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Monthly News & Updates:
Nov. 2017
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Buckeye Hills President Ron Moore; Buckeye Hills Executive Director Misty Casto; Andrea Boxill, Deputy Director of the Governor's Cabinet Opiate Action Team and Buckeye Hills Vice-President Lenny Eliason at the October Semi-Annual meeting.
Semi-Annual General Policy Council Meeting Highlights Region's Opioid Epidemic
The
October
Semi-Annual meeting of the Buckeye Hills General Policy Council provided
business updates and chilling facts on the state and regional opioid epidemic.
Featured speaker Andrea Boxill, Deputy Director of the Governor's Cabinet Opiate Action Team at the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services shared personal stories and details on the state's efforts.
Over a million Ohioans are currently or have previously experienced a substance use disorder. Like heart disease and diabetes, addiction is a chronic disease that requires chronic treatment. Boxill shared the history of other national opioid epidemics, current statistics and the signs and symptoms of addiction.
If one in five Americans reports having a family member addicted to painkillers, then chances are your place of employment has an employee who is addicted. She shared the cost impacts to employers and that it still remains less-costly to rehabilitate an employee than to terminate them.
Also sharing updates were Ohio Representative Jay Edwards (94th District) and Representative Andy Thompson (95th District).
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Ohio Representative Jay Edwards (94th District)
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Ohio Representative Andy Thompson (95th District)
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The October semi-annual meeting was sponsored by AT&T, Bricker & Eckler, AEP, DLZ and Environmental Design Group.
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OhioHealth Celebrates New Mobile Mammography Resource
With an audience wearing mostly shades of pink in honor of October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Nelsonville-area community gathered to celebrate a new regional resource in the fight against breast cancer.
The Athens Board of County Commissioners supported the project with a letter to the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Ohio Governor's Office of Appalachia for grant funding stating, "the mobile mammography program will be the first program providing accessible, advanced screening mammography in under-served areas in the Southeastern Ohio region."
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At the celebration were Buckeye Hills Development Specialist III, Melissa Zoller; Athens County Commissioner and Vice President of Buckeye Hills Regional Council Lenny Eliason; Buckeye Hills Development Director Bret Allphin; and from the Ohio Governor's Office of Appalachia Director Jason Wilson and Julia Hinten.
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Celebrating the new Athens roundabout and commercial access road aptly named North 1804 Way, in honor of the founding year of the project's largest contributor - Ohio University, from left, are Bret Allphin, Buckeye Hills Development Director; Fred Vogel of the Ohio Department of Transportation's Division of Jobs and Commerce; Athens Mayor and Buckeye Hills Executive Committee Member Steve Patterson and Julia Hinten from the Ohio Development Services Administration.
Athens Unveils New Roundabout & Commercial Access Road
(N. 1804 Way)
Many local, state and regional partners gathered at the new $2.1 million Stimson Avenue roundabout to celebrate progress and greater access to the city of Athens via US 33 & 50.
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This access road and roundabout is a premier example of where the Athens and Ohio University communities are able to band together to leverage local resources with state and federal resources to complete a project that promotes local and regional economic development, advances the Ohio University Campus Master Plan, and provides yet another attractive City of Athens gateway," said Andy Stone, Director of the Athens Engineering and Public Works Department.
With the redevelopment of Athens Mold & Machine and the need for tractor-trailer access, Athens contacted Buckeye Hills, ODOT District 10 and the Athens Economic Development Council to seek funding.
"We were able to elevate the Athens access road to the top of the Appalachian Regional Council's Access Road project list," said Bret Allphin, Buckeye Hills Development Director. "We were pleased that the project received $500,000 in access road funding through ARC (administered through ODOT)."
Allphin added that the region is gaining additional roundabouts as they are considered state-of-the-art in protecting the health, safety and welfare of the traveling public and in moving freight.
In addition to ARC, other key partners in the project included: Ohio University (who donated land and funding of $750,000); The Ohio Development Services Agency Roadwork Development Grant (629) of $300,000; ODOT Division of Jobs & Commerce, $100,000; the
City of Athens, $497,193 and local business, Jackie O's, donated $10-15,000 for trees.
Leaders in Athens are thrilled to see motorists safely entering and exiting the city through a new roundabout, commercial traffic accessing Athens Mold and Machine and Jackie O's and cyclists and pedestrians using the shared use paths and sidewalks.
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Buckeye Hills Hosts Regional Aging State Plan Forum
From left: Ohio Department of Aging team members Treasure Miller and Berrie Mabins; AAA9 Director Jim Endly; Buckeye Hills Regional Council Aging & Disability Director Jennifer Westfall; and Ohio Department of Aging team members Jane Byrnes and Ashley Davis.
Buckeye Hills was host to The Ohio Department of Aging regional discussion with leaders from across Southeast Ohio on the plans for the 2019-2022 State Plan on Aging. Caregivers, elders, providers, partners and staff from the Appalachian regions (AAA7, Buckeye Hills & AAA9) shared input.
Did you Know?
- 16% of Ohioans are 65 years+ (1.8 million)
- 42.1% of Grandparents are caring for grandchildren
- 34.6% of the 65+ population is living with a disability
- 87% of adults 65+ want to remain in their current home and community as they age
- 27 Ohio counties have no public transit service
- 7.6% of the state's 65+ population is living in poverty
- 10.6% of the Buckeye Hills Region elders are in poverty
- Only 40% of eligible seniors (60+) are enrolled in SNAP
- 60% of Ohio households have had to choose between food and medical care
- 4 out of 5 (80.3%) of Ohioans age 65+ have at least one chronic condition
Source: Ohio Department of Aging
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Statewide Needs Assessment Survey Announced
The Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) recently announced its 2017 Statewide Needs Assessment Survey. Results from this survey will guide ODA in the development of a tailored 2019-2022 State Plan
on Aging that meets the unique needs of older Ohioans, their respective, caregivers and the aging network workforce. This survey, along with the recent statewide regional forums and other data sources will inform Ohio's State Plan. The survey is currently open and will close Thursday, November 30, 2017.
Within this survey, there are 51 multiple choice questions with some having the option to write in responses which may not appear in the answer selections provided. The final topics and questions
selected for ODA's Needs Assessment are a result of thorough background research on local, state and federal level assessments as well as assessing viable data resources from other credible entities.
The topics that are included in the survey are described below:
- Health, Wellness, and Prevention: Physical activity, nutrition and food assistance, oral health, vision health, hearing, tobacco use, falls
- Volunteerism: Volunteering status and information
- Caregiver Support: Caregiver status, time commitment, reason for being a caregiver
- Independent Living: Transportation and mobility, assistance with in-home needs, emergency preparedness, best practices for communicating with older adults, isolation, elder abuse, physical environment
- Community: Rural or urban, importance of aging in place
- Demographics: County, age, race, gender, income level, education level, employment status.
The survey responses will be anonymous and will not be tied to an individual survey participant. You are also encouraged to forward the survey link to other older adults and caregivers.
The survey will be shared statewide to the aging network, local health districts, and other relevant partners. The final report of the Needs Assessment findings and data from the regional forums will be shared early next year.
Take/Share the Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017OhioOlderAdultsNeedsAssessment
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Regional Lifestyle Change Network Building Momentum
As the lead agency for the Southeast Ohio Aging & Disability Resource Network (ADRN), Buckeye Hills Regional Council has worked to build a Lifestyle Change Network. This partnership of agencies focuses on developing and connecting people to community resources that support healthy living.
Our network provides health and wellness focused education and activities. Individuals can learn how to manage chronic conditions, pain, diabetes, prevent falls and much more. Workshops and activities are scheduled in the region. Want to know more? Call 1-800-331-2644 Option #5 or visit www.buckeyehills.org.
A recent evidence-based health education class hosted at Buckeye Hills Regional Council.
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Dates to Note:
Starting Nov. 7! Matter of Balance Falls Prevention Education
Nov. 7, 9, 14, 16, 28, 30 & Dec. 5, 7
Hosted by: Memorial Health System and Washington County Health Department at the office of Buckeye Hills Regional Council (1400 Pike St. - Marietta), classes will be held from 10a.m. to Noon Tuesdays and Thursdays for four weeks. We will not meet the week of Thanksgiving. To register contact Barb Felton at 740-376-1924.
- anyone concerned about falls
- anyone interested in improving balance, flexibility and strength
- anyone who has fallen in the past or
- anyone who has restricted activities because of falling concerns
Nov. 29 - Fair Housing Act & The Rights of People with Disabilities Program
at Buckeye Hills (1400 Pike St. - Marietta) from 10-11 a.m. (Open to Public) Download a flyer
Topics covered will include protections under the Fair Housing Act for people with disabilities and unlawful discrimination (including a failure to accommodate one's disabilities, like allowing a service animal or emotional support animal, or an accessible parking space, or physical modifications to one's apartment) and how to handle such issues with one's landlord or housing provider.
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Buckeye Hills Regional Council
740-374-9436 or 740-373-6400 | 1400 Pike St. - Marietta, OH 45750
www.buckeyehills.org
Misty Casto: Executive Director
Rick Hindman, Asst. Executive Director
Bret Allphin - Development Director
Jennifer Westfall - Aging & Disability Program Director
Buckeye Hills Regional Council is organized as a voluntary organization of local government political subdivisions to foster cooperative efforts in regional planning, and implementing of regional plans and programs.
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We're on LinkedIn!
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