Through advocacy, programs and community partnership, we empower older Rhode Islanders and adults living with disabilities to age healthfully, happily, and safely.
Welcome to Frontpage, the new R.I. Office of Healthy Aging (OHA)
quarterly newsletter! In it, we will celebrate our work together, through timely updates and news from across our healthy aging community. We hope you find it informative, fun, and worthy of sharing with all your friends.
What a year it's been! We embraced a new name, OHA (formerly the R.I. Division of Elderly Affairs), + ushered in a renewed energy around growing older and cooler in Rhode Island. Together, we are disrupting aging: how we think about it, act on it, and invest in it. Healthy aging
is a movement, folks, fueled by all of us; so, let's keep going. We have lots more to accomplish together.
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SPOTLIGHT:
Healthy Aging MeetUp
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THANK YOU to the more than 80 partners who attended our first Healthy Aging MeetUp this fall, celebrating early progress against our
2023 strategic plan
and fostering connections among colleagues in the healthy aging field. We hear a few collaborations are already taking shape. Woohoo! Shout-out to our gracious host, the North Providence Mancini Resource & Activity Center.
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At OHA, we're all about choice, connection, equity, safety + performance.
These aren't just
strategic pillars
; they are our way of life. People come first, which means our work is guided by lived experience and reliable data.
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DYK: we invest over $16M annually to promote healthy aging in communities across the state? This money supports stronger transportation services, food access, health + wellness programs, and so much more. Have we piqued your interest? Reach out to
Zach
.
He loves to chat data, performance, and how we're working to make smarter investments. Just take a look at his cool charts below!
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New home for Coventry RSC!
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Coventry's Department of Human Services and Resource & Senior Center recently moved into their new home. The new facility, co-located with the town's police department, features space for people to share meals, enjoy indoor/ outdoor activities, and participate in an array of programming. In the spring, a greenhouse will be installed in the adjoining courtyard to provide horticultural therapy and connect to the Coventry Community Garden and local food pantry. Inter-generational programs with the local middle- and high-school will also be expanded.
Learn more
.
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“It is an exciting time...we look forward to maximizing the most important resource we have in our town, our people.”
-Bob Robillard, Coventry Human Services
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Providence, Newport and Cranston recently joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States & Communities. We couldn't be more excited! Nationally, more than 400 municipalities are members, working to make their community a welcoming place for all ages. Kudos to you all!
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Streamlining abuse reporting
OHA recently launched WellSky for APS, a new client management and data collection platform for protective services. Our partners can now electronically submit abuse reports to OHA + we can more easily share case information among partners, which means better service to our clients.
Kudos to OHA's Elder Rights & Safety Unit on a successful roll-out! Need access to the online portal? Contact
Mary
.
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Open Enrollment is a wrap!
Kudos to everyone involved in this year's successful Medicare Open Enrollment period. Through the great work of 27 volunteers, OHA and its partners hosted 175 enrollment events across the state, assisting thousands of Rhode Islanders to explore their coverage options and select the right plan, at the right price.
Special thanks to OHA team member, Christine Smith, who recently took over as State Health Information Program (SHIP) manager and led coordination of this year's Open Enrollment.
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Cases of elder abuse, self-neglect and financial exploitation are on the rise. All Rhode Islanders are mandatory reporters. It's the law. Call us at
401.462.0555
if you suspect mistreatment of someone age 60+.
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Need information or assistance? Call the POINT helpdesk at 401.462.4444.
Interested in volunteering? Contact
Michelle
at 401.462.0194.
Want to help a homebound elder + earn a small stipend? Contact
Jenny
at 401.462.0569.
We'd love your input on our soon-to-launch website: Email
Elise
to sign up as a tester.
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Have news to share?
Shoot an email to
Elise
.
She'll get it into a future edition of Frontpage. Oh, and feel free to follow us on social and share this newsletter with all your friends.
Trust us, they'll thank you later.
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