Support C.O. seniors during online giving event
Every day, nearly 10,000 people turn 65 years old in the United States. While the senior population continues to grow, less than 2 percent of funding from the nation’s largest grant makers focuses specifically on seniors (Foundation Center).
But with the generous support of the Central Oregon community, Central Oregon Council on Aging (COCOA) is able to continue offering programs and services that empower seniors to remain independent and enhance their quality of life. And now, COCOA is taking its fundraising efforts to the next level to impact even more seniors.
July 12 to 14, COCOA will participate in the first-ever GIVE65 Event, a 65-hour online giving event to help nonprofit organizations serving seniors raise funds online. Sixty-five nonprofits from 31 states will participate in the inaugural event.
During the GIVE65 Event, COCOA will raise funds while competing for a financial reward from Home Instead Senior Care Foundation ® . Financial rewards of $10,000 will be awarded to a small, medium and large size nonprofit raising the most money or having the most donors participate. Donations of $10 or greater are accepted online at GIVE65.org.
“GIVE65 is an innovative way for our community to raise awareness and help our seniors tremendously,” said Jean McPherson, Operations Manager.
The 65-hour GIVE65 Event begins at midnight on Tuesday, July 12 and continues until 5:00 p.m. CDT on Thursday, July 14. An initiative of the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation, GIVE65 is the nation’s first and only crowd-fundraising platform focused exclusively on helping nonprofit organizations from across the country raise funds to benefit seniors.
“Every gift will go toward helping seniors at the local level in communities across the country,” said Roger Baumgart, executive director of the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation. “We’re pleased to partner with COCOA for the inaugural GIVE65 Event, which we hope will engage the nation and shine a light on the need for financial support for senior-focused nonprofit programs and services. Our goal is to enhance the quality of life for seniors around the country, especially those who are most in need of our help.”
Beginning July 1, Central Oregon residents can go online to preschedule a secure, online donation to support COCOA’s Meals on Wheels program. All donations are 100 percent tax deductible in the United States. Visit GIVE65.org for more information about the event. Visit www.councilonaging.org or call 541-678-5483 for more information about COCOA.
ABOUT CENTRAL OREGON COUNCIL ON AGING COCOA services meet basic, direct and immediate need among Central Oregon’s low-income and high risk seniors. Services, which include meal delivery and nutrition programs, case management, and caregiver support, are vitally important to seniors’ health and quality of life. The expertise of COCOA’s staff, the commitment of its board, and the dedication of its more than 200 volunteers combine across the diverse communities of Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson Counties to support one of the region’s greatest assets – its seniors.
Meals on Wheels – Each year, COCOA provides more than 75,000 Meals on Wheels to upwards of 675 homebound seniors in the tri-counties. Many live alone, on fixed and limited incomes, with few family supports. They can no longer shop for, prepare, or even afford their own meals. Those residing in rural areas are additionally challenged, as resources are few and far away. Without Meals on Wheels, they would struggle with hunger and malnutrition, experience social isolation, and be at risk for elder neglect and abuse. With Meals on Wheels, they realize improved nutrition, better management of chronic disease, consistent visits from volunteer drivers that guard against anxiety and depression, and ongoing wellness checks that improve both personal health and home safety. Meals on Wheels also represents a tremendous economic investment in the region. At $3.85 per meal, Meals on Wheels adds more than $288,000 to Central Oregon’s food assistance efforts. And the cost savings that accrue by keeping seniors in their homes and out of institutional care are enormous. Harder to quantify, but no less important, are the benefits to seniors of staying in their familiar surroundings, with lower risk of exposure to infection, enjoying their privacy and sense of control with days ordered by comfortable routines.
Case Management – COCOA’s four, full-time case managers conduct in-home visits to assess seniors’ needs and determine their eligibility for special programs such as Oregon Project Independence. Case managers assist seniors, their caregivers, and their families in coordinating care so that the senior can remain in his/her home for as long as possible. The case manager conducts a nutritional risk assessment that drives the nutrition education component of care, derives a baseline against which declines in the senior’s condition can be gauged, coordinates in-home care, and notes the presence and needs of any caregivers, particularly family caregivers. Case managers maintain confidential client files, administer client surveys to evaluate COCOA’s effectiveness, and interface with other agencies providing service to seniors. Case managers develop long-term relationships with clients as they help them navigate through healthcare and other support systems. In fiscal year 2015 alone, case managers provided upwards up 2,300 hours of direct service to clients.
Caregiver support – As more of us live longer, the need for caregiving increases. Caregiving often comes from natural supports, such as family members, who tend to their elders on an unpaid, 24/7 basis. COCOA provides, as funds allow, for scholarships of up to $1,000 so that caregivers can access respite care. COCOA case managers also facilitate caregiver support groups that meet weekly to provide strategies for self-care, connection to needed resources, peer-to-peer learning environments, and problem solving. COCOA also supports seniors who are themselves caregivers, often for grandchildren. Research repeatedly demonstrates the high cost of caregiving to family members in the form of decreased resiliency; increased stress, anxiety and depression; and consequent self-“medication” with food, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. COCOA helps caregivers to care for themselves, so that they are most effective in helping their loved ones. In fiscal year 2015, COCOA supported more than 225 caregivers.
Aging and Disability Resource Connection – COCOA also serves as the state-appointed lead for the Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) for the entire central swath of Oregon (from the Columbia Gorge south to the California border). Through ADRC, COCOA extends its reach not only to seniors, but also to adults with disabilities. The overarching goal of ADRC is to help individuals and families understand their unique needs and anticipate future needs. The ADRC database, maintained by COCOA, helps individuals identify resources to meet needs across a broad spectrum including long-term care, assisted living, transportation, and financial security. ADRC’s Options Counseling helps seniors and those with disabilities to develop action plans to ensure that needs are met. COCOA’s role in ADRC has been instrumental in creating a consortium of service providers that individuals can easily access through a single point of contact – a call to COCOA’s ADRC information and referral line.
Additional services and supports – In addition to client-intensive services, COCOA advocates for senior needs, raises public awareness of issues related to aging, partners with agencies – such as COIC – to meet seniors’ transportation needs, and works to reach under-served populations including Latino, Spanish-speaking, and Native American seniors. In fiscal year 2015, COCOA reached more than 11,000 persons through public outreach and education.
ABOUT GIVE65
Home Instead Senior Care Foundation is proud to present GIVE65 – the first crowd-fundraising platform exclusively devoted to helping nonprofits raise funds online for programs and services that create hope for seniors. At GIVE65.org, selected nonprofit organizations in the United States are invited to showcase projects and social service programs helping seniors and those who care for them. People who have a desire to help less fortunate, vulnerable seniors can visit GIVE65.org to share a secure, online donation in support of the featured nonprofit they choose. By combining technology and generosity, GIVE65 inspires greater charitable giving in support of seniors and those who care for them. Visit www.GIVE65.org to learn more.
ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE FOUNDATION
Since its founding in 2003, Home Instead Senior Care Foundation has been helping less fortunate and vulnerable aging adults. The Foundation has invested nearly $2 million in nonprofit organizations serving seniors throughout the United States and Canada. The mission of the Foundation is to enhance the lives of aging adults and those who care for them. This mission is made possible, in part, thanks to Home Instead, Inc., as well as generous sponsors and donations from the general public. To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.homeinsteadseniorcarefoundation.org.
ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE
Founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care ® network provides personalized care, support and education to help enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. Today, this network is the world’s leading provider of in-home care services for seniors, with more than 1,000 independently owned and operated franchises that are estimated to annually provide more than 50 million hours of care throughout the United States and 11 other countries. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ approximately 65,000 CAREGivers SM worldwide who provide basic support services that enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. The Home Instead Senior Care network strives to partner with each client and his or her family members to help meet that individual’s needs. Services span the care continuum from providing companionship and personal care to specialized Alzheimer’s care and hospice support. Also available are family caregiver education and support resources. At Home Instead Senior Care, it’s relationship before task, while striving to provide superior quality service.
