The June Forkful

Volume 2 | Issue 11

News from the

Nutrition and Aging Resource Center

Dear Friends,

Summer has arrived here in the great state of Iowa, and I am thrilled to spend more time outside with my toddler, grow vegetables in my garden, and do a bit of traveling.

We recently hosted our annual meeting that brings together the Administration for Community Living’s Innovations in Nutrition grantees. The summit was two fun-filled days of learning new ideas to innovate congregate and home-delivered meal programs. Have you ever wondered about how you can maximize technology for your meal program? Or how to make your meal site more attractive? Or how you can provide high-quality nutrition education for participants? Check out our grantee spotlight to learn from others to:

Partner with local restaurants to provide congregate meals
Work with students to provide nutrition education about healthy aging
Use a virtual education platform for meal participants
Explore reimbursement options for nutrition and meal services

Wishing you and yours a happy summer filled with innovation!

Warmly,

Alexandra Bauman, RD, LDN

Director, Nutrition & Aging Resource Center

Iowa Department of Health & Human Services

JOIN US TOMORROW! Navigating Partnerships: From Connection to Collaboration

Meet Christina Holt, the speaker for the Wednesday, June 12, 12p CT, webinar on "Navigating Successful Partnerships: Benefits and Strategies" by clicking the button below. This webinar is the first in the four-part webinar series called "Navigating Partnerships: From Connection to Collaboration" that will take place during the summer months of 2024.

Summary of the Webinar:

Addressing societal issues as big as hunger and nutrition is a greater challenge than any one organization. Partnership and collaboration are critical to meaningful change and improvement. This webinar will provide a comprehensive overview of the advantages of partnerships and the essential strategies required for establishing and maintaining successful collaborations. Resources from the Community Tool Box, a free online resource for community change and improvement, will be shared to support participants’ efforts.

Objectives:

1. Understand the value of collaborative efforts for community change and improvement.

2. Identify strategies to grow and maintain successful partnerships.

3. Learn how to obtain Community Tool Box resources for strengthening community-based partnerships.

Meet the Speaker

Registration

View New Resources Available on Our Website!

See what is new! New and updated resources included on acl.gov/senior-nutrition:

Nutrition and Aging Resource Center Satisfaction Survey - EXTENDED!

The Nutrition and Aging Resource Center is seeking input on how we are doing. If you have not completed our survey, the deadline has been extended to Friday, June 14. Completion is estimated to take less than 15 minutes.

Thank you to all who have completed the survey so far! Your feedback is valuable and will help inform the direction of the Resource Center’s resources, professional development opportunities, and research endeavors.

Please feel free to share this with your colleagues. If you have any questions or concerns about this survey, you can contact Catherine S. Rudolph, at crudolph@iastate.edu.

Survey

Navigating Partnerships with Healthcare Organizations

Meet the speaker, Dr. Amanda Brewster, for the June 26, 12p CT, webinar on Navigating Partnerships with Healthcare Organizations. This webinar is the second in the four-part webinar series called "Navigating Partnerships: From Connection to Collaboration" that will take place during the summer months of 2024.

Summary of the presentation:

Partnerships between the health care sector and community-based organizations in the aging network have been identified as a strategy to improve population health, reduce health disparities, and use resources efficiently. This webinar will begin by reviewing some of the reasons why health care organizations have become more interested in partnering with organizations in the aging and nutrition sectors. Next, we will present evidence on positive impacts that can arise from partnerships between the aging network and healthcare organizations. Finally, we will review strategies and tactics that organizations in the aging network have used effectively to develop partnerships with health care organizations over time.

Objectives:

1. Give examples of why health care organizations may be interested in partnering with organizations in the aging and nutrition sectors and also potential challenges.

2. Explain strategies and tactics that organizations in the aging network have used to successfully establish partnerships.

From the Administration on Community Living

Webinar on Supporting LGBTQ+ Inclusive Aging Networks

Tuesday, June 18, 2024 | 2:00-3:15 PM ET

Join the ACL-funded National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging (a project of SAGE) and AgeOptions Thrive with Pride for an “office hours” webinar celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

The webinar will feature a discussion on LGBTQ+ inclusive programs and outreach and is intended for area agencies on aging, aging and disability resource centers, centers for independent living, ombudsman programs, Senior Medicare Patrol programs, State Health Insurance Assistance Programs, Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) programs, and community centers serving older adults.

The webinar will feature automated Zoom captioning. For more information or additional accessibility requests, please contact Sherrill Wayland (she/her/they) at swayland@sageusa.org. SAGE has compiled additional resources on its LGBTQ+ Pride Month page.

From the Network

Older Veteran Behavioral Health Resource Inventory

Check out this resource from Veteran Affairs (VA). This guide contains information regarding mental health of military veterans and offers resources to support veterans with or at risk of behavioral health conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and those at risk of suicide.