February 11, 2020
Welcome to this weeks installment of our Aging Network 2020 Census Newsletter. In this email, you'll find links to our most recent webinars, tips for your 2020 Census outreach and other information. We are adding to our webpage, so be sure to bookmark: ageoptions.org/gallery/2020Census/

We will be sending emails like this to keep you connected to our outreach efforts. Please use these resources and reach out to us for support.
Resources

Group Quarters and LTC Facilities; Resources Review; How Aging Service Agencies Can Embed the Census in Their Everyday Work (2/11)


For these resources and more, visit our Aging Network 2020 Census Resource webpage: http://ageoptions.org/gallery/2020Census/
Upcoming Webinars
CLICK ON THE TITLE TO REGISTER!!!!

February 18th, 2020 1-2:30 CST

February 25th, 2020 1-2pm CST

We are planning to host webinars every Tuesday at 1 pm CST, so stay tuned for topics and registration!
Why Is the Census Important to Illinois and Your Community

We learned on this week's webinar about counting Group Quarters and the homeless. The Bureau has an intense three day effort to count people experiencing homelessness. You can read more about this process HERE

The Census uses the Group Quarters Enumeration Process to help get a count of people living in our long term care facilities, colleges, prisons, and the military. This is a reminder that everyone person living in our communities count!
Social media is a great place to spread the message that everyone counts in the 2020 Census. However, social media is also a place where misinformation can spread unchecked. A study from the National Institutes of Health shows that what we see on social media can affect our behavior in the real world. This means misinformation online could cause people not to respond to the Census.

Facts are the best tools to push back against misinformation. As trusted community voices, organizations like you have a powerful voice in combating misinformation. The Census Bureau is working to combat potential misinformation on social media. You can reach out to the Bureau on their social media accounts (@USCensusBureau) to ask questions and flag suspicious information. To read more about the Census Bureau's efforts, read their article " Putting 2020 Census Rumors to Rest."
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Helpful Tips

Jason and Lucia also went thought 10 tips to Promote the Census at your organization.
  1. Become a Census Partner with the Census Bureau!
  2. Create something interactive where clients can share WHY the Census matters to them (something on social media that invites comments or a banner where people can write their "why")
  3. Add 2-3 slides to any community presentation you are doing to remind about the Census
  4. Hang posters or signs about the 2020 Census in your waiting area
  5. Include a brief 2020 Census message in your agency’s (and staff’s) voicemail
  6. Add the Census to your website and email signature
  7. End your information & assistance calls with a reminder about the Census
  8. Have 2020 Census handouts in every packet to consumers
  9. Use your other media connections – radio, TV, etc
  10. Use social media & have fun! Plan for the photos you can take.


FAQ's

AgeOptions is maintaining a list of question & answers about the 2020 Census you can view here. We feature select questions here. to see the full list click here , and if you have a question, submit it with this form .

1) How are residents of long-term care facilities counted in the Census?
  • Long-term care facilities are considered Group Quarters by the Census Bureau for the 2020 Census. This includes skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, supportive living facilities, and any other facility covered by the Illinois Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Group Quarters are counted differently. 
  • The Census Bureau contacts administrators at facilities in what is called Group Quarters Advance Contact: https://2020census.gov/en/conducting-the-count/gq/gqac.html. Letters were mailed in January and during February Census Bureau employees will call or visit to explain the process.
  • During Advance Contact, the Census Bureau employee presents the administrator with five ways their residents can be counted. The administrator chooses the method that best fits for their facility to count the people living in the facility on April 1, 2020. Next steps differ for each method.  
  • Read more about Group Quarters Enumeration here: https://2020census.gov/en/conducting-the-count/gq/gqe.html 

2) What about residents in independent senior living communities – are they considered Group Quarters?
  • Residents of independent living communities will receive an invitation to respond to the census only if they typically do receive their own mail.
  • If they do not, then that facility would fall under the Group Quarters operation.

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