August 2, 2024 • 27 mins
Aired July 28, 2024: Lisa Foxx talks to Lisa Wright Jenkins, President and CEO of the Council on Aging. Whether you are facing a crisis with a parent or loved one, or in need of assistance in navigating the aging experience, the Council on Aging is here to help.Learn about the free services we offer older adults and their families in your community. The Council on Aging – Southern California has been a trusted nonprofit organization since 1973. We provide unbiased information, programs, and services to more than 100,000 seniors and disabled adults annually across Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Inyo and Mono counties.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi is Lisa Fox, and this is the iHeart So
Cal Show, our show that puts this spotlight on charitable organizations,
nonprofits and people giving back. How about people helping people
who are getting older. That's what the Council on Aging
is all about. So we're going to talk about how
we get help for our aging loved ones, our parents,
(00:20):
our grandparents, our aunts or uncles. I mean, sometimes we
aren't prepared for the needs of someone once they get older,
and the next thing you know, you become the primary
caregiver or or you're suddenly having to take care of
someone financially and you weren't prepared for that physically, mentally, emotionally,
I mean, so much can change once a person gets older,
and this is all about not only preparation for that,
(00:41):
but also for our loved ones who are at that phase,
are getting close to that phase. There is help help
through all of these phases through the Council on Aging,
and they offer this all for free, but only in
certain counties. So that's what the Council on Aging Southern
California Chapter is. So their chapter operates from ninety three locations,
including senior centers and their programs and services cover over
(01:02):
forty two thousand square miles across Orange County, Riverside County,
Santa Bernino County, Ino, and Mono Counties. Their website CoA
SC dot org, Council on agingscl Chapter dot org. So
it's CoA SC dot org and on to tell us
all about what they do. They're president and CEO Lisa
Wright Jenkins.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Hi, Lisa, Hi, glad to be here today.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Well, first of all, thank you for all that your
organization does. My gosh, it's a lot to be prepared for.
And I'm guessing most people who are listening right now,
you know, you've got you've got parents, you've got grandparents,
you've got relatives, you've got people that we love who
are getting older. This is about not only preparing for
that and how their needs more than likely will change
and all kinds of things canna come up, but having
(01:48):
a place to turn to that is hands on with
these seniors in all the best ways. I mean, just
having a place to turn to and ask questions and
maybe get our family members involved, you know, if they
live in these counties, it's such a godsend. But you know,
to plan for it now is a smart thing to
do yes.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Preparation is absolutely key. Planning is key for sure.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Well, Lisa, obviously the need for this type of service,
these services has been around since for forever. But how
did the Council on Aging actually begin as an organization?
I know you've all been around since the seventies, but
how did this all officially get started?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Right? Right? We started in nineteen seventy three. There were
a group of three women that came together because they
thought that older adults in Orange County deserve more protection,
particularly those that were living in long term care facilities.
And that's how the Council was started as a locally
based nonprofit organization. And since that time, we are now
in the midst of celebrating our fiftieth year of services,
(02:42):
and we've served as the counties that you mentioned earlier,
and on an annual basis, we serve over one hundred
thousand older adults and family caregivers.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Wow, that's a lot of people who need you and
your program. So obviously over the years you kind of
fine tuned all the ways that I guess I can
say seniors, right, Shad, I just it's sixteen over.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Well, we have programs here that serve older adults that
are sixty and over, and then the bulk of our
programs are targeting adults that are sixty five and over.
They've reached Medicare age and they're in need of additional
support and services. But we also help family caregivers, so
that could be somebody of it could be of any
age that's involved with caring for an aging parent or
(03:21):
loved one or neighbor, whatever it might be.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Before we dive into these incredible programs that you offer
from all the classes, all the art classes, all that
the fraud protection help, health insurance, help, help with depression,
help with your friendly visitor program, brain training games, reading clubs,
all the stuff you do. How can people take advantage
of your services? And do they have to live in
the counties that we mentioned.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Well, it depends, It depends on which program that we're
talking about. So we have the majority of our programs
or in Orange County. We also have our Medicare Counseling
and a program called high Cap that's in Riverside and
San Bernardino and Ino and Mono counties. And we also
have our on Budsman program I'll talk more about that,
which is in Orange Riverside, counties as well.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Okay, so you do need to live in those counties
to take advantage, Okay.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Primarily, but we we also publish an Answers Resource Guy,
which has lots of information. It's available in printed online,
It's ninety six pages, and it has information and resources
that would be interesting and valuable to anyone regardless of
where they live.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
And if you're listening to this, totally said before we
started talking on the air, I said, well, I'm going
to move my mom to Irvine. We're coming to Barns
County because my mom is up in the barrier and
she's on her own. And this is also part of
why I wanted to talk to you, because I know
a lot of my friends my age are now going
through this with their parents, whether it's a health issue,
whether it's an issue of my mom getting scammed online,
(04:49):
whether it's my mom having some just issues of being
alone and getting depressed. And you know, it's kind of
like that point where you have to start asking your questions.
I need to pay forward. My parents brought me into
this world, and despite your issues, right, I got to
take care of my mom. And how do I do it?
I need help, I need resources. And if you live
in Orange County or you want to move your family
(05:11):
to Orange County, you can take advantage of the free
resources through the Council on Aging exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
So we're based here in Irvine, California, and so we're
happy to be of help to folks in the counties
that we serve and beyond.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
And I'm going to praise your programs because already online
and again her uh, the website is so it's Counsel
on Aging. So it's CoA and then SC for Southern
California dot org. CoA SC dot org for all the information.
And so let's start with the programs. I want to
start with something positive, like I love how much art
is such an important part of many of your programs
(05:46):
talk about the importance of art and getting our older
loved ones involved in art.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Oh, it's very important for mental health and well being.
So we have a program that's called My Colors, My Mind,
and we offer art classes for everyone anywhere. Because there's
information about all these art classes and you can take
them online. You can visit our website and look up
My Colors, My Mind and learn how you can access
these art classes through our YouTube channel and it's basically
(06:13):
healing through art. We have testimonials from the artists that
have gotten involved, and it's just a wonderful program that
helps people know that art is really important to supporting
mental health. And it also My Colors my Mind is
a mental health stigma reduction program. So we have promoted
this program throughout our service area to let folks know
(06:34):
that mental health is just as important as any other
kind of physical health. But it's important to take care
of that mental health and there shouldn't be a stigma
associated with having to address the mental health concerned, particularly
if it's as you grow older.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Yeah, and just to have that outlet, you know, with
a paint and a brush, you kind of feel like
a kid again. I saw some of the pictures online
and it's just so nice to see smiling, happy faces
of older people kind of doing dare I say some
that they enjoyed so that they might be good at
you know.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yes, yes, exactly. And we and when you go onto
the YouTube station you can actually see the classes are
available in multiple languages. We have Korean, we have Spanish,
we have Chinese, and so it's a wonderful opportunity for
people to get involved.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
So if you have a loved one, an older loved
one that could really use something positive to do, an
art class outlet. They can do it from their senior home.
They can do it from any long term care facility
if they're able to, you know, physically right, and then
from home if they're still at home or they live
with you. Free art classes are available online through the
Council on Aging. How great is that?
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Of course, we have folks that are accessing our services
that are in long term care facilities, those that are
living at home, living with a family member.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Yes, absolutely, and all free of charge.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Yes, all of our programs are offered at no classes
a community.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
We love free. We love free. Okay, talk about your
pearl OC program. What's that about?
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Croom FOSC is a short term healing sessions healing sessions
with six sessions that are offered with a life coach,
so our participants. This program is offered in Orange County
and there are participants are paired with a life coach
that will as system with problem solving late life depression.
It's an evidence based program that was ultimately rolled out nationwided,
(08:17):
but we manage the program here in Orange County wonderful.
It's contrasted to another program that we offered called Reconnect,
and Reconnect is a program to support mental health where
our participants are paired with a case manager also here
in Orange County, and that that program, you're enrolled in
(08:37):
it for approximately a year, and it supports older adults
who have perhaps become disconnected with the community for one
reason or another. Maybe they've lost the spouse, or they're
struggling with the chronic health condition and they just really
need some mental health support and that's how they reconnect.
It's also called EIOSA can help residents that are here
in Orange County.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
See that is so needed, savvy to say, it's so
common and if it's not happening in your family now,
it could be down the road. And again, if you
live in Orange County, these are services that are available
to you for free and your family for free. So
knowing that this exists is a beautiful gift because we
don't want our loved ones. We don't want our loved
ones to feel that way and to feel alone and disconnected.
And again, oftentimes we're busy in our own lives, working
(09:20):
full time and managing our own kids, our own life
and may not live right next door. So you want
to make sure your loved ones are taken care of
and are busy and feeling good and have that love
and support system around them, and these programs can definitely
help with that. Another one that I so essential. My
mom has been dealing with this, these online scams and whatnot.
(09:41):
Talk about the importance of your senior Protection program and
you know, your program that wakes people up to the
financial abuse that's happening with our seniors.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Financial abuse is one of the fastest growing crimes against
older adults, and billions are stolen from older adults every year,
and they can be so vulnerable, and these predators are
just relentless, and so it's important to be informed about
what are the latest scams regarding older adults and how
to protect yourself, and so that's where our Senior Protection
(10:12):
Program can be very helpful. There's information that's available on
our website. We also have a very special section about
scams and abuse that are in our ANSWER's Resource Guide,
and that's another great source of information and resources as
it relates to protecting oneself right. It's all about education
and being informed and also protecting yourself. For example, we
(10:35):
find so many older adults are oftentimes answering the phone
whenever it rings, so used to that kind of a concept, right,
and it's important that you actually as you get older,
it's wise to screen your calls and let it go
to voicemail, listen to the message, and then if it's
your friend, call them back. If it's a stranger, don't
make that call. And it's also very important to remember
that if someone is calling and making it sound like
(10:57):
it's very urgent that you call them back, it's likely
that that's.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
It's likely you better call your daughter and ask her
opinion before you call them back. And given your bank
account number. Yeah, that is so scary, you know. Like
you said, these scammers are so convincing when they call.
There's been horrible stories over the years about what they'll
say on the phone. Fake a kidnapped a relative, They
need a ransom money. I mean, it's just awful what
they say, what they will say. They'll go to any
(11:21):
lengths to get your money, get to you, and sometimes
very convincing. If they've maybe looked up things about you
on social media or however they've found out a negative
information about you, they can convince you that you need
to do something, and that usually involves giving them money.
So it's over the phone or online. My mom sadly, well,
she's she's finally learned the hard way to not click
(11:41):
on that. Don't click on that, mom, and to double
check these email addresses. It's not actually from Wells Fargo.
It's a fake Wells Fargo, you know, looking at the
email addresses. Who are you receiving the email from? Is
it from Wells Fargo? Is it somebody named John Wells
five five two two one zero, you know whatever. And
there's just all kinds of crazy ways that they will
try to get to you to get whatever they can.
(12:02):
And so, like you said, you're all about teaching awareness
and teaching people how to just stand up for themselves
and how to protect themselves because the scammers are out
there and they're coming.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
For you, right exactly. We probably see some of the
largest scams are happening with romance scans you have that
are looking to connect with someone. The romance scans are
one should be very skeptical about that. Also, we have
other instances where maybe it's a tech support issue where somewhere, yeah,
someone calls you out of the blue say, we recognize it.
(12:34):
So there's a tech support problem. Let me log onto
your computer and let me help you. Never allow that
toime ever.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
They never contact you out of the blue. Yep, that
was another one that my mom my mom fell for.
She said, well, she said he was from Microsoft.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
My mom. Microsoft doesn't call you at home.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
No Apple Tech. Yeah, these people don't just call you, you know.
So yeah, tough to keep them up to speed. But
your program clearly offers a wealth of information and again,
can anyone access that online or just through your programs
in Orange County?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
That's through That is a program that's offered here in
Orange County, but there are similar programs across the nation,
and many of them are also offered at senior centers.
So it's important to understand what your local resources are.
And I can't stress that enough. Is the importance of
whether you're an older adult or a family caregiver, is
understanding early on before a crisis occurs, what are your
(13:23):
local resources and what sort of discussions and plans should
be making for yourself or in conjunction with a loved
one to help them navigate the aging process before that
crisis occurs, Before there's a hospitalization or a diagnosis or
a fall. So these are all things that older adults
need to be informed of, and it's important that you
also think about, you know, as you age, as you
(13:45):
go through life, we make a lot of plans during
the course of our life. We might plan to get
an education, buy a house, get married, have children, and
there's lots of planning that goes through that portion of
our lives. But when we get to sixty five and
over and someone's thinking about retirement, going to be a time, Oh,
I'm going to spend more time with my grandchildren, I'm
going to golf, I'm going to travel. Well, there's a
lot of years twenty thirty or more years from sixty
(14:07):
five onwards. Well, what exactly is your plan for those years?
And how do you go about thinking of crafting a
plan that's going to make that the remarkable time in
your life that you've envisioned it to be and not
one where you're either wondering what to do, thinking of
ways that I can give back dealing with the challenging
health condition. It's about having a plan in advance and
not having to respond to an emergency because you're without a.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Plan yeah, making sure right, making sure your finances are
in order, and making sure that health insurance coverage is
oh so important. You offer a wealth of health insurance counseling.
Talk about that.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yes, So we manage a program here in Orange riverside
San Bernardino in Mono Counties called high CAP. It's the
health insurance Counseling and Advocacy program in California, it's called
high CAP. It's also offered in all fifty states, and
it's called SHIP in the other states, but California it's
called high CAPS. So what we do is we work
(15:03):
with Medicare beneficiaries directly, either through our call center so
they can call into our call centers, or we can
meet with them individually at senior centers throughout our service
area and sit down with them and help them understand
their Medicare offerings and help them maximize their benefits and
minimize their costs. This is a government funded program. We
(15:24):
don't sell any health plans, we don't promote any health plans.
We just provide information and that's really important because it's
unbiased information because we're not selling a plan. If you
go to a Medicare broker, for example, the Medicare broker
is going to direct you to one of the plans
that they sell through. And there are a myriad of
(15:45):
plans that are out there, and so they're going to
direct to the ones that they said, Well, we're going
to let you. We'll talk with you about all the
various programs that are available and help you decide what options,
and we'll provide you with recommendations, but allow you to
choose which one really works best for you with your doctors,
with the hospitals that you want to go to, and
with the medications.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
And your budget and your budget what you can afford your.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Budget exactly, exactly, very very important. But we also offer
classes that either called Medicare Essentials or Roadmap to Medicare
that help people understand the basics of Medicare when they
have to sign up for Medicare and has how to
navigate the process. Once again, I can't say enough about
the importance that being informed is learning about how Medicare
(16:29):
is going to work for you.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Now, how when we go to your website, Lisa Counsel
on Aging CoA sc dot org, are we able to
email you all and just ask some questions and ask
how do I get to start it. Okay, perfect, because
that's the easiest thing first of all, to know that
this is all for free, available in the Orange counties
that Lisa mentioned earlier, but just the fact that we
(16:50):
can email you or log onto the website and just
ask questions, how do we get started? What were the counties? Again?
How does this work? I mean right? You get those
emails probably every day.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Yes, absolutely, And it's important as you look at our
website if you live outside of our service area, look
for these similar programs, whether it's high cap for the
ship program, the Ambudsman program. We haven't talked about that yet,
but those are offered in other counties throughout the nation,
so in states throughout our nation. So it's important to
look and see what programs are available in your service area.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
And again, this is all to help our older relatives,
our parents, our grandparents, our aunts or uncles. If you're
not dealing with it now, it's certainly coming down the road.
So it's good to know that people are here to
help you in so many ways. And I'm guessing you're
probably gonna need it. I know I do. I'm learning
a lot here myself with this chat, so I appreciate
(17:39):
your time. Lisa and Set I'm embarrassed to say that
I until I was on your website, I had never
heard the word ambudsman before. What is an ambudsman.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
It's a mouthful, isn't it. Yes, imbudsman. So yes, it's
called the Long Term Care Ambudsman Program. This is our
longest running program. It's offered in all fifty states, and
we manage this program in Orange County and Riverside County.
So the purpose of the Long Care on Budzman program
is to advocate for older adults who are living in
long term care facilities. So we have both staff and
(18:12):
volunteers that go out and make unannounced visits onto all
the long term care facilities in our county. And so
they're here in Orange County. They're over a thousand long
term care facilities, and our bombudsmen are out making those
unannounced visits and they're going to checking in on residents.
They're advocating for their health and well being. And they're
also responding to the residence complaints. Maybe the residence complaint
(18:35):
could be my food is delivered cold and it should
be delivered hot. My call button is not answered when
I push it my caregiver is abusing me. So it
can be a whole range of complains.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
I sit and wet diapers all day, I'm not getting changed.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Yeah, exactly exactly. And so the ombudsmen will advocate for
those residents and help to resolve those problems. And it's
particularly important because on a national base is fifty percent
of residents and long term care have no friend or
family member actively involved in this here, no one, and
so the ombuds men are the eyes and ears where
(19:10):
the boots on the ground to check on these residents
and ensure their quality of life is maintained as well
as their dignity.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
So does the word ombudsman mean aha, I caught to
no or kind of like the senior police.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Well, an ambudsman is really a resident advocate. So we're
there to advocate on behalf of those residents. And we're
not the heavy we're not the police, but we can
report a problem not only to the facility management themselves,
but then up to licensing, state licensing, and if it
does have to go to law enforcement, we can certainly
do that, but we try to resolve things as quickly
(19:44):
as possible with the facility or with state licensing. One
other important program that is was a sort of rose
out of the Ombudsman program is called our Smilemakers program,
and we offer this in Orange and Riverside counties. And
one of the things that our ombudsmen recognize is that
many of these residents and long term care at the
holidays did not receive a card, a phone call, or
(20:06):
a present, nothing at all. And so we started the
program about twenty five years ago and we provide unexpected
holiday gifts to seniors and long term care and it's
always something simple. It's a lap blanket, it could be
a warm jacket, it could be a sweatsuit, something that
it would in the size that they wish. So our
ambasmen work with the facilities to identify residents in need.
(20:29):
We get their first name, their age, and the item
and the size that they might like to have, and
we put that item on a little angel tag and
we send it out to businesses and church groups and
women's groups, men's group whatever throughout our service area. People
will go out and purchase that item. It comes back
to us and we create a Smilemaker's Workshop and those
(20:51):
gifts come into the workshop and each gift goes into
a box with tissue paper and wrapping paper and a tag,
and it's delivered back out to that resident just in
time for the holidays, along way the handmade card from
the girls gun.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
I love it. I love that.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Ye yes, it's a wonderful program. Last year we collected,
wrapped and delivered nearly sixty five hundred present the older adults.
And it's the heart of the holidays for us and
for everyone that's involved. And we have about five hundred
and six hundred volunteers that come in and help us.
We also have during the course of just a regular year,
(21:24):
we have about four hundred volunteers that assist us. And
most of our volunteers are older adults themselves that are
looking for ways to give back in the community. And
so this is a great opportunity to volunteer with us
in Orange, Riverside or San Bernardino County.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Look at that well, wonderful Smile Makers. I love that program. Now,
I was going to ask about volunteers, So of course
you need more around the holidays to help with the
Small Makers program. And then throughout the years, what is
it that you ask of volunteers and how much of
a time commitment are we talking about and are they
what is their actual role.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
So we have volunteers that volunteer for maybe an hour
a week and our Friendly Visitor program and that requires
just a couple hours of training and background screening. And
then we have other volunteers and our ambudsmen and in
our high Cap programs that go through thirty six hours
of training and they go through an assessment program where
they are state certified, and then they participate in an
(22:17):
internship and then through that internship and they're involved in
being an ambudsman or a high Cap counselor. And we
find that the people that enjoy participating in these programs,
they might be volunteering for two, four or five hours
a week, it depends on what their schedule would commit.
But we find that our volunteers are problem solvers, people
that like to address problems and give back to the community.
(22:39):
And so many of our volunteers start out thinking they're
going to volunteer for a couple of years, and we
have them here for nine, ten, thirteen years. It just depends.
They're very committed to this work and it's very rewarding,
and in retirement, it's a way to give back to
the community, meet like minded people and just really enjoy
helping others.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
What a wonderful gift. And again, just to spend some
time with somebody. It's the gift of your company. It's
the gift of just a little chit chat, a gift
of a smile, a gift of a hand, you know,
holding someone's hand or doing a puzzle together, just the
gift of visiting. And like you said, even if people
have family or not, family isn't always able to be
there on a regular basis. Maybe they're not able to
visit very often, maybe they live out of state. So
(23:21):
those volunteers giving that time, giving their heart, you know,
when you know, those volunteers get attached to their regulars,
so you know they see it through probably all the way,
all the way till the end, which is just beautiful.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Yes, yeah, we heavily rely on all. We couldn't do
what we'd do without the help of our volunteers.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
They're fantastic, wonderful And I know earlier we talked about
the importance of art in your programs that you offer
free to seniors. But then I glance at your activity calendar.
My gosh, it is jam packed with so many offerings
ways to keep our loved ones busy and active, whether
it's a brain training class with brain training games or
(23:57):
reading club, balance and mobility classes. Talk about the busy
activity schedule and that you also offer for free.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Yes, there's always something going on to Most of the
activities that you see on our calendar at COOASC dot
org are through our Reconnect program and so that's where
we work with older adults and encourage them to get
involved in our programs. They're paired with a case manager.
But these programs are open to the public, So if
you're interested in participating, just go on to our website
(24:25):
an RSVP and talk with one of our staff members
about getting involved in some of these activities. And I
can't as we think about activities, I can't stress enough
about the importance of understanding what resources are in your area,
and that includes going out and visiting your local senior
center where whether you're an older adult or a family caregiver,
and understand what opportunities and activities are going on there.
(24:47):
And remember that you don't have to just use the
senior center that's in your city. If there's one in
the nearby town or city, go over and visit that
one as well and see what they have, whether it's
in person classes, activities, exercises, trips to local venues, all
kinds of things going on. And this Additionally, it's important
to look at continuing education opportunities. There's loads of continuing
(25:10):
education opportunities through our community colleges. Many of the programs
are free, and so it's important I just understand how
do I get involved. I want to learn more in
retirement and how can I go out and meet more
like minded people. Great way to do that is through
those two areas.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
And knowing all this again for your your aging parents,
your grandparents, your aunts or uncle's, any family member or
again it's all in our near future people, So of
us is a little closer than others, but just to
know that there's so much out there. We just have
to figure out what to ask for and go for
it essentially, but there's a lot out there. There's all
these free offerings for the taking. Again, whether it's for
(25:46):
your your grandparents, your parents, a family member, a loved one,
aging loved one, and one day you it's great to
know that all this help is available for you. You
know you want to live out your years and maybe
they're there going to be the best years yet.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Absolutely it's about thriving in retirement. And once again I
can't say enough about just planning for the aging experience
and figuring out how you make the most of that time.
And I also wanted to mention one of the things
we talk a lot about at the Council on Aging
is fall prevention. You know, fall prevention is a huge issue.
One in five falls can cause a serious injury, and
(26:21):
many people don't realize that falls accounts for twenty five
percent of hospital admissions and every eleven seconds in America,
an older adult is treated in the emergency room for
a fall. So very important to understand how you can
prevent falls in your home. You want to fall proof
your home. One of the biggest risks of falling or
throw rugs that we have around our big big fall risk.
(26:45):
Medications can also cause us to not maybe feel lightheaded
or a little bit dizzy, so understanding what risks might
be happening with that. But I can't say enough about
the importance of preventing falls.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
So many ways that you are helping seniors through counts
on Aging in the counties, Lisa mentioned Orange County, Riverside County,
San Brinino County, Ino and Mono Counties. A wealth of information.
It's all right there on their website, so easy to
pop on and learn about their program. Check out that
activities list learn all about what they offer to our
loved ones that are getting older. You can contact them,
(27:17):
send an email, ask them questions, ask away at CoA
SC dot org for counsel on aging CoA SC dot org.
And Lisa Wright Jenkins, they're president and CEO. Thank you
again so much for all that you do for our
loved ones.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Thanks so much, Lisa, it's been great talking with you.
Hi is Lisa Fox, and this is the iHeart So
Cal Show, our show that puts this spotlight on charitable organizations,
nonprofits and people giving back. How about people helping people
who are getting older. That's what the Council on Aging
is all about. So we're going to talk about how
we get help for our aging loved ones, our parents,
(00:20):
our grandparents, our aunts or uncles. I mean, sometimes we
aren't prepared for the needs of someone once they get older,
and the next thing you know, you become the primary
caregiver or or you're suddenly having to take care of
someone financially and you weren't prepared for that physically, mentally, emotionally,
I mean, so much can change once a person gets older,
and this is all about not only preparation for that,
(00:41):
but also for our loved ones who are at that phase,
are getting close to that phase. There is help help
through all of these phases through the Council on Aging,
and they offer this all for free, but only in
certain counties. So that's what the Council on Aging Southern
California Chapter is. So their chapter operates from ninety three locations,
including senior centers and their programs and services cover over
(01:02):
forty two thousand square miles across Orange County, Riverside County,
Santa Bernino County, Ino, and Mono Counties. Their website CoA
SC dot org, Council on agingscl Chapter dot org. So
it's CoA SC dot org and on to tell us
all about what they do. They're president and CEO Lisa
Wright Jenkins.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Hi, Lisa, Hi, glad to be here today.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Well, first of all, thank you for all that your
organization does. My gosh, it's a lot to be prepared for.
And I'm guessing most people who are listening right now,
you know, you've got you've got parents, you've got grandparents,
you've got relatives, you've got people that we love who
are getting older. This is about not only preparing for
that and how their needs more than likely will change
and all kinds of things canna come up, but having
(01:48):
a place to turn to that is hands on with
these seniors in all the best ways. I mean, just
having a place to turn to and ask questions and
maybe get our family members involved, you know, if they
live in these counties, it's such a godsend. But you know,
to plan for it now is a smart thing to
do yes.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Preparation is absolutely key. Planning is key for sure.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Well, Lisa, obviously the need for this type of service,
these services has been around since for forever. But how
did the Council on Aging actually begin as an organization?
I know you've all been around since the seventies, but
how did this all officially get started?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Right? Right? We started in nineteen seventy three. There were
a group of three women that came together because they
thought that older adults in Orange County deserve more protection,
particularly those that were living in long term care facilities.
And that's how the Council was started as a locally
based nonprofit organization. And since that time, we are now
in the midst of celebrating our fiftieth year of services,
(02:42):
and we've served as the counties that you mentioned earlier,
and on an annual basis, we serve over one hundred
thousand older adults and family caregivers.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Wow, that's a lot of people who need you and
your program. So obviously over the years you kind of
fine tuned all the ways that I guess I can
say seniors, right, Shad, I just it's sixteen over.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Well, we have programs here that serve older adults that
are sixty and over, and then the bulk of our
programs are targeting adults that are sixty five and over.
They've reached Medicare age and they're in need of additional
support and services. But we also help family caregivers, so
that could be somebody of it could be of any
age that's involved with caring for an aging parent or
(03:21):
loved one or neighbor, whatever it might be.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Before we dive into these incredible programs that you offer
from all the classes, all the art classes, all that
the fraud protection help, health insurance, help, help with depression,
help with your friendly visitor program, brain training games, reading clubs,
all the stuff you do. How can people take advantage
of your services? And do they have to live in
the counties that we mentioned.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Well, it depends, It depends on which program that we're
talking about. So we have the majority of our programs
or in Orange County. We also have our Medicare Counseling
and a program called high Cap that's in Riverside and
San Bernardino and Ino and Mono counties. And we also
have our on Budsman program I'll talk more about that,
which is in Orange Riverside, counties as well.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Okay, so you do need to live in those counties
to take advantage, Okay.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Primarily, but we we also publish an Answers Resource Guy,
which has lots of information. It's available in printed online,
It's ninety six pages, and it has information and resources
that would be interesting and valuable to anyone regardless of
where they live.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
And if you're listening to this, totally said before we
started talking on the air, I said, well, I'm going
to move my mom to Irvine. We're coming to Barns
County because my mom is up in the barrier and
she's on her own. And this is also part of
why I wanted to talk to you, because I know
a lot of my friends my age are now going
through this with their parents, whether it's a health issue,
whether it's an issue of my mom getting scammed online,
(04:49):
whether it's my mom having some just issues of being
alone and getting depressed. And you know, it's kind of
like that point where you have to start asking your questions.
I need to pay forward. My parents brought me into
this world, and despite your issues, right, I got to
take care of my mom. And how do I do it?
I need help, I need resources. And if you live
in Orange County or you want to move your family
(05:11):
to Orange County, you can take advantage of the free
resources through the Council on Aging exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
So we're based here in Irvine, California, and so we're
happy to be of help to folks in the counties
that we serve and beyond.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
And I'm going to praise your programs because already online
and again her uh, the website is so it's Counsel
on Aging. So it's CoA and then SC for Southern
California dot org. CoA SC dot org for all the information.
And so let's start with the programs. I want to
start with something positive, like I love how much art
is such an important part of many of your programs
(05:46):
talk about the importance of art and getting our older
loved ones involved in art.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Oh, it's very important for mental health and well being.
So we have a program that's called My Colors, My Mind,
and we offer art classes for everyone anywhere. Because there's
information about all these art classes and you can take
them online. You can visit our website and look up
My Colors, My Mind and learn how you can access
these art classes through our YouTube channel and it's basically
(06:13):
healing through art. We have testimonials from the artists that
have gotten involved, and it's just a wonderful program that
helps people know that art is really important to supporting
mental health. And it also My Colors my Mind is
a mental health stigma reduction program. So we have promoted
this program throughout our service area to let folks know
(06:34):
that mental health is just as important as any other
kind of physical health. But it's important to take care
of that mental health and there shouldn't be a stigma
associated with having to address the mental health concerned, particularly
if it's as you grow older.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Yeah, and just to have that outlet, you know, with
a paint and a brush, you kind of feel like
a kid again. I saw some of the pictures online
and it's just so nice to see smiling, happy faces
of older people kind of doing dare I say some
that they enjoyed so that they might be good at
you know.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yes, yes, exactly. And we and when you go onto
the YouTube station you can actually see the classes are
available in multiple languages. We have Korean, we have Spanish,
we have Chinese, and so it's a wonderful opportunity for
people to get involved.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
So if you have a loved one, an older loved
one that could really use something positive to do, an
art class outlet. They can do it from their senior home.
They can do it from any long term care facility
if they're able to, you know, physically right, and then
from home if they're still at home or they live
with you. Free art classes are available online through the
Council on Aging. How great is that?
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Of course, we have folks that are accessing our services
that are in long term care facilities, those that are
living at home, living with a family member.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Yes, absolutely, and all free of charge.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Yes, all of our programs are offered at no classes
a community.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
We love free. We love free. Okay, talk about your
pearl OC program. What's that about?
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Croom FOSC is a short term healing sessions healing sessions
with six sessions that are offered with a life coach,
so our participants. This program is offered in Orange County
and there are participants are paired with a life coach
that will as system with problem solving late life depression.
It's an evidence based program that was ultimately rolled out nationwided,
(08:17):
but we manage the program here in Orange County wonderful.
It's contrasted to another program that we offered called Reconnect,
and Reconnect is a program to support mental health where
our participants are paired with a case manager also here
in Orange County, and that that program, you're enrolled in
(08:37):
it for approximately a year, and it supports older adults
who have perhaps become disconnected with the community for one
reason or another. Maybe they've lost the spouse, or they're
struggling with the chronic health condition and they just really
need some mental health support and that's how they reconnect.
It's also called EIOSA can help residents that are here
in Orange County.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
See that is so needed, savvy to say, it's so
common and if it's not happening in your family now,
it could be down the road. And again, if you
live in Orange County, these are services that are available
to you for free and your family for free. So
knowing that this exists is a beautiful gift because we
don't want our loved ones. We don't want our loved
ones to feel that way and to feel alone and disconnected.
And again, oftentimes we're busy in our own lives, working
(09:20):
full time and managing our own kids, our own life
and may not live right next door. So you want
to make sure your loved ones are taken care of
and are busy and feeling good and have that love
and support system around them, and these programs can definitely
help with that. Another one that I so essential. My
mom has been dealing with this, these online scams and whatnot.
(09:41):
Talk about the importance of your senior Protection program and
you know, your program that wakes people up to the
financial abuse that's happening with our seniors.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Financial abuse is one of the fastest growing crimes against
older adults, and billions are stolen from older adults every year,
and they can be so vulnerable, and these predators are
just relentless, and so it's important to be informed about
what are the latest scams regarding older adults and how
to protect yourself, and so that's where our Senior Protection
(10:12):
Program can be very helpful. There's information that's available on
our website. We also have a very special section about
scams and abuse that are in our ANSWER's Resource Guide,
and that's another great source of information and resources as
it relates to protecting oneself right. It's all about education
and being informed and also protecting yourself. For example, we
(10:35):
find so many older adults are oftentimes answering the phone
whenever it rings, so used to that kind of a concept, right,
and it's important that you actually as you get older,
it's wise to screen your calls and let it go
to voicemail, listen to the message, and then if it's
your friend, call them back. If it's a stranger, don't
make that call. And it's also very important to remember
that if someone is calling and making it sound like
(10:57):
it's very urgent that you call them back, it's likely
that that's.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
It's likely you better call your daughter and ask her
opinion before you call them back. And given your bank
account number. Yeah, that is so scary, you know. Like
you said, these scammers are so convincing when they call.
There's been horrible stories over the years about what they'll
say on the phone. Fake a kidnapped a relative, They
need a ransom money. I mean, it's just awful what
they say, what they will say. They'll go to any
(11:21):
lengths to get your money, get to you, and sometimes
very convincing. If they've maybe looked up things about you
on social media or however they've found out a negative
information about you, they can convince you that you need
to do something, and that usually involves giving them money.
So it's over the phone or online. My mom sadly, well,
she's she's finally learned the hard way to not click
(11:41):
on that. Don't click on that, mom, and to double
check these email addresses. It's not actually from Wells Fargo.
It's a fake Wells Fargo, you know, looking at the
email addresses. Who are you receiving the email from? Is
it from Wells Fargo? Is it somebody named John Wells
five five two two one zero, you know whatever. And
there's just all kinds of crazy ways that they will
try to get to you to get whatever they can.
(12:02):
And so, like you said, you're all about teaching awareness
and teaching people how to just stand up for themselves
and how to protect themselves because the scammers are out
there and they're coming.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
For you, right exactly. We probably see some of the
largest scams are happening with romance scans you have that
are looking to connect with someone. The romance scans are
one should be very skeptical about that. Also, we have
other instances where maybe it's a tech support issue where somewhere, yeah,
someone calls you out of the blue say, we recognize it.
(12:34):
So there's a tech support problem. Let me log onto
your computer and let me help you. Never allow that
toime ever.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
They never contact you out of the blue. Yep, that
was another one that my mom my mom fell for.
She said, well, she said he was from Microsoft.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
My mom. Microsoft doesn't call you at home.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
No Apple Tech. Yeah, these people don't just call you, you know.
So yeah, tough to keep them up to speed. But
your program clearly offers a wealth of information and again,
can anyone access that online or just through your programs
in Orange County?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
That's through That is a program that's offered here in
Orange County, but there are similar programs across the nation,
and many of them are also offered at senior centers.
So it's important to understand what your local resources are.
And I can't stress that enough. Is the importance of
whether you're an older adult or a family caregiver, is
understanding early on before a crisis occurs, what are your
(13:23):
local resources and what sort of discussions and plans should
be making for yourself or in conjunction with a loved
one to help them navigate the aging process before that
crisis occurs, Before there's a hospitalization or a diagnosis or
a fall. So these are all things that older adults
need to be informed of, and it's important that you
also think about, you know, as you age, as you
(13:45):
go through life, we make a lot of plans during
the course of our life. We might plan to get
an education, buy a house, get married, have children, and
there's lots of planning that goes through that portion of
our lives. But when we get to sixty five and
over and someone's thinking about retirement, going to be a time, Oh,
I'm going to spend more time with my grandchildren, I'm
going to golf, I'm going to travel. Well, there's a
lot of years twenty thirty or more years from sixty
(14:07):
five onwards. Well, what exactly is your plan for those years?
And how do you go about thinking of crafting a
plan that's going to make that the remarkable time in
your life that you've envisioned it to be and not
one where you're either wondering what to do, thinking of
ways that I can give back dealing with the challenging
health condition. It's about having a plan in advance and
not having to respond to an emergency because you're without a.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Plan yeah, making sure right, making sure your finances are
in order, and making sure that health insurance coverage is
oh so important. You offer a wealth of health insurance counseling.
Talk about that.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yes, So we manage a program here in Orange riverside
San Bernardino in Mono Counties called high CAP. It's the
health insurance Counseling and Advocacy program in California, it's called
high CAP. It's also offered in all fifty states, and
it's called SHIP in the other states, but California it's
called high CAPS. So what we do is we work
(15:03):
with Medicare beneficiaries directly, either through our call center so
they can call into our call centers, or we can
meet with them individually at senior centers throughout our service
area and sit down with them and help them understand
their Medicare offerings and help them maximize their benefits and
minimize their costs. This is a government funded program. We
(15:24):
don't sell any health plans, we don't promote any health plans.
We just provide information and that's really important because it's
unbiased information because we're not selling a plan. If you
go to a Medicare broker, for example, the Medicare broker
is going to direct you to one of the plans
that they sell through. And there are a myriad of
(15:45):
plans that are out there, and so they're going to
direct to the ones that they said, Well, we're going
to let you. We'll talk with you about all the
various programs that are available and help you decide what options,
and we'll provide you with recommendations, but allow you to
choose which one really works best for you with your doctors,
with the hospitals that you want to go to, and
with the medications.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
And your budget and your budget what you can afford your.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Budget exactly, exactly, very very important. But we also offer
classes that either called Medicare Essentials or Roadmap to Medicare
that help people understand the basics of Medicare when they
have to sign up for Medicare and has how to
navigate the process. Once again, I can't say enough about
the importance that being informed is learning about how Medicare
(16:29):
is going to work for you.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Now, how when we go to your website, Lisa Counsel
on Aging CoA sc dot org, are we able to
email you all and just ask some questions and ask
how do I get to start it. Okay, perfect, because
that's the easiest thing first of all, to know that
this is all for free, available in the Orange counties
that Lisa mentioned earlier, but just the fact that we
(16:50):
can email you or log onto the website and just
ask questions, how do we get started? What were the counties? Again?
How does this work? I mean right? You get those
emails probably every day.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Yes, absolutely, And it's important as you look at our
website if you live outside of our service area, look
for these similar programs, whether it's high cap for the
ship program, the Ambudsman program. We haven't talked about that yet,
but those are offered in other counties throughout the nation,
so in states throughout our nation. So it's important to
look and see what programs are available in your service area.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
And again, this is all to help our older relatives,
our parents, our grandparents, our aunts or uncles. If you're
not dealing with it now, it's certainly coming down the road.
So it's good to know that people are here to
help you in so many ways. And I'm guessing you're
probably gonna need it. I know I do. I'm learning
a lot here myself with this chat, so I appreciate
(17:39):
your time. Lisa and Set I'm embarrassed to say that
I until I was on your website, I had never
heard the word ambudsman before. What is an ambudsman.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
It's a mouthful, isn't it. Yes, imbudsman. So yes, it's
called the Long Term Care Ambudsman Program. This is our
longest running program. It's offered in all fifty states, and
we manage this program in Orange County and Riverside County.
So the purpose of the Long Care on Budzman program
is to advocate for older adults who are living in
long term care facilities. So we have both staff and
(18:12):
volunteers that go out and make unannounced visits onto all
the long term care facilities in our county. And so
they're here in Orange County. They're over a thousand long
term care facilities, and our bombudsmen are out making those
unannounced visits and they're going to checking in on residents.
They're advocating for their health and well being. And they're
also responding to the residence complaints. Maybe the residence complaint
(18:35):
could be my food is delivered cold and it should
be delivered hot. My call button is not answered when
I push it my caregiver is abusing me. So it
can be a whole range of complains.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
I sit and wet diapers all day, I'm not getting changed.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Yeah, exactly exactly. And so the ombudsmen will advocate for
those residents and help to resolve those problems. And it's
particularly important because on a national base is fifty percent
of residents and long term care have no friend or
family member actively involved in this here, no one, and
so the ombuds men are the eyes and ears where
(19:10):
the boots on the ground to check on these residents
and ensure their quality of life is maintained as well
as their dignity.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
So does the word ombudsman mean aha, I caught to
no or kind of like the senior police.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Well, an ambudsman is really a resident advocate. So we're
there to advocate on behalf of those residents. And we're
not the heavy we're not the police, but we can
report a problem not only to the facility management themselves,
but then up to licensing, state licensing, and if it
does have to go to law enforcement, we can certainly
do that, but we try to resolve things as quickly
(19:44):
as possible with the facility or with state licensing. One
other important program that is was a sort of rose
out of the Ombudsman program is called our Smilemakers program,
and we offer this in Orange and Riverside counties. And
one of the things that our ombudsmen recognize is that
many of these residents and long term care at the
holidays did not receive a card, a phone call, or
(20:06):
a present, nothing at all. And so we started the
program about twenty five years ago and we provide unexpected
holiday gifts to seniors and long term care and it's
always something simple. It's a lap blanket, it could be
a warm jacket, it could be a sweatsuit, something that
it would in the size that they wish. So our
ambasmen work with the facilities to identify residents in need.
(20:29):
We get their first name, their age, and the item
and the size that they might like to have, and
we put that item on a little angel tag and
we send it out to businesses and church groups and
women's groups, men's group whatever throughout our service area. People
will go out and purchase that item. It comes back
to us and we create a Smilemaker's Workshop and those
(20:51):
gifts come into the workshop and each gift goes into
a box with tissue paper and wrapping paper and a tag,
and it's delivered back out to that resident just in
time for the holidays, along way the handmade card from
the girls gun.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
I love it. I love that.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Ye yes, it's a wonderful program. Last year we collected,
wrapped and delivered nearly sixty five hundred present the older adults.
And it's the heart of the holidays for us and
for everyone that's involved. And we have about five hundred
and six hundred volunteers that come in and help us.
We also have during the course of just a regular year,
(21:24):
we have about four hundred volunteers that assist us. And
most of our volunteers are older adults themselves that are
looking for ways to give back in the community. And
so this is a great opportunity to volunteer with us
in Orange, Riverside or San Bernardino County.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Look at that well, wonderful Smile Makers. I love that program. Now,
I was going to ask about volunteers, So of course
you need more around the holidays to help with the
Small Makers program. And then throughout the years, what is
it that you ask of volunteers and how much of
a time commitment are we talking about and are they
what is their actual role.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
So we have volunteers that volunteer for maybe an hour
a week and our Friendly Visitor program and that requires
just a couple hours of training and background screening. And
then we have other volunteers and our ambudsmen and in
our high Cap programs that go through thirty six hours
of training and they go through an assessment program where
they are state certified, and then they participate in an
(22:17):
internship and then through that internship and they're involved in
being an ambudsman or a high Cap counselor. And we
find that the people that enjoy participating in these programs,
they might be volunteering for two, four or five hours
a week, it depends on what their schedule would commit.
But we find that our volunteers are problem solvers, people
that like to address problems and give back to the community.
(22:39):
And so many of our volunteers start out thinking they're
going to volunteer for a couple of years, and we
have them here for nine, ten, thirteen years. It just depends.
They're very committed to this work and it's very rewarding,
and in retirement, it's a way to give back to
the community, meet like minded people and just really enjoy
helping others.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
What a wonderful gift. And again, just to spend some
time with somebody. It's the gift of your company. It's
the gift of just a little chit chat, a gift
of a smile, a gift of a hand, you know,
holding someone's hand or doing a puzzle together, just the
gift of visiting. And like you said, even if people
have family or not, family isn't always able to be
there on a regular basis. Maybe they're not able to
visit very often, maybe they live out of state. So
(23:21):
those volunteers giving that time, giving their heart, you know,
when you know, those volunteers get attached to their regulars,
so you know they see it through probably all the way,
all the way till the end, which is just beautiful.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Yes, yeah, we heavily rely on all. We couldn't do
what we'd do without the help of our volunteers.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
They're fantastic, wonderful And I know earlier we talked about
the importance of art in your programs that you offer
free to seniors. But then I glance at your activity calendar.
My gosh, it is jam packed with so many offerings
ways to keep our loved ones busy and active, whether
it's a brain training class with brain training games or
(23:57):
reading club, balance and mobility classes. Talk about the busy
activity schedule and that you also offer for free.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Yes, there's always something going on to Most of the
activities that you see on our calendar at COOASC dot
org are through our Reconnect program and so that's where
we work with older adults and encourage them to get
involved in our programs. They're paired with a case manager.
But these programs are open to the public, So if
you're interested in participating, just go on to our website
(24:25):
an RSVP and talk with one of our staff members
about getting involved in some of these activities. And I
can't as we think about activities, I can't stress enough
about the importance of understanding what resources are in your area,
and that includes going out and visiting your local senior
center where whether you're an older adult or a family caregiver,
and understand what opportunities and activities are going on there.
(24:47):
And remember that you don't have to just use the
senior center that's in your city. If there's one in
the nearby town or city, go over and visit that
one as well and see what they have, whether it's
in person classes, activities, exercises, trips to local venues, all
kinds of things going on. And this Additionally, it's important
to look at continuing education opportunities. There's loads of continuing
(25:10):
education opportunities through our community colleges. Many of the programs
are free, and so it's important I just understand how
do I get involved. I want to learn more in
retirement and how can I go out and meet more
like minded people. Great way to do that is through
those two areas.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
And knowing all this again for your your aging parents,
your grandparents, your aunts or uncle's, any family member or
again it's all in our near future people, So of
us is a little closer than others, but just to
know that there's so much out there. We just have
to figure out what to ask for and go for
it essentially, but there's a lot out there. There's all
these free offerings for the taking. Again, whether it's for
(25:46):
your your grandparents, your parents, a family member, a loved one,
aging loved one, and one day you it's great to
know that all this help is available for you. You
know you want to live out your years and maybe
they're there going to be the best years yet.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Absolutely it's about thriving in retirement. And once again I
can't say enough about just planning for the aging experience
and figuring out how you make the most of that time.
And I also wanted to mention one of the things
we talk a lot about at the Council on Aging
is fall prevention. You know, fall prevention is a huge issue.
One in five falls can cause a serious injury, and
(26:21):
many people don't realize that falls accounts for twenty five
percent of hospital admissions and every eleven seconds in America,
an older adult is treated in the emergency room for
a fall. So very important to understand how you can
prevent falls in your home. You want to fall proof
your home. One of the biggest risks of falling or
throw rugs that we have around our big big fall risk.
(26:45):
Medications can also cause us to not maybe feel lightheaded
or a little bit dizzy, so understanding what risks might
be happening with that. But I can't say enough about
the importance of preventing falls.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
So many ways that you are helping seniors through counts
on Aging in the counties, Lisa mentioned Orange County, Riverside County,
San Brinino County, Ino and Mono Counties. A wealth of information.
It's all right there on their website, so easy to
pop on and learn about their program. Check out that
activities list learn all about what they offer to our
loved ones that are getting older. You can contact them,
(27:17):
send an email, ask them questions, ask away at CoA
SC dot org for counsel on aging CoA SC dot org.
And Lisa Wright Jenkins, they're president and CEO. Thank you
again so much for all that you do for our
loved ones.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Thanks so much, Lisa, it's been great talking with you.
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