March 2023, Volume 75

MARCH HIGHLIGHTS

2023 OAGE Conference Coming to Toledo

Thursday April 20 and Friday April 21, 2023

The Ohio Association of Gerontology and Education (OAGE) will hold its Annual Conference for 2023 on the campus of the University of Toledo.

Registration is now open until a day or two before the conference.

This year's conference theme is

"The Workforce and Aging:

Challenges, Opportunities, and Innovations."

Specific Location:

UT Lancelot Thompson Student Union

2965 West Centennial Drive

Toledo, OH 43606

Virtual Opportunities:

4:30 until 7:30 pm on Thursday, April 20

8 am to 5 pm on Friday, April 21

The conference planners announce on the web site that more of the conference may go virtual if safety concerns dictate.

Prices

In-Person

Students & Retirees: $65

$85 after Friday March 24, 2023

Professionals $140

$160 after Friday March 24, 2023

Virtual

Students & Retirees $35

$55 after Friday, March 24, 2023

Professionals $70

$90 after Friday, March 24, 2023

Continuing education credits are available for various fields.

Click here to learn more and register.

Questions can be sent to Anna Schram, MSW, LSW [email protected]

Don't Forget that

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month!

Check out the LCBDD web site event calendar to see what we've got planned.

Here's one highlight:

"Immersive DD Experience"

Friday, March 31, 12:30 to 4:30 pm

Participate in activities at interactive stations to learn more about what living with DD is like.

LCBDD Training Center, 1155 Larc Lane, Toledo (Door O)

Learn more.

TARTA Service Expands to New Suburbs

Starting March 2023

Storefronts and parking lot at Spring Meadows Place Shopping in Holland

Photo Credit: RPT Realty Spring Meadows pages. Click here.

Changes to local and state law in 2022 allow for TARTA service to expand throughout Lucas County. Beginning Sunday, March 26, TARTA's Route 32 will travel to Spring Meadows Place shopping center in the Toledo suburb of Holland. People who qualify for TARPS due to disabilities, and who live within 3/4 miles of Spring Meadows, will now be able to access TARPS. Click here to read more about this and other TARTA changes coming soon.

COURTESY SHARES

These are trainings and other opportunities related to DD, aging, and/or dementia that are being offered by other organizations, including some in neighboring communities.

IDD-and-Dementia Webinars Offered by Greater Michigan Chapter of Alzheimer's Association

The Greater Michigan Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association has a Developmental Disabilities Supportive Services Program (DDSSP) that, somewhat like the LCBDD Senior Committee, "provides education programming, behavioral and activity planning consultations to agencies and individuals caring for people with developmental disabilities and dementia or those at risk for developing dementia."

The DDSSP periodically offers free series of webinars featuring strategies for supporting those who have IDD and also dementia.

Each webinar offers 1.5 free nursing and social work CEs.

The March 2023 offerings are as follows.

Home Safety and Environmental Modifications

For Individuals with a Developmental Disability and Dementia

Thursday, March 9, 2023, Noon to 1:30 pm

Learn more and register here.

Activity Planning for Individuals with I/DD and Dementia

Thursday, March 23, 2023, Noon to 1:30 pm

Learn more and register here.

For questions about registration, contact Kristi Davis, [email protected].

Click Here to read about what our disability advocate partners are doing about the crisis created by the shortage of direct care workers.

Support Available from the

Lucas County Board of DD Senior Committee

CONSULTATIONS

Faceless heads and upper bodies of cartoon people sitting around a rectangular table

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

Elderly woman in striped shirt works on puzzles

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

Display rack of Senior Committee's hard copy dementia 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 [email protected] to make arrangements for a consultation or make any other inquiries about resources.

In late February 2023, a survey was sent to LCBDD Service and Support Specialists (SSAs) to collect demographics on DD/ID individuals with cognitive decline. Results will be shared in the April 2023 edition.

Lucas County Board of DD Information

https://lucasdd.org/

Click here for the L CBDD YouTube Channel

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

TO REPORT CONCERNS ABOUT ABUSE OR NEGLECT

OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES:

Contact the LCBDD Major Unusual Incident (MUI) Department

Mondays - Fridays, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

419-381-5206

After Hours/Weekends/Holidays

Please call 419-380-5100

to access the On-Call Service

Helpful Resources Always Available

Area Office on Aging

of Northwest Ohio

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

Click here for the web site.

Ability Center Disability-Friendly Toolkit

Online one-one stop shop with tools and resources for many needs having to do with increasing disability-friendliness and inclusiveness - benefits, facility accessibility, communication with and about people with disabilities, disability-friendly Toledo-area attractions, and more.

The toolkit is available at www.abilitycenter.org/toolkit, or under the Services menu tab on the site.

Sun with smiley face and sunglasses and words We Thrive Together

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.