Westside Messenger - March 20th, 2022

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Active Lifestyles
WESTSIDE MESSENGER - March 20, 2022 PAGE 9
Franklin County Board of Commissioners: President Kevin L. Boyce • Commissioner John O’Grady, and Commissioner Erica C. Crawley
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners and The Franklin County Office on Aging join with the Messenger Newspaper in providing this update on aging issues in Franklin County.
We are providing HOPE
HOPE, Helping Our residents, and families with Purposeful Engagement,
is a new initiative by the Franklin County Office of Aging to support
senior residents and their families. For the duration of the HOPE campaign,
our agency will be reaching out directly to seniors, families, and
caregivers to check in on their health and inform them about services
available through the Office on Aging.
Each month, we will showcase several agency programs and services that
have assisted senior residents and their families since 1993. This month,
we are highlighting the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine, and providing
information on vaccines, boosters, and transportation. We will also
discuss resources that are available to help caregivers and give an overview
of our Senior Options Program. In April, we will highlight the
Kinship Support Program and the Home Repair Program. Lastly in May,
we will share the significance of our Adult Protective Services department,
and how members of the public can help in ending elder abuse.
Currently in Franklin County, 66.92 percent of the population has received
at least one dose of the vaccine. In reviewing the data and zip codes with
low vaccination rates from the January 12, 2022, Ohio COVID-19
Vaccine Administration by County & ZIP Code Report, our agency recognized
the emergent need to provide opportunities to increase the total
percentage of vaccinated individuals within Franklin County and apply
targeted focus on homebound older adults and their families living in zip
codes that have the lowest vaccination rates. Our agency also saw the need
to provide vaccine access to homebound adults, who otherwise would not
be able to get vaccinated. By working with Equitas Health, Franklin
County Public Health and Columbus Public Health, we have been able to
increase the number of homebound residents who received the vaccine.
Through our agency’s Senior Options Program, transportation to medical
appointments, including appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine and
booster shot, is being provided to older Franklin County residents. Not
only does our Senior Options Program assist senior residents in getting
around the county, but they also offer a wide array of services including:
• Adult Day Care
• Emergency Response Systems
• Home-Delivered Meals
• Home Care Services
• Nutritional Supplements, Incontinence Supplies, and Durable Medical
Equipment
Senior Options is not the only department within the Office on Aging that
is providing incredible resources to seniors and their families. Our Caregiver
Support Program provides short term support and services to families
to enhance and restore independence to the resident and the caregiver.
With over 53 million people in the United States in the role of an unpaid
family caregiver, and over 1.5 million of those people living in Ohio, we
have never seen the need higher than we are now. Our agency can provide
caregivers of older adults 60 years and older, who are non-paid, and who
have a demonstrated need for home care assistance, with resources to
help. We can also provide services to non-paid parents or relatives 55
years or older, caring for an adult child who has disabilities and show a
demonstrated need for home care assistance.
Program services include:
• Adult Day Services
• Caregiver Counseling
• Durable Medical Equipment
• Incontinent Supplies
• Institutional Respite Care
One of the many goals of our agency is to provide necessary resources to
our senior residents, and their families, so that they can remain independent,
safe, and together for as long as possible. In the upcoming months,
look out for our agency to continue to share resources including information
on our Kinship Support Program, Home Repair Program, and our
Adult Protective Services department. If you or someone you know needs
the services or programs listed above, and has not yet received a call from
us, please contact the Franklin County Office on Aging at 614-525-5230.