Aging Texas Well, opportunities for Texans across the lifespan
News archive
StoryCorps Informs and Inspires
StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. StoryCorps records the stories of everyday people and preserves them at the Library of Congress.
From January 5 to February 5, 2012, public radio station KUT 90.5 brings the StoryCorps Mobile Booth to Austin during its cross-country tour, giving Central Texans the opportunity to record interviews and share personal stories. The StoryCorps airstream trailer will be parked in front of the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. Limited interview slots can be reserved by calling 1-800-850-4406 or visiting www.storycorps.org.
Realistic job previews for direct support workers
Do you hire direct support workers? Are you looking for a job as a direct support worker? A realistic job preview that focuses on working with older adults and people with physical disabilities has recently been placed on the DADS website (Click here to watch this video.)
Older Driver Safety Awareness Week: For seniors seeking assistance and guidance
Through AOTA's Older Driver Safety Awareness Week (Dec. 5-9, 2011), The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) along with AAA, AARP, the Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and other organizations, raised awareness of ways to keep seniors safe on the road for as long as possible, and of resources available to maintain independence if driving is no longer an option.
The Future of Community Interventions Conference
The Future of Community Interventions Conference is scheduled for Nov. 3 and 4 at the Arlington Professional Development Center in Arlington, Texas. This activity will inform and educate professionals who work in the healthcare and nonprofit sectors about evidence-based practice and programs. Panelists and presenters will address development, characteristics, coordination, funding, data collection, and implementation of evidence-based programs.
Featured programs include:
- Reach II/Caregiver Education & Support
- Matter of Balance/Falls Prevention
- Better Choices, Better Health/Chronic Disease Self Management
- Care Transitions Intervention/Improving Patient Transitions from Hospital to Home
- Healthy Ideas/Reducing Depression in Older Adults
More information and online registration can be found at: https://cme.hsc.unt.edu/eventinfo_3233.html.
News from the Aging Texas Well Advisory Committee
Le Riggs has been selected by the DADS commissioner to serve on the Aging Texas Well Advisory Committee (ATWAC) and represent Community Supports. Riggs is the senior administrator of Silverado Senior Living in Sugar Land, and also serves on the Texas Assisted Living Association Advisory Board and the Texas Culture Change Coalition Advisory Council.
2011 Medico-Legal Conference on Aging
The 2011 Medico-Legal Conference on Aging will be held Sept. 29-30 in San Antonio. Topics will include patient’s wills and trusts; guardianships; care planning; reverse mortgages; advance directives; elder abuse; aging in place; new laws; facility care; self-neglect; spirituality and more. The conference is sponsored by the South Texas Geriatric Education Center to help older people safely navigate their final years with dignity, grace and health. To register, call 562-6560-6561 or e-mail Barbara Giles at GilesB@UTHSCSA.edu.
Changing the culture of Texas nursing homes
Nursing homes have traditionally functioned as an efficient way to care for older people and people with disabilities. In many of these settings, people are told when to get up, when to eat and when to go to bed. Their personal choices are limited, and the focus is more on systems and less on what's best for each person. | Read more
Culture Change Symposium
The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services sponsored a Culture Change Symposium on July 25, co-sponsored by TMF Health Quality Institute and AARP. The event was attended by more 300 people representing nursing home stakeholders, advocates and educators.
News From the Aging Texas Well Advisory Committee
At the March 9, 2011, meeting of the Aging Texas Well Advisory Committee (ATWAC), Dr. Michèle J. Saunders was re-elected for another term as chair. Saunders is a professor of Medicine, Dentistry and Dental Hygiene at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She also is the director of the South, West and Panhandle Consortium Geriatric Education Center and co-director of the Geriatric Medicine and Dentistry Fellowship Program.
The newest member of the Aging Texas Well Advisory Committee (ATWAC) is Gary W. Luft, who represents the Aging Network on the committee. In his community in Waco, Texas, he serves as director of Health and Human Services and directs the health and human services programs and oversees management of the Area Agency on Aging, Heart of Texas 2-1-1 Call Center, the Rural Transit District (RTD), and other related special projects.
Social Engagement and Recreation Issue Brief Now Available
As people age, social engagement and recreation have a significant impact on overall health, well-being and functional independence. This issue brief presents results from the Aging Texas Well Indicator Survey 2009 (PDF) and other related research regarding the areas of social engagement and recreation in people 60 and older. Click here to view the issue brief in PDF format.
Realistic Job Preview Videos
In 2010, the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) produced two 20-minute realistic job preview videos for employers to use before hiring direct support workers. Individuals describe their jobs and speak frankly about the rewards and challenges of this type of work.
- The first video focuses on working with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.(Click to watch this video.)
- The second video, which has recently been released on DVD, focuses on working with older adults and people with physical disabilities. It will be uploaded to the DADS website in the near future.
Texas Direct Service Workforce Stability Study
The Texas Direct Service Workforce Stability study (2010) reports on the status of the direct support workforce (DSW) employed by home and community-based (HCBS) long-term services and supports and intermediate care facility (ICFs/MR) providers in Texas. The report includes information about (a) turnover, vacancy, longevity, and stability statistics of the DSW; (b) differences in workforce statistics by setting (HCBS vs. ICFs/MR); (c) the frequency of employer-offered benefits or incentives; and (d) the influence of benefits or incentives on workforce statistics (September 2010). Report in PDF | Report in HTML
Home and Community-based Services Workforce Advisory Council
The final report of the Community-based Services Workforce Advisory Council was completed in November 2010. This final report makes policy and funding recommendations regarding the home and community-based services workforce in Texas. Click here to read the Final Workforce Recommendations report in PDF format.
Updated: February 6, 2012