AGING SUMMIT 2003
CHANGING THE MIND SET
May 14, 2003
Office of Institutional and Community Planning
El Paso Community College
Table of Contents
I.
Introduction .................................................................................3
II.
Topic I:
Service Delivery..........................................................................4
III.
Topic II:
Policy & Program .......................................................................8
IV.
Topic III:
Consumer Inclusion & Community Empowerment............................11
V.
Appendix
 Participants .....................................................................13
 Agenda ............................................................................17
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Introduction
The Paso del Norte Health Foundation Ageless Health Initiative, Rio Grande Area Agency on
Aging, SALSA Partnership (Successful Aging through Long Term Strategic Alliances), Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation’s Community Partnerships for Older Adults Program, The City of
El Paso Social Services Division, and The El Paso Community College Institutional and
Community Planning Office, along with many other community participants and consumers,
convened on May 14, 2003, in a concerted effort to address a community-based response to
successful aging as a continuation and follow-up to “THE AGING SUMMIT 2001,
CHANGING THE MIND SET” strategic planning session.
At the 2003 Summit, participants had the opportunity to listen to experts in their fields and key
presenters on the three selected topics before choosing a breakout session of their choice, from
the following:
 Service Delivery
 Policy & Program
 Consumer Inclusion & Community Empowerment
The goal of the 2003 Strategic Planning session was to identify needed services, necessary
support policies and programs, and mechanisms to foster consumer inclusion and community
empowerment to promote successful aging. An over-arching goal of the session was to work
toward engaging seniors and future seniors actively with service providers to create a life-long
continuum of overall health and wellness. Quality of life issues, independence, and consumer
choices in identifying policy needs and service delivery methods were addressed throughout the
summit.
A premise underlying the 2003 Summit was that changing the traditional United States mind set
on aging in our local community from “I’m old, or aging and there’s nothing I can do to improve
my quality of life,” to one focused on self and community empowerment, requires a unified
community-based effort. This effort in our international border community will promote:
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Staying healthy and active
Life-long promotion of wellness
Inclusive involvement by all impacted groups
Promoting empowerment and decision-making for seniors throughout any community
response
 Consumer involvement and inclusion in service needs identification and delivery models
This summit report contains data gathered from notes taken from the break-out sessions on each
of the three discussion topics, along with recommendations from the discussion groups on the
implementation of these. The collaborative group of summit participants will then follow-up on
recommendations, determine next steps, and work toward bringing recommendations to fruition.
The report is presented in three sections. Each section denotes the discussion topic with the
highest priority ideas identified, followed by all additional unedited notes from each session.
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Topic I: SERVICE DELIVERY
Participants of this break-out session were asked to identify and select their top priority
service delivery ideas and concerns, and make implementation recommendations.
The facilitators of each session, as in the previous 2001 Summit, again used key
questions to assist and guide the group in discussing the various issues of each topic.
Examples of some of the questions used for this topic were:
 How can we re-define traditional service delivery models to include concepts of
successful aging?
 What new methods of service delivery are most likely to appeal to the El Paso’s
population?
 What methods/types of communication would be conducive in engaging the
public in the concept?
 In considering successful long-term aging, what service delivery methods provide
the most empowerment for the community and population?
Ideas and recommendations made in achieving the goals of re-defining
traditional service delivery, establishing new delivery methods,
facilitating empowerment, and engaging the public in the concept,
were…
 That it is imperative to remove the following Obstacles in order to reach these
goals:
- Financial Resource Limitations
- Stigmas of Institutions
- Lack of Family and Social Support
- Lack of Community Resource Education
- Cultural Differences
- Lack of Networking
 Activities needed:
1. Grant Writing
a. Fundraising
b. Interagency Networking
2. Educate Public
3. Phone banks for calling all seniors
4. Better Networking
a. Cross Training
b. Onsite Mentoring
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c. Incentives – CEU’s, Certifications
5. Media
 Better use of Resources:
- Staff
- Friends
- Free Air Time from Media (More Public Service Announcements)
- Community Agency Networks
- Health Fairs/Expos
- Gold Pages Directory for Senior Services
- 2-1-1 info. line
- Senior Centers
- Neighborhood Watch groups
- Calling all Seniors/phone banks
- Life Lines
- Faith Based Groups
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Unedited Notes:
Outcomes
 Cultural Sensitivity
 Increase attendance to Senior Centers
 Increase self interest motivation to attend
 Aware consumers and caregivers
 Adequate funding
 Access for grants
 Incorporate successful aging into all programs
 Increased access to social services
 Interagency meetings
 Involve doctors
Obstacles
 Money – Budget (Minor Home Repair Funding)
 Waiting List
 Foster Care
 Personal Income (Poverty)
 Fear of Institutionalized Care
 Isolation – Lack of Sensitivity Training for Agency Staff
 Residential (Citizen) Status
 Bad Publicity
 Transition in levels of care
 Lack of family support
 Lack of Transportation
 Language Barriers & Education on activities offered
 Financial – better understanding of “Donation Policy”
 Educate the family on Nursing (Foster Care Rights, Quality of
Care provided, Change the mindset of families)
 Cultural Differences (Stigmas)
 Networking Inter-Agency Collaboration – (Sharing of Info.)
 Lack of adequate housing and more government supplemented
income
 Better information sharing by all agencies (CRCG) monthly
meetings participation
Activities
 Educate public about programs/alternatives
 6:00 p.m. news
 Dispel myths of N.H.
 Target family members
 Intergenerational activities
 Volunteer recruitment
 Write grants – Get a grant writer for multi-agencies
 Fundraisers
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Better networking - Cross training/Onsite/Incentives (CEUs,
Certification)
Provide Referrals
Resources
 Lifeline
 Faith based groups
 Calling all seniors
 Staff
 Friends and family
 Free air space
 Community Agency Network
 Health Fairs/Expo
 Gold pages directory
 2-1-1
 Senior centers
 Neighborhood watch
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Topic II: POLICY & PROGRAMS
Examples of some of the discussion questions used by the break-out group to explore this
topic were:
 How can community-based partnerships help in policy and program
development?
 How can such partnerships be encouraged and facilitated?
 At what levels do you envision policy initiatives being most successful? City,
state, or federal, and at what types of assistance (other than the traditional money
assistance) are most needed?
 Given the structural barriers of delivery systems, what alternative structures need
to be created or advocated?
 What legislative networks and advocacy exists locally to serve in a policy
advisory capacity? If none adequate, what entities/representation would be
needed in such a network?
 Do you feel that our community provides sufficient resources and services to
encourage wellness and successful aging?
Recommendations:
 Existing Groups/Models Should
- Develop community education programs
- Encourage information sharing
- Educate elected officials continuously about appointing pro-active
committee and board members
 Community Based Materials Should
- Be Bilingual
- Without Jargon
- Identify senior leaders
- Facilitate Better Information dissemination
 Case Management Needs great Improvement
- Lack of resources (staff, etc.)
 Changing Paradigms
- Behavior change
- Center for Civic Engagement (UTEP); Involve this Center
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- Address interests and varied agendas (noting preference of clients, etc.)
 Social Networks
- No access; Very Challenging for more isolated Seniors
 Inadequate Health Care
- Physician Resources
 Passive Providers
- Embrace info.
- Be pro-active
 Agency Collaboration
- Work with the, “What’s in it for me?” attitude
- Incorporate newcomers through better sharing of information, e.g.,
- list serves
- grant notifications
- Complicated referral system should be addressed
 Other Models from which to draw expertise
- HIV Prevention efforts
- Multi-Div. Case Management
- Zip Code Target Area
 Policy Process
- Education is vital
- Scarce resources are common to all
- Incorporate Evaluation to identify effective processes
 Information Flow
- Back to the office; must be disseminated
- Policy – Multi-level
Unedited Notes:
 Ageless Health Initiative
 Model Programs
 Existing senior groups
- AARP, Senior Advisory Comm., Housing Authority Councils, RSVP, Parks &
Recreation (maybe under utilized)
 Locally – How can we affect policy?
 Mayor’s Advisory Board on Aging – Politically appointed, but not empowered to
represent
 Training/Knowledge needed & technical support (this may cost $)
 Who provided this?
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“Mandated” Advisory Committees may just be there because they have to be
Individual groups “mandating” entity
Linked for communication
Educate Council Members/Mayor
- Process is political rather than based upon expertise
- Work for better matches/focus on programs
- Functions
- Ordinances
- Identify Senior Leadership
Utilize existing Boards/Committees & solicit input (send letters, provide training)
Identify Needed Characteristics
Need translation/bilingual materials, “jargon” less, straightforward, Audio
- Messages & where (senior centers, radio-media)
Case Management – Teach front-line people working at agencies about successful
aging concepts; make those connections for staff/sharing info./forum for sharing
within agencies
How to reach people- tie to $ for individual to change behavior
Changing Paradigm – Baby Boom begins to hit 60 in 2 yrs.; Medicare, Social
Services
Cost doesn’t always change political/social support
“Unofficial” involvement – for evaluations, input, local context; center for civic
engagement; pursue non-traditional routes, unique projects
Address a variety of interests/agendas that are then pres. To pop.
What aspects are most compelling?
- Don’t want to go to nursing home; socializing/social networks, ind.,
transportation, fear of inadequate medical care, physician resources
Lack of info./waiting for clients to come rather than seeking clients
Both service providers and public need the information
Have to continue to work past “what’s in it for me? “My agency?”
Broaden view of “your” population/agencies may have specific goals-establish
those early
How to incorporate newcomers – give them something they can contribute to –
Idea; list service updates, grant availability, info.
Complicated referral system; agencies need to work together
Look at other successful types of programs; e.g. HIV prevention groups; similar
populations
Work toward multi-disciplinary case management/service provision e.g. – pilot in
1 targeted zip code
Evaluate – what is done and replicate what works
Policy perspective – education of process is vital when resources are so scarce,
education often falls to the wayside
Challenge is training for staff, those who have advocacy
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Topic III: CONSUMER INCLUSION & COMMUNITY
EMPOWERMENT
Recommendations:
1. Key Factors in Empowerment are:
 Knowledge/Education
 Outreach
 Networking
2. Looking at more innovative and creative ways of disseminating information
through:
 Libraries
 Media - Radio - Public Relations
 Church
 Others, e.g., Grants
3. Research and explore what other communities have done in being successful
at forming a community based coalition in order to broaden our perspective
4. Lack of transportation is seen as an obstacle to overcome
5. Establish and maintain regular communications with previous and current
legislators, perhaps through forums for seniors
6. Consider changing or converting the world consumer to participant
7. Consumer & Provider must be both actively involved in the empowerment
process which will benefit both. This can be achieved through all of the
above.
Unedited Notes:
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Consider using a better word than “Consumer”
Getting more knowledge/educate seniors – towards changing the mindset
More outreach
Need for stronger networking of agencies
More innovative and creative ways of getting information out
 Libraries
 Media – Radio
 Church
 When do consumers become engaged in process and how do we motivate them?
 Prevention is better than cure and also cheaper
 Overcome obstacles/barriers, i.e. lang.
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 Investigate other communities that have been successful in forming a community
based coalition – i.e. Galveston
 Establish and maintain regular communications with previous and current
legislators
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