development of our 2022-2024 Aging Plan. The Citizen’s Advisory Committee had requested this type of survey, due to their concerns for the older adults throughout the county affected by COVID-19. The survey was distributed by way of our Focus newsletter, Survey Monkey link posted and boosted on Facebook, and sent to all HDM participants. We received 168 responses and the personal comments were heart-wrenching with 71.43% responding that the most difficult thing of COVID was social isolation. Of those, 43.36% missed the social component and 17.70% the meals at the senior centers. There were many physical complaints, with many emerging or worsening due to inactivity during COVID. Emotionally, 20.63% felt more isolated, sad, or hopeless, 1.88% had thoughts of dying or giving up, and 1.88% indicated wishing they could sleep and not wake up. They were given the option to provide contact information if they were seeking assistance, and within the first two weeks, six APS referrals were made to our mental health department. These survey responses raised serious concerns, for the mental and physical health of the older adults in Washburn County, on March 16, 2021, the County Board of Supervisors passed a Resolution and Plan to start reopening the senior centers. Once we had started receiving the initial responses in January, our staff had already begun to develop a reopening plan that included socially distanced brainstorming sessions in our halls, with discussions of innovative solutions that we could incorporate into this project. This was a monumental step taken by a rural Midwestern American community with a total population of less than 16,000. This past year, COVID had dropped our nation to its knees, turning neighbors against neighbors with varying opinions of how this worldwide pandemic should be handled. No matter race, religion, or political preference, social isolation has affected all ages, young to old. Our smiles have been masked, as we avoided those that we would have hugged the year prior. Referencing the famous poem by Robert Frost, the passage of this resolution had led us to a fork in the road, and we are about to choose the path less traveled. Since Washburn was one of the first, there was no manual or rule book to follow. We took the lead, rather than having someone else write our fate and history. Our plan followed the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), WI Elderly Nutrition Program, ServSafe, OSHA, DHS, and Public Health. Washburn County was one of the first in the nation to test these waters, and because of this, our staff was requested to be part of a planning meeting with the Senior Director of Nutrition Strategy and Impact for Meals on Wheels of America and were interviewed by the National Nutritionist for the Office of Nutrition and Health Promotion Programs (ONHPP). Administration on Aging | Administration for Community Living. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services located in Washington, DC. We are utilizing this reopening opportunity, to provide additional services that will align with our Aging Plan goals to rejuvenating old and invigorate new possibilities of growing the amenities we currently have, to provide the best services possible for the older adults of Washburn County. Many communities across the nation are currently struggling with a lack of social cohesion. I feel very fortunate to live and work in a community, where our rural centers have been inclusive and welcoming. Our Aging Plan will resound the importance that no matter race, religion, political stance, sexual identification, or social-economic status, the Washburn County senior centers will always allow for a diverse group of people to share the same space equitably. Regardless of cultural differences, food is all about bringing people together. Sustenance and companionship have both proven to be equally significant for our continued survival. We will strive to incorporate the components of service delivery for the Older Americans Act Senior Nutrition Program intent of a) reduce hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, b) promote socialization, and c) promote health and well-being by delaying the onset of adverse health conditions, through the provision of meals and associated nutrition services to vulnerable older adults who are in greatest social and economic need for yielding the greatest results to “Live Well, Age Well” in Washburn County. Goals: The Washburn County Unit on Aging will expand and enhance the post-COVID congregate nutrition program while measuring the efficacy and effectiveness of the innovations introduced. The goals of these projects are to a) reduce hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, b) promote socialization, and c) promote health and well-being by delaying the onset of adverse health conditions, through the provision of meals, associated nutrition services, and incorporation of social activities for vulnerable older adults. Objectives: 1) redesign the pre-COVID senior center model by improving our kitchen and dining spaces for the increased need, 2) provide alternatives for the dining experience, while incorporating social and educational activities with the meals, 3) facilitate and implement new social opportunities for older adults on and off-site, 4) provide transportation for meals and programming, 5) provide virtual options to allow participation from another location. Anticipated Outcomes: a) continued yearly increase of the numbers of congregate, nutrition education, and activity participants throughout the project, b) decrease in the percentage of those indicating social isolation is a concern, c) evaluate the overall well-being of seniors who have participated in the programming facilitated by the Unit on Aging.