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September 10, 2023
Our next meeting is Monday, September 11, 2023. Our meeting is from 9:30AM to 11:00AM. As a reminder we are meeting bi-monthly - twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. Our newsletter has moved to bi-monthly and will come out the Sunday before a Monday meeting.
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At this meeting Jeanette and Rich will lead us in a review of CCA Advocacy Committee sub-committees for the 2024 legislative session. We will also be looking for CCA members that want to be on one or more of the sub-committees. Jeanette and Rich will also share more information on 2024 legislative issues and possible bills being talked about by legislators.
View list of possible Sub-Committees - CLICK HERE
There has been discussion on 2024 legislative issues such as:
- Food resources suitable for older adults
- Internet access
- Colorado Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
- Dementia training for nursing homes
- Funding for area agencies on aging
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Questions about CCA Advocacy Committee
Jeanette Hensley - email - 303-249-5598
Co-Chair of CCA Advocacy Committee
Rich Mauro - email - Direct: 303-480-6778
Co-Chair of CCA Advocacy Committee and Senior Policy and Legislative Analyst Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG)
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Zoom Link for Monday's Meeting | |
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Topic: CCA: Advocacy Committee Meeting
9:30AM - 11:00AM/11:30AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8814815119?pwd=cXJGUFRVQ09kV1RzZ25QVG90RHBOQT09
Meeting ID: 881 481 5119
NEW Passcode: CCA2023#
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Meeting ID: 881 481 5119
Passcode: 01201897
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbZvU5bskJ
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News & Highlights from CCA & our Network | |
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Celebrate Workforce Development Month in September!
September 14, 2023
There is an exciting program coming up on September 14th (12-1 pm ET, 10-11 am MT) that is targeted to those who have a role in workforce development. This will be an opportunity to connect this sector to our newly created Age-Friendly Employers Guide and to call the attention of workforce development professionals to the compelling evidence about the benefits of engaging older workers.
RSVP here for Zoom link
https://encorenetwork.org/event/filling-the-talent-pipeline-with-workers-over-50/
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Colorado’s Workforce System Celebrates Annual Workforce Development Month
(DENVER) — The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) announced today that Gov. Jared Polis has declared September Workforce Development Month. An annual tradition celebrated nationwide, CDLE recognizes Workforce Development Month every year by bringing attention to the critical role workforce development services play in Colorado’s commitment to support a thriving environment for workers and employers throughout the state. Each week during Workforce Development Month, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) will focus on key themes that will shape our economy today and tomorrow. Week One is all about the Future Of Work. As the world of work continues to undergo massive changes due to artificial intelligence, automation, globalization, and other factors; CDLE and its Office of Future of Work will share resources that workers, employers, and communities have available to them to ensure their future prosperity in the workforce of today and tomorrow. Find the list of events online - READ MORE
Source https://cdle.colorado.gov/
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Leaving these programs in from our last newsletter ... | |
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The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program (VITA/TCE) - Join us today and help make a difference in our community!
VITA/TCE seeks volunteers to support free tax preparation, to help individuals and families in our community maximize the refunds they are eligible for. By volunteering, you’ll contribute to the financial well-being of your community. Each year, valuable VITA/TCE volunteers make a significant impact by ensuring that funds are returned to our fellow community members. Last year, our dedicated volunteers returned millions of dollars in tax credits and refunds to low and moderate-income Coloradans. Ready to volunteer? Sign up today!
Website www.getaheadcolorado.org/get-involved
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Apply for an ARPA 7.02 Member Emergency Preparedness
Surviving In Place Battery Backup Power Supply Systems
The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) has recognized the importance of being prepared for a power outage emergency for individuals utilizing life-sustaining medical devices. With funding made available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and in collaboration with The Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering (CIDE), we will be distributing Battery Backup Power Supply Systems to eligible Health First Colorado members, assisting them in having the necessary equipment to be better prepared and in maintaining their health, safety and independence. If you are interested in getting a Backup Power Supply System, please complete the application, found here. Once received, the application will be reviewed, information verified, and a determination made if the applicant qualifies. There is a limited supply and a final decision will be made on eligibility and the availability of devices. All applicants will be notified of their results within two months of receipt of the application. All questions should be directed to Julia Beems at 303-315-1284 or julia.beems@ucdenver.edu.
Battery Backup Application - CLICK HERE
More information about the project Surviving in Place - CLICK HERE
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CU Program for Low-Income Seniors: Senior Smiles
Patients who are currently participating in the CU Dental Team Care Clinics or those who are accepted through the CU School of Dental Medicine screening process and are age 60+, do not qualify for Medicaid or Old Age Pension Health and Medical Care Program, do not have private dental insurance, and their income is at or below 250% of the most current federal poverty guidelines based on family size, and are a Colorado Resident are eligible for Senior Smiles - LEARN MORE
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Community With High Medical Debt Questions Its Hospitals’ Charity Spending
PUEBLO, Colo. - "As 41% of American adults face medical debt, residents of this southern Colorado city contend their local nonprofit hospitals aren’t providing enough charity care to justify the millions in tax breaks they receive. The two hospitals in Pueblo, Parkview Medical Center and Centura St. Mary-Corwin, do not pay most federal or state taxes. In exchange for the tax break, they are required to spend money to improve the health of their communities, including providing free care to those who can’t afford their medical bills. Although the hospitals report tens of millions in annual community benefit spending, the vast majority of that is not spent on the types of things advocates and researchers contend actually create community benefits, such as charity care ..."
- READ MORE
Source https://kffhealthnews.org/
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Colorado’s county-administered SNAP system is flawed, advocacy groups say But a transition from a county-administered system to a statewide one would be long, complicated and expensive
"When Lisa Stevens submitted an application to renew her federal food assistance in September 2022, she noticed an error in her paperwork. On the application, a Mesa County official had accidentally added $400 to her monthly gross income and 16 extra hours of work, making her ineligible for help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP ..." - READ MORE
Source https://coloradosun.com
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Settlement reached in lawsuit alleging “pervasive” violations
of open meetings laws in Colorado House
"A settlement has been reached in the unusual lawsuit filed this summer by two Democratic state representatives alleging 'pervasive' violations of the state’s open meetings laws by members of the Colorado House. State Reps. Elisabeth Epps of Denver and Bob Marshall of Highlands Ranch offered Tuesday to enter into a court-enforced deal, known as a consent decree, with the Colorado House of Representatives, the chamber’s Democratic and Republican caucuses and partisan leadership in the chamber ..." - READ MORE
Source https://coloradosun.com
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A passenger rail line along Colorado’s Front Range - Front Range Rail planners want to start with bare-bones service
"District leaders tasked with planning and funding a passenger rail line along Colorado’s Front Range favor a relatively low-cost “starter service” to meet a push from Gov. Jared Polis to pursue federal funding and a 2024 ballot funding measure. A bare-bones rail line would share track with freight trains and operate only up to six trips a day, according to a 2020 analysis. Such an approach is estimated to cost about $2 billion to build, far less than the $8 billion to $14 billion it would take to build a line with its own tracks and much more frequent service ..." - READ MORE
Source https://www.cpr.org
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Why tech companies, schools and others are turning to an
old-school career path in Colorado
"Ying Wang’s living room in suburban Broomfield is decorated with pops of the color red: the toaster, the coffee machine, the wall calendar — all in shades of crimson. 'It’s kind of a happy color in my culture,' explained the 39-year-old, who emigrated from China with her husband. And it resonates with her personality, too ... And that’s just how she felt - eager and confident two years ago, when she first decided to return to the workforce after spending the past decade raising her three kids ... But after months without progress, her confidence began to waver ..." - READ MORE
Source https://www.cpr.org
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Federal judge declines to immediately block Colorado law meant
to persuade voters not to cut their taxes
"A federal judge Wednesday left in place a 2021 law intended to make it harder to persuade Colorado voters to cut their taxes, ruling against a conservative dark-money group suing to block the measure as it seeks to ask voters to cut sales and property taxes. House Bill 1321, passed by Democrats and signed by Gov. Jared Polis, requires any citizen-initiated ballot measure cutting taxes to include a warning about three programs and services that would be most affected by the cuts. (For state tax reductions, that’s likely to always be K-12 education, higher education, and health care policy and financing, namely Medicaid.) Advance Colorado, a political nonprofit, argues that the law violates their right to free speech by forcing them to mislead voters with “poison-pill language” since not all tax reductions will reduce funding because of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights ..." - READ MORE
Source https://coloradosun.com
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A Move to Cut Drug Prices Has Patients With Rare Diseases Worried
"For people with cystic fibrosis, like Sabrina Walker, Trikafta has been a life-changer.
Before she started taking the drug, she would wind up in the hospital for weeks at a time until antibiotics could eliminate the infections in her lungs. Every day, she would wear a vest that shook her body to loosen the mucus buildup. One particularly bad flare-up, known as a pulmonary exacerbation, had her coughing up blood in 2019, so she was put on the newly approved breakthrough medication ..." - READ MORE
Source https://kffhealthnews.org
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Thinking of swapping your lawn for a water-saving garden?
This nonprofit has a ‘plant-by-numbers’ service to help
"When Jessie Myers of Thornton looked out her window, she saw a kind of personal battlefield. The homeowner was waging a war to keep her grass green — and she was losing. 'We just bought our house a year ago and the lawn is south-facing,' Myers said. 'And we just could not keep it alive for the life of us, and honestly just refused to put any more water onto it because it wasn't doing any good.' So Myers quit the fight. She dug up every blade and planted a new garden - one that loves the sun and needs much less water than a traditional lawn ..." - READ MORE
Source https://www.cpr.org
Learn more about the Garden in a Box Program - https://resourcecentral.org/
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September 11, 2023
2023 Marks the 22nd Anniversary of the 9/11 Terror Attacks
The 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks is marked with solemn ceremonies across Colorado and the US. Search on 9/11 Ceremonies with your cities' name to find an event in your community. To learn more about 9/11 visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum website. This museum and website is the country’s principal institution concerned with exploring 9/11, documenting its impact, and examining its continuing significance. Honoring those who were killed in the 2001 and 1993 attacks is at the heart of our mission.
Source https://www.911memorial.org/
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September 14, 2023 - Thursday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM MT
Filling the Talent Pipeline with Workers over 50
Celebrate Workforce Development Month in September
The Encore Network invites you to join us in celebrating Workforce Development Month, commemorated each September by governmental organizations, businesses, and Chambers of Commerce. You will learn more about the role that over 650 Workforce Centers and Boards across the US play in supporting older adults in seeking and securing work. You will also learn about emerging workforce trends affecting older workers from five experts in a question-and-answer session. They include:
- Melanie Anderson – Interim Director & Executive Vice President, National Association of Workforce Boards
- Karen Brown – CEO, iAging & Commissioner, Colorado Commission on Aging
- Guadalupe Hirt – Blogger & Midlife Strategist, Dear Middlescent
- Helen Hirsh Spence – Founder & CEO, Top Sixty over Sixty
- Janine Vanderburg – Moderator – Co-Founder & Senior Strategist, Changing the Narrative
RSVP here for Zoom link
https://encorenetwork.org/event/filling-the-talent-pipeline-with-workers-over-50/
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September 26, 2023 - Tuesday, 7:30AM - 9:00AM
Eggs & the Economy: An In-Person Event
Location: AMG - Dome - Website
Address: 6295 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Join us for the Eggs & Economy on Tuesday, September 26th from 7:30 - 9:00AM. The event will be held in person on the third floor at AMG National Trust at 6295 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 and will be recorded. Can't make it in person? We will record the event, but online registration will not be available for this event. A recording will be available after the event at this link:
www.commonsenseinstituteco.org/events/past-events
Register for the In-Person Event
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eggs-the-economy-2023-september-tickets-596146820187?aff=oddtdtcreator
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September 28, 2023 - Thursday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM Pacific
Hearing and Balance Disorders in Older Adults Webinars
Webinars are free and open to the public. You do not need to be an ASA member to attend. Includes one complimentary Continuing Education (CE) credit. CE Application Guide To request speech-to-text captioning during this event, please contact us. Hearing loss and balance disorders increase with age. But did you know hearing and balance degenerate independently? This means they should be evaluated separately. Attend this one-hour webinar for an overview of hearing loss and balance disorders in older adults, including signs, symptoms and treatment options to help improve quality of life. The discussion covers tips to assess the conditions and effective communication strategies to integrate into your care setting.
Register Today
https://asaging.org/web-seminars/hearing-and-balance-disorders-older-adults
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October 7, 2023
Ageism Awareness Day Coming Up on Oct. 7th
Ageism Awareness Day on Saturday, October 7, 2023, is an opportunity to draw attention to the existence and impact of ageism in our society and how we can reframe aging in our communities. ASA’s Ageism & Culture Advisory Council has developed a variety of tools for our members to use as we combat ageism in our communities on Ageism Awareness Day. These include:
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Cyber-Seniors provides FREE technology support and training for senior citizens
Founded in 2015 by the creators of the award-winning documentary film CYBER-SENIORS, this non-profit organization provides senior citizens with tech-training using an intergenerational, volunteer model.
Website https://cyberseniors.org/
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CU Anschutz COAST-IT Program
The Multidisciplinary Center on Aging at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is actively reaching out to more older adults in the community for the COAST-IT (Connecting Older Adults and Students Through Inter-professional Telecare) program. Older adults will have the opportunity to engage with a student from either the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy, College of Nursing, or School of Dental Medicine programs to mentor the future generation of healthcare clinicians.
Contact Joanna Fitzgibbons at joanna.fitzgibbons@cuanschutz.edu for more information
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Denver Public Library Technology Classes & Workshops
From computer basics to digital privacy to applying for benefits online, Denver Public Library offers a variety of technology classes and workshops.
Website https://www.denverlibrary.org/techclasses
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Senior Planet
If you’re a senior aged 60 and older, these live online classes are designed just for you! Learn about finance, wellness, fitness, computers and technology, and so much more. You will also find a real community of fellow life-long learners.
Website https://seniorplanet.org/classes/
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Library Services through Strong Library
Thanks to Denver voters, Freegal Music+, an ad-free, unlimited streaming platform, and Statista, an easy-to-use portal for integrating statistics and reports, are available to anybody with a DPL library card. These new services are made possible because of #StrongLibraryStrongDenver, supported by the DPL Fund. Learn more here:
https://www.denverlibrary.org/stronglibrary_strongdenver
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CCA Advocacy Committee Summer-Fall Meetings 2023 | |
We are going into our summer-fall schedule where we will meet bi-monthly - twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. Our summer meetings will be from 9:30AM to 11:00AM. | |
If you are not a member of Colorado Center for Aging - Join Today! | |
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Colorado Center for Aging is a 501c3 non-profit organization,
born out of the roots of Colorado Senior Lobby (CSL) - LEARN MORE
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