Baltimore County, MD Time of Your LIfe, 1 Jan 2021

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From YouTube: BCAUSE – Baltimore County Age Friendly Upgrades for Seniors

Description

Learn about a new grant program from BCDA’s valued partners:
- The Wesley, Inc.
- The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc.
- Rebuilding Together Baltimore
- Dundalk Renaissance
- CHAI
- Civic Works

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Welcome to the time of your life with the baltimore county department of aging.

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I'm your host, ethel rasmussen. as the first show of 2021, I'd like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy new year.

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As always,, the time of your life is about sharing resources for living. Your best life.

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And dedicated to keeping you well-informed about the programs and services that are designed, especially for you.

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You can also connect with bcda through our agency's multiple media platforms that include our website,.

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Facebook,, the time of your life, digest, instagram,,.

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Flickr, map,, as well as the abundance of printed resources.,.

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Connections to bcdas are stronger than ever,, so please take advantage of the many options we offer.

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The start of every new year brings to mind thoughts about new year's resolutions.

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Surveys suggest that eating healthier is a priority for most people, surveyed.

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In the spirit of healthy eating, bcda has you covered with an exciting segment from dr. divya selvakumar,.

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Manager of the nutrition office at the baltimore county department of aging.

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Stay tuned to learn how you can improve your eating choices, to achieve healthier, selections.

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Bcda is proud to start today's show to highlight a new outreach project called bcause.

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Bcause is the acronym for baltimore county age-friendly upgrades for seniors.

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Bcda serves as a proud partner of this new grant opportunity that provides.

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Support to older adults, so they may age in place in their homes and their lifelong communities..

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Stay tuned as we talk to the partners of.

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This innovative program to learn about community need,.

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Grant funding, the program's history, eligibility, and the scope of work support. It.

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you'll also learn the process in which individuals can apply.

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For help, as well as projected outcomes of the program.

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Let's begin learning about bcause from our value partners by viewing interviews from each organization.

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My name is jason, frank and I'm on the board of directors of the wesley inc.

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I also served as counsel to the department of aging for 32 years.

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But on the board of the wesley,, an organization dedicated to serving seniors in maryland since 1868.

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On that board, we shifted our fundamental focus from serving seniors in our facility.

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In mount washington to becoming an organization that supports seniors aging in place.,.

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To that end, we helped to initiate the baltimore county department of.

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Aging's home repair program to let people stay at home, so they could age in place,.

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The very purpose of the department.: now the department has been expanding, this, and we're.

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Happy and pleased to be part of this great expansion.

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We've also been working with asbury methodist,.

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Developed by home monitoring, program, and look for the wesleyan home coming soon,.

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Our continuing care at home program to serve seniors throughout.

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Maryland at home, allowing them to age in place.

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Hi, I'm earl millett, program director for the harry and jeanette weinberg foundation based out of owings mills, maryland.

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I'm so happy to talk about the work in baltimore county and the work in general of the weinberg foundation.

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The weinberg foundation is in its 30th year and has a focus on health,.

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Housing, jobs, and education., we also have a focus in six priority communities around the world,.

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Maryland being one of them, northeast pennsylvania,, new york,, san francisco,, chicago,, hawaii, and israel., with the maryland work,, there has always been a focus on older adults throughout all four of our priorities: health, housing, jobs, and education,, especially around health and housing..

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The best way for older adults to stay healthy and.

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Housed is in their own homes, where all of us want to be and want to stay.

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We are just thrilled with the work of the baltimore county department on aging and.

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Their age-friendly initiatives across.

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The board to help older adults do just that throughout the county.

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But what really excites us about bcause? Is it.

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Enables the weinberg foundation to support the program with capital funding.

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Half of the money that the weinberg foundation gives out annually is for capital funding.

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Traditional capital funding is to build affordable, housing,.

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Which the weinberg foundation does, to build pace, centers, program for all-inclusive care of the elderly,, otherwise known as adult day centers that are supported by medicare and medicaid programs., but also the trustees of the weinberg foundation, have adapted to allow capital to affect fixing up older adults, individual homes so that they can.

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Remain aging in community and we know age, healthier and happier.

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The bcause program is particularly unique for us because it's a collaboration,.

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Not just with the county, not just with four different non-profits throughout the county, but also with.

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The individual, older adults bringing service provision of what they want,.

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Of what the individual older adult needs.

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not coming with the prescriptive,, this is what we'll fix in your house,. This is what services we'll provide, but much more of.

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A what do you need and where can we help you age in place.,.

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So the harry and jeanette weinberg foundation trustees are very happy to support this expansion, and we're glad that other foundation, funding and other government funding and.

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Non-Profit support has been able to be brought into leverage and match that support.

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We look forward to continuing to find ways to help make baltimore county more age-friendly.

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I'm bonnie bessor and I am the executive director of rebuilding together baltimore.

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We are proud to be a founding partner in the bcause program.

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Bcause stands for baltimore county age-friendly upgrades for seniors.

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The program is being launched with financial support from.

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The harry and jeanette weinberg foundation and wesley incorporated.

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The organizations involved include the baltimore county department of aging,.

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Rebuilding together, baltimore, chai,.

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Civic works, and the dundalk renaissance corporation.

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The bcause program was developed after county executive johnny, olszewski.

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Recognized the need for increased home repair services for older adults in baltimore, county.

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It is widely known that over 90 percent of.

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Older adults want to stay in their homes and communities as they grow older, but there can be a significant gap between.

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That desire and their ability to modify and maintain their homes.

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Home modifications such as grab bars, shower seats,.

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Stair rails, and assistive devices plus larger repairs such as roof repair,.

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Plumbing, and electrical repair, and heating systems repairs can make a huge difference in.

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An older adult's ability to stay in.

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Their home and be safe and healthy in that home as they grow older.

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The bcause program will help address these types of.

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Repair needs for older adults who cannot afford them.

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Bcause is a replication of the highly successful hubs program in baltimore city.

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The hubs program has served over 1,500 households since 2015.

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We are excited to expand these vital repair services to baltimore county.

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We're going to take a short break, but when we return,.

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Learn more about bcause directly from our program's partners.

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Welcome back to the time of your life., I'm your host, ethel rasmussen.. Let's continue with part 2 of bcause to learn.

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More about the elements of the program directly from our partners.

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Hi,, I'm tasha gresham-james,.

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The housing initiatives manager at dundalk, renaissance and a part of the bcause program.

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Our eligibility requirements to apply for the program include:, you must be a county resident,.

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Your age must be 65 or older,.

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Your income must be at or below 50 percent of the area median income,.

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And you must be a homeowner. eligible repairs include, but are not limited to roof. Repair,.

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Plumbing, doors, windows, repairs to major systems such as hvac or furnace.

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Safety modifications include, grab bars,.

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Stair railings, and flooring.

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note,. All repairs and modifications are contingent upon the budget and necessity.

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Good morning., I'm tiffany nicollete.

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I am the vice president of housing and services for comprehensive housing assistance incorporated or chai.

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We are a partner in the bcause group with baltimore county.

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To access the bcause services, baltimore county residents should call the maryland access point of baltimore county.

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At 410-887-2594.

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They can call between the hours of 8:30 and 4:00 pm monday through friday.

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A certified referral specialist will walk the caller.

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Through eligibility criteria and the application for the program.

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If the caller meets the eligibility criteria,.

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Then they'll be referred to a community outreach, specialist or cos.

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That community outreach specialists will conduct an assessment over.

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The phone to determine the need for any additional programs,.

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Services, or benefits, and complete a screening to identify any fall, risks,.

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Potential hazards in the home,.

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And also any referrals to the occupational therapists.

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All approved home repairs are completed by technicians that are employed.

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By one of the partnering agencies, or an approved and vetted contractor.

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Once the work is complete,, the cos and someone from the partnering organization will follow up with the client,.

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Assess their satisfaction with the services and with the repairs.

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Hi,, my name is lauren averella.

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I'm the director of elder services at a non-profit, called civic works in baltimore.

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In our first year with bcause,, we will make home repairs and safety modifications for.

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At least 100 baltimore county households owned by older adults, with a lower income.

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Helping older, low-income homeowners maintain their homes,.

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Protects their primary financial assets..

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This program,, combined with the state planning,, helps with generational wealth transfers in keeping homes occupied.

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Aging in place,, in addition to being preferred by most seniors,.

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Is usually the most cost-effective living arrangement,.

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With home-based long-term care being significantly less expensive than the care in an institutional setting.,.

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Aging in place has proved to keep older adults healthier and.

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Longer by allowing them to remain in a place that they are comfortable living, in.

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Home safety modifications such as grab bars, extra railings,.

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Etc., greatly reduced the risk of falling.

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In closing, our two-part segment showcasing bcause,.

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We thank our partners for their time and expertise, knowing that.

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This new program can make a difference for so many older adults in baltimore, county.

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To learn more about bcause,, please call bcdas map at 410-887-2594.