With 2023 comes a new look for Aging Gracefully.

We always welcome your feedback about our Aging Gracefully newsletter - suggestions for topics, style, or anything else.

If you have suggestions for making the newsletter more accessible to people you support, we especially want to hear those.

New Year graphic from the Bing online database.

Provide feedback by simply replying to this email.

Or, email us at seniorcommittee@lucasdd.org.

The Northwest Ohio Dementia Coalition met December 15 for the final meeting of 2022 and discussed plans for 2023. 

With the official ending of the ACL grant work this past September, recent work has been focused on continuing past efforts as well as looking to the future for new projects. The coalition members are supporting an initiative to work toward the goal of becoming a Dementia Friendly Community. A "Dementia Friendly Community" is defined as "a village, town, city or county that is informed, safe and respectful of individuals with the disease, their families and caregivers and provides supportive options that foster quality of life.” To learn more about this initiative, visit this link: https://www.dfamerica.org/what-is-dfa  

Two members of the Coalition spoke December 8 at the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging’s Annual Caregiving Conference. Lyndi Wyrostek, Social Worker at MemoryLane Care Services, and Jennifer Wolfe, Provider Training Coordinator at the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities, spoke about barriers to identification, detection, and diagnosis of dementia for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Photo shown is from banner on DFAmerica web site.

The Ability Center of Greater Toledo, Toledo's Center for Independent Living, announced several years ago a goal of making Toledo the most disability-friendly community in the nation.

Towards that end, the Ability Center offers an online one-stop shop for resources to foster accessibility, inclusion, advocacy, and disability-friendliness in various projects and endeavors.

Tools and tips in this kit for people with disabilities themselves and their families cover:

• Requesting accommodations or raising concerns about the accessibility of a building or facility
• Using a STABLE account to save money without forfeiting benefits
• Planning for your current caregiver becoming unavailable
• Literary and media works that embrace and normalize disability
• Inclusive health care and insurance resources

There are also numerous guides, tools, and resources to help businesses, churches, media outlets and other entities who are seeking to:

• Evaluate and improve the accessibility of facilities
• Develop an inclusive recruitment, interviewing, and hiring process
• Communicate appropriately with and about people with disabilities in media and materials
• Make web sites and other organizational materials accessible

Find the toolkit at this link: https://abilitycenter.org/toolkit/

CONSULTATIONS

The Senior Committee offers its expertise to those who are supporting aging individuals with DD. Providers, family members, and Board of DD staff may consult about a case involving an individual with a developmental disability who is aging and/or who is experiencing dementia-related symptoms.

The Committee is available to consult regarding:

• Behavioral and environmental issues

• Geriatric specialists

• Other resources in the community

TOOLKIT

The Senior Committee has developed a toolkit of ideas for activities for those who have developmental disabilities and/or are experiencing memory loss. Ideas include physical and outdoor activities, expressive arts, and activities that promote calming, distraction, and cognitive stimulation.

The kit has activity descriptions, videos, online resources, activity protocols, tips for planning and implementing activities for those with dementia, and ideas on where to find activity supplies.

Photo seen here is from the toolkit.

PRINTED RESOURCES

Tip sheets and other printed resources addressing a variety of topics related to supporting someone with dementia are available free of charge at the Lucas County Board of DD Larc Lane building. Spanish versions are also available. Funding for producing and printing these was provided through the Dementia Grant.

Photo is an original photo of the display, taken by LCBDD staff.

Email the Senior Committee at seniorcommittee@lucasdd.org to make arrangements for a consultation or make any other inquiries about resources.

https://lucasdd.org/

Click here for the LCBDD Youtube Channel

Stay tuned as more past, recorded Senior Committee trainings are added.

Area Office on Aging

of Northwest Ohio

All sorts of programs, activities, services and referrals for seniors.

Click here for the web site.

Find a wide variety of virtual games, workouts, classes, parties, and more at www.wethrivetogether.org.

Individuals served by LCBDD can participate in We Thrive Together programs using the membership purchased by LCBDD. Click here for instructions on joining a We Thrive class or session.

Lucas County's Public Transportation:

Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) Link Here

About Aging Gracefully Photos and Logos

Logos of organizations regularly featured come from that organization's web site unless otherwise noted. Photos not specifically credited are from the Bing online database.

We have lists organized by year that let you know the topics in each issue.

Copyright © 2023 Aging Gracefully, Volume 73, All rights reserved.

Aging Gracefully is published and edited by the

Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

Contributions from:

Staff of the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities

Families of persons served who are living with dementia

Representatives of Provider Agencies

Contact Us

419-380-4000

seniorcommittee@lucasdd.org

1154 Larc Lane

Toledo, OH 43614

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