If you're a social worker, nurse or nursing home administrator, you don't want to miss the networking, learning and inspiration at our annual Forum on Aging conference to be held August 24-25 at the Sharonville Convention Center in Cincinnati. Registration is now open until August 17, 2022.

The two-day event includes three keynotes, 16 workshops, 40 vendors and more than 400 of your colleagues gathering in person. And, you can earn up to 12 CEUs. Click here to register.

It's not too late to become a Forum on Aging 2022 sponsor. There are still opportunities available to make sure you're seen by the almost 500 professionals in the aging and disability field who attend the conference.

Click here for more info, or contact Amy Leonhardt at aleonhardt@help4seniors.org

In March, COA welcomed CPA Jack Morton as its Chief Financial Officer. In this role, Morton is part of COA’s Senior Leadership Team, and oversees the agency’s financial services activities, including accounting, finance and business intelligence. Prior to joining COA, Morton was Controller for the Cincinnati Opera. Read more.

Congratulations to COA Vice President of Program Operations Ken Wilson, who was named Ohio Association of Gerontology and Education’s 2021 Practitioner of the Year. The award recognizes individuals and organizations that either have improved services to older adults through research and evaluation or have developed noteworthy partnerships with institutions of higher learning for the betterment of Ohio’s elders. Read more.

If you’re interested in working for a mission-driven organization that values every team member’s unique skills, personality, background and experience AND would like to earn an extra $2,000, COA might be the place for you! We currently have openings in a variety of areas – many of them are remote!

Visit our website today to review our open positions. You can apply from there. We look forward to meeting you!

Council on Aging will present its draft 2023-2026 Strategic Area Plan at a public hearing, 1-2:30pm, July 8, 2022. Click here to learn more, including how to attend the meeting or submit feedback on the plan.

Council on Aging has merged its phone and faxing services to one provider. While individuals phone numbers remain the same, all fax numbers changed as of December 2021. If you frequently send faxes to teams and individuals at COA, please make note of our new fax numbers, listed here.

Have you had a good experience with Council on Aging - as a client, professional or community member? If so, we'd appreciate if you could take a few minutes to review COA on Google so others can learn about our programs.

If you have a Google account, click here. If you do not have a Google account, click here. Then look for the star rating, and click there to access the “Write a review” button.

A nationwide shortage of qualified home health workers is making it difficult to provide critical in-home care services for older adults in southwestern Ohio, but Council on Aging (COA) has added flexibility to its largest program – the Elderly Services Program (ESP) – so families have other options when they need care. Read more here.

If you know a home health aide or other home care provider who deserves recognition for providing high-quality care, nominate them for a COA Service Excellence Award. Home health aides who are nominated for a Service Excellence Award will be considered for COA's annual Home Health Aide Hero award.

Nominations must be submitted by May 31 to be considered for this year's Hero award, to be given at Council on Aging's 2022 Forum in August. Any submission after that date will be considered for next year.

Click here to submit a nomination and learn more about COA's Service Excellence Award program.

Hamilton County Commissioners have partnered with Council on Aging to launch a new Senior Utility Assistance and Home Repair Program. The program came about after commissioners heard from senior citizens throughout Hamilton County who are ineligible for existing assistance programs because of strict income limitations. This program aims to serve those who are falling between the cracks of other available relief and assistance programs and whose independence may be jeopardized by the threat of utility shut off or home inaccessibility issues. Click here to learn more and apply for assistance.

Hamilton County is assessing its broadband internet needs for families and businesses to help guide the investment of $10 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds. Hamilton County Commissioners are asking for public input through the Hamilton County Broadband Survey to help map accessibility, reliability, and affordability of the internet countywide. Give your input by completing the survey here.

Warren county residents over the age of 65 account for more than 13 percent (13.2) of the county's population of 246,553.

Some 2,600 Warren County older adults qualify for and receive assistance through the county's Elderly Service Program (ESP). ESP provides basic services including meals, transportation and electronic monitoring services to help older adults live safely and independently in their own homes. Through ESP, older adults can also hire their own workers.

Clermont Senior Services is hosting a Senior Living Expo and Consumer Protection Forum on Thursday, June 2. The FREE event is 10 am - 2 pm at Crossroads East Side and will highlight information about adult day services, caregiver support, home care and more. No registration is required to attend. Read more here.

Thanks to a new COA congregate meal program at the MidPointe Library in West Chester Township, friends new and old have been gathering to play cards, enjoy each other's company and share a meal. Click here to read more.

The Clinton County Elderly Services Program (ESP) provides services for many Clinton County residents to help them remain safe and independent at home, including the "James Brown" of Wilmington. Click here to read more.

Council on Aging continues to help individuals connect with vaccine providers: scheduling appointments, arranging for transportation to appointments and helping people get vaccinated in their homes.

Boosters are an important part of protecting yourself from getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19. and are recommended for most people. To learn the latest guidelines from the CDC, click here.

Every May, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) leads the nation's observance of Older Americans Month. In 2022, ACL is focusing on aging in place - how older adults can plan to stay in their homes and live independently in their communities for as long as possible. The 2022 theme, Age My Way, is an opportunity for all of us to explore the many options in our community. Learn more here.

Click here to see a video message about OAM from Governor Mike DeWine.

There’s only a short amount of time left to submit applications for assistance with heating bills through the Home Energy Assistance Program. For more information, visit our website.

It’s no secret that mental health plays a critical role in a person’s overall health and wellbeing. At Council on Aging, we are laser-focused on supporting the health and wellbeing of older adults, so paying attention to a person’s quality of mental health is important to us.

In acknowledgement of May as Mental Health Awareness month, we asked a COA volunteer to share her story. Click here to learn thoughts from Yolonda Kelsor, retired educator and current volunteer with National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Council on Aging.

There are ways to manage your health to help you live life to its fullest. Council on Aging partners with the Ohio Department of Aging, Maine Health and the Self Management Resource Center to offer free workshops that focus on practical ways to help you take control of your health and wellness needs. We have workshops that focus on Diabetes, Chronic Disease, Chronic Pain, Fall Prevention and Caregiving. Read more here.

Make sure to read the article above from Yolonda - a volunteer leader in our workshops.

We are now accepting applications for this year's USDA Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. If you have participated in the program in the past, know you must re-apply to be eligible each year. You will not automatically be enrolled in the program from year to year. To qualify for $50 in coupons to spend on fresh local produce at participating farmers' markets and farm stands, older adults in our five-county service area must be 60 or older, with a household income less than 185% of the poverty level. Get details and apply here.

As people age, coping with stress isn't as easy as it once was. "We tend to have less resilience to stress [when we age]," says Dr. Michelle Dossett, Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine. Read more here.

Building strength and increasing flexibility are not the only ways to reduce your chances of a fall. Click here to learn what AARP has to say.

Watch this video to learn three, simple balance exercises you can do each day.

You can still exercise even if you have a health condition like heart disease, arthritis, chronic pain, high blood pressure or diabetes. In fact, physical activity may help. Learn more here.

Be part of our free Health and Wellness workshops to learn how to better manage your own health.