Administration for Community Living

Public health practitioners, professionals in the aging network, mental health providers, health care professionals, and anyone interested in ensuring the mental health of older adults should attend this free, virtual event on May 6, 2021.

The symposium is brought to you by NCOA, the U.S. Administration for Community Living, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Registration is free and will open in March.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is developing plans for the second annual “Celebrate Our Senior Nutrition Program.” Their website will feature tip sheets, infographics and a community toolkit to offer resources you can use to support and engage your community. The toolkit provides resources you can use to assist and involve your community. It also includes information on how to share highlights of your program, as well as insights on how to engage virtually, enhance socialization, and promote your program during COVID-19.

Presenters:

Capacity assessments of older adults is steeped in the fundamental tensions between two core ethical principles: autonomy (self-determination) and protection (beneficence). Adult Protective Services caseworkers must often consider the impact of cognitive functioning on a person’s risk for elder abuse, exploitation, and neglect.

Increasingly, frail older adults with complex health issues live alone in the community, far from their relatives and caregivers. An older adult may depend upon community service providers for basic necessities and psychosocial support prior to a disastrous event. However, the need for these critical services increases when services are disrupted or the senior is impacted during a major disaster.

The COVID-19 pandemic, along with other natural disasters and emergencies, has created additional barriers for older adults to access legal assistance. Over the past year, attorneys and advocates have deployed creative models to address the barriers associated with providing in-person legal services.

Many older adults and people with disabilities do not have the financial means to pay for internet service in their home nor purchase an internet enabled device - such as a PC, tablet, or smart phone. Further, many lack the skills needed to confidently navigate the internet and digital communities by themselves.

ACL's seventh Full Council Meeting of the FCAC will be held on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. This meeting is virtual and open to the public and does not require registration. The FCAC council is charged with providing recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on effective models of both family caregiving and support to family caregivers, as well as improving coordination across federal government programs.