Baltimore County, MD Time of Your LIfe, 4 May 2021

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From YouTube: BCDA's Senior Centers--Get Ready for Reopening News

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Jill P. Hall, Chief, Senior Centers and Community Services,
Baltimore County Department of Aging.

Hosted by Ethel Rasmussen MA, Manager, Office of Communications
Baltimore County Department of Aging.

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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.

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as always,. The time of your life is about sharing resources for living your best life and dedicated to keeping you well-informed about the programs and services that are especially designed 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 abundance of printed resources.,.

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

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Because of today's theme,, we want to begin the show by sharing baltimore county government's policy on diversity,, equity, and inclusion..

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It is the county's policy to strongly support and provide diversity, equity,.

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And inclusion in all of baltimore county's programs and services for all county employees,.

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Residents, visitors, and stakeholders.

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today's show is a special one, because it's showcases.

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Baltimore county's department of aging's resilience of.

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Lgbtq plus and elders safe space, series.

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With us to share information about our new workshops and.

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Celebratory virtual pride parade is jacqueline, lofton,.

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Director of the woodlawn senior center at the baltimore county department of aging.

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To continue the show's theme of promoting inclusivity,.

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We will provide some insight to some of the challenges faced by the lgbtqia community.

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Also on today's show is dion coleman, licensed social worker to share her expertise..

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The time of your life concludes with debbie orlove, community business liaison at the baltimore county department of aging.

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Debbie shares exciting information about what's happening at baltimore county senior centers..

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Let's start the show. senior centers have been closed for over one year due to covid.

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With us today is jill hall, division, chief of senior centers and community services at.

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The baltimore county department of aging to share information about reopening bcda senior centers.

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Jill, welcome to the show. thank you.. It's a pleasure to be here.

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due to health precautions related to covid,, bcda's 20 senior centers have been closed since last. March.

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Can you share information about these closures and how you have engaged and supported members during this time?

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I can't believe that we've been closed for more than a year.

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I'm really proud of the staff and the way they were able to quickly transfer from doing.

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All their activities in-person to moving over to a virtual and a telephone, environment.

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Once the pandemic started,, we began by calling all our members,.

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Just checking in with them, seeing how they were doing, if they had any questions about what was happening,.

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If they needed any food resources or other kinds of community supports.,.

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Just to have a way.

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That helped the anxiety that was occurring with all the news about covid pandemic.

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We found it really helped to have a caring person contact them.

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Then after we did that initial phone contact,.

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We started giving them information on opportunities that were available online.

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But we did find there were a number who lack.

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The computer technology or the internet access to join us online,.

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So we started a computer gifting program where we're giving.

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Out computer tablets to individuals who meet the eligibility requirements.

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That comes with a two-year data plan, so they can join in on our online programs.

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We also try to connect with our members through a drive through events where they could pull through with their cars,, see the staff,.

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We could get some eyes on them and see how they were doing and handout things like.

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Restaurant meals or activity sheets or newsletters, and things like that.

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What an effort. I understand, the reopening of some senior centers are currently in the works., what types of precautions that will be made to secure the well-being of senior center members and staff once the centers reopen?.

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We take this very, very seriously..

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We know our members trust us to keep them safe and we.

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Want to make sure we're doing everything we can to ensure that happens.

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Over the past year,, our staff have met many times to discuss how we could reopen in.

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A safe and cautious way for all the members and the volunteers, as well as the staff.

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We compared notes with senior centers across maryland, as well as.

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Across the country to find out what they were doing and learn best practices.

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We've come up with an eight-phase. Plan, seems like a lot,.

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But we are currently in phase 1,.

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Which is where we brought all the staff back..

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They started going back into the centers last week and you'll notice. When you come to the buildings,.

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They've all been thoroughly cleaned..

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We've moved some of the furniture around, so we can ensure the six-foot distancing.

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We've installed plastic barriers,. We have a lot more signage and distance markers out there.

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We've established a lot of protocols now so that when you come up to.

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The building you'll be greeted by somebody who ask you to go through the screening.

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You'll have to wear a mask at times when in the building and maintain.

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That six feet distance and you'll get your temperature checked before you can come in.

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We are only opening our nine largest centers because when.

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We looked at how to safely put people six feet, apart,.

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It was very difficult in the small centers to be able to get very many people in the building.

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Only the nine largest centers will be opened, and a lot of the information that we have about reopening will be.

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Put on the county department of aging website, so you can go there and and refer to the information there.

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As we move through the phases, phases, 2 and 3 involve an orientation and a registration process.

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We're going to start with the volunteers first and then move into the general membership.

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Everybody will have to come: in, watch the orientation, video, and register for the coming year.

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During this time, when we have people in the building, we're also doubling our custodial staff,, so they can do ongoing cleaning of all the high traffic areas throughout.

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The day and make sure that, as we turn over the rooms from the orientations,.

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They do a thorough cleaning in-between., we're very confident that we're following all the proper precautions that have been set.

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Out by the cdc and our county health officer,, dr. branch.,.

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Can you share what senior center of members can anticipate with the continuation of.

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Virtual programming on site classes and fitness or exercise studios?.

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Once we've had a large number of people attend the the orientation and registration sessions, we're going to be opening up in phase 4 to in-person programming and fitness centers.

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The fitness centers will be opened by appointment, only,.

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So you will have to sign up for your time, and because it's been more than a year, all fitness members are going to have to.

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Redo all their medical clearance forms and consents prior to their first visit;.

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But then we will be offering classes.

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Again, you'll have to sign up and it's by appointment, only.

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Unfortunately, we don't want people dropping into the center to visit at this point in time.

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But because we know that a lot of people won't be able to get into.

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Perhaps the classes, if there's a high demand and fewer spaces than normal,.

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We'll be trying to offer all our popular programs as.

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A hybrid model or continue doing them virtually until we can bring them back in person.

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We found that over the past year about 40 percent of our members.

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Have participated in the virtual programs and they really enjoy that.

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It's been a great way for people to connect with members across.

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The county, as well as sometimes in other parts of the country.

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Jill, will the eating together program function once the designated centers reopen?.

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Not in its way that it usually did in the past.

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What we have found over the last year is we've had.

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A very successful bulk food distribution, program,.

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And we are going to continue that., you get a food kit of shelf-stable meals,.

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Fresh produce and dairy products in three boxes and we're going to continue that,.

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But we're going to add it at all: nine sites.

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individuals will be able to register, again, online or by telephone and sign up for their boxes. Each week.

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We will only be bringing back.

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The congregate dining program once we're back in.

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The center, with all the programs and there's more people in the building.

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We will continue to do the farmer's market. Coupons.

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they'll be coming out in june, again,, with an online telephone registration, process.

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We hope that everybody will continue to take part in.

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The bulk food program until we can go back to congregate, dining.

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in closing,, is there.

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Any other information you would like to share with our viewing audience?.

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Yes., I just want to thank everybody for.

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Their patience and support during the past year., our staff have tried very hard to keep everybody connected and engaged with our programs.

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But I know it's not same as seeing everybody in person.

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We know it's been very isolating for individuals,.

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So just remember our social work staff are available.

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If anybody wants to talk or if you have any sense of anxiety about going back into.

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The centers they are available to discuss that with you.

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If you're a center volunteer and you're interested in coming back and resuming your volunteer duties,, I encourage you to contact your staff at the nine centers that are open.

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I'd also encourage everybody to get vaccinated.

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the more people we get vaccinated, the sooner we can move through this process and go to be opening.

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Jill,, thank you for being on the show today.

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It's been my pleasure. thank you.

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We're going to take a short break, but first,.

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We would like to offer a special thank you to be bcda sponsors of our senior solutions conference for professionals.