MEDIA CONTACT: Rebecca Roberts
robertsr@elderaffairs.org
850-414-2142

​Event Webinar Link

~ Elder Affairs to Host Statewide Virtual Conference Honoring Older Adults ~
   
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.,– The Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) is hosting a statewide virtual event on Thursday, June 18 in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). The purpose of the WEAAD webinar is to build safer communities for Florida’s 5.5 million older adults and to encourage attendees to recognize elder abuse and how to report abuse to authorities.

June 15 is the official day for worldwide awareness of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation and all Floridians are encouraged to wear purple to focus attention on the growing problem of elder abuse. In years past, live events were hosted throughout the month of June to honor elders and educate the public on elder abuse. This year, due to COVID-19, DOEA is hosting a virtual event webinar to further ensure the safety of Florida’s older population.

“Preventing abuse of older adults and understanding the signs of elder abuse is in the best interest of all Floridians,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. “ When we empower Florida’s older population to live safe, self-sufficient, and independent lives, then we contribute to the quality of life in all our communities.”

“Florida’s elders should be treated with respect and dignity to enable them to continue to live vibrant lives and serve as leaders, mentors, and volunteers,” said Florida Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Richard Prudom. “They must remain important and active members of society without the threat of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.”

The DOEA webinar event on June 18 will feature keynote speakers on Elder Abuse Prevention including: Statewide Training Coordinator, Heather Conley, Florida Department of Children and Families; Special Agent in Charge, Omar Perez Aybar, U.S. Office of the Inspector General HHS; Special Agent, FBI Jacksonville Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Inspector Adel Valdes, U.S. Postal Inspectors Office.

The DOEA Elder Abuse Prevention Program works to educate all Floridians, including seniors, caregivers, family members, and Aging Network professionals about the prevention of abuse and how to report it.

Thursday, June 18, 2020
9:00 a.m.
Event Webinar Link
Event Contact: Allison Bryant
Statewide Elder Abuse Prevention Coordinator
850-414-2072


If you are a victim or suspect elder abuse, please contact the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873). If you would like more information about the Department’s Elder Abuse Prevention Program, contact DOEA at 850-414-2000.
###

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs, the State Unit on Aging, helps Florida’s elders to remain healthy, safe, and independent. The Department provides most direct services through its Division of Statewide Community-Based Services, which works through the state’s 11 Area Agencies on Aging and local service providers to deliver essential services to a vital segment of the population. For more information, please visit www.elderaffairs.org.

​The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas (AAAPP), a local nonprofit organization focused on coordinating services to keep seniors healthy and independent, has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with innovative programming to support seniors.

The program, known as “Dining Out at Home,” involves partnering with local restaurants to safely serve seniors meals at home while also supporting the local economy. This initiative is part of a statewide effort championed by the Department of Elder Affairs, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. AAAPP and its nutrition providers, Pasco County Nutrition and Neighborly Care Network, will contract directly with local restaurants to provide home-delivered meals to local seniors in need.

“We’re just seeing a real need for seniors to get food, and on the other side, a real need for restaurants to be able to keep their doors open. So we thought this was a real interesting way that we could help many more seniors and our local economy,” said Ann Marie Winter, Executive Director.  “For us, it was a real win-win.”

Each year, AAAPP serves more than 50,000 local older adults through a variety of programs, including home meal delivery, transportation, adult day care, health and wellbeing programming, and information and referral services provided through the Elder Helpline. The Agency accomplishes this through a network of local non-profit and for-profit partnerships. The Dining Out at Home program taps into this network of partners to directly address issues seniors are experiencing related to social distancing measures put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Please email DiningOutAtHome@AAAPP.org.

Please note, the following will be required for restaurants interested in participating in the program:

• Restaurants will be required to follow approved meal patterns
• Restaurants must be licensed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulations and must maintain current liability insurance
• Restaurants must demonstrate food safety certification
• Restaurant health and sanitation history will be reviewed for closures and violations

​Pinellas residents, please call Neighborly Care Network: 727 – 573 – 9444

Pasco residents, please call Pasco County Senior Services: 727 – 834 – 3340

​The COVID-19 outbreak has led to many local groups looking for a way to check in with neighbors, friends, loved ones, and the members of our community who may need support the most right now. Telephone reassurance has been popping up across communities, so we have developed this page to coordinate and connect individuals looking to assist, or looking for an individual to reach out to them.

We encourage you to submit a request to be called through one of our trusted partners:

AARP’s Community Connections Program – Nationwide

Seniors in Service TelePals Program – Pasco Only

St. Pete resident? Visit  www.StPete.Org/CallFromCityHall

If you need help now, reach out to the Directions for Living Emotional Support Line at (727) 524-4464; Dial Ext. 1001 Monday – Sunday 8 am – 8 pm.

Please note this is for emotional support only; if it is a mental health emergency, please call the PEMHS Crisis Hotline at 727-541-4628. 

If you have a group interested in providing telephone reassurance, please reach out to us. We will provide you with a template script, a reporting tool, and training.
Resources to offer seniors on calls:
​

• Our COVID-19 resource list, updated daily
• More coming soon!

The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas is committed to the health and well-being of seniors, adults with disabilities, family caregivers and our staff. With the increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases in our region and the declaration of a national emergency, we have created this page to keep you up-to-date on the operations of the Area Agency on Aging Pasco – Pinellas and provide helpful resources and information.

CDC – “Clara” COVID-19 Symptom Self-Checker:
This is a great tool if you believe you may be experiencing symptoms of COVID – 19. Find it here.
Symptoms Self-Checker
COVID-19 symptom information in American Sign Language.
Vaccine Information:
Centers for Disease Control:  Read latest on vaccines

​The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas has been selected as one of 11 Innovation in the Health Care System grant recipients statewide for funding from the Florida Blue Foundation. The three-year, $300,000 grant will fund the AAAPP Senior Community Health Program, which strengthens linkages between medical and social service providers to improve access and health outcomes for under-resourced seniors.

“Area Agencies on Aging have been on the front lines of addressing the social determinants of health of low-income and under-resourced seniors for more than 40 years,” said Ann Marie Winter, Executive Director of AAAPP. “Historically, these services have not been systematically or strategically connected to the healthcare system, also serving these same seniors. By joining forces, we are addressing head on the circumstances and situations that cause the older adults in our community to decline physically and mentally and turn to the emergency room for assistance. Keeping them healthy and safe not only enhances their quality of life, but keeps our community from undue costs related to their healthcare.”

The program currently operates out of the Baycare Turley Family Health Center in Clearwater and the WellMed Clinic in St. Petersburg. Funding from the Florida Blue Foundation will equip AAAPP to serve more seniors in the current sites and expand into Pasco County, with a newly developed partnership with the Medical Center of Trinity, an HCA Hospital.

 

You can find the full press release here.

The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas is a non-profit organization that has been serving seniors and individuals with disabilities in our community since 1974. We serve as the Aging and Disability Resource Center for the entire two county area, providing an initial entry point for all aging and disability social services and coordinating a network of partners and providers to better meet the needs of our aging population. Our mission is to be a trusted resource to advocate, educate and empower seniors, adults with disabilities and caregivers which promotes independence, in partnership with the community. Find out more at www.AgingCareFL.org.

Florida Blue Foundation enables healthy communities by making grants, building coalitions and rewarding best practices. More than three million people in Florida have received direct health services as a result of grants made to nonprofit organizations since its founding in 2001. Florida Blue Foundation is a trade name of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation, Inc., an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.floridabluefoundation.com.