Creating More Livable Communities in the Adirondacks

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Creating More Livable Communities in the
Adirondacks
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Mercy Care for the Adirondacks

• A renewed mission sponsored by the Sisters of
  Mercy
• The Sisters first came to the Adirondacks in 1895
  to establish Gabriels Sanatorium to treat
  tubercular patients
• Established Mercy Care for the Adirondacks in
  2007 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to
  enhance the fullness of life of elders living
  independently in their communities
• Governed by a local Board of Directors and
  operated by a three-person staff

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Mercy Care Programs

• Friendship Volunteer ProgramRecruited and
  trained over 60 volunteers who are assisting
  elders living independently in the community with
  informal supports such as transportation, grocery
  shopping, and referral to other community
  services
• Parish Nurse Program10 Volunteer Parish Nurses
  recruited and trained in the Tri-Lakes who
  provide health education and spiritual care
• Education and Advocacy ProgramEducational Forums
  for the public and professionals on topics
  related to aging Community Empowerment Action
  Plan

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Why a Community Empowerment Action Plan to Age
in Place?
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The need is great

• Almost 17 of community members in Lake Placid,
  Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake are over age 65,
  compared to 12.9 in the state as a whole and
  12.4 nationally.
• According to a 2010 housing-needs assessment in
  the Tri-Lakes, Cornell University projects that
  during the period 2015 2035, residents below
  the age of 50 will experience double-digit
  population declines, while the cohort of
  residents 50 and older will experience double
  digit increases.

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What do elders want and need?

• The Aging in Place Action Plan is responding to
  the unprecedented demand for the care of elders,
  especially in their own homes. Public policies
  are increasingly encouraging elders to stay in
  their own homes for as long as possible to delay
  or prevent nursing home placement. But to do
  this, the community needs to develop the vision,
  plans, and services that will support them to
  Age in Place.

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Elders in the Tri-Lakes

• In a survey conducted in February 2010, 93 of
  elder respondents in the Tri-Lakes stated that
  they would or probably would like to live in
  their present home for as long as possible.

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How did this project get started in the Tri-Lakes?

• In September 2009 Mercy Care for the Adirondacks
  was awarded a competitive grant from the New York
  State Office for the Aging. It received a grant
  to empower community development of a plan to age
  in place in the Tri-Lakes.

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Long Distances from Services
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Project Partner

• In order to support its technical needs, Mercy
  Care for the Adirondacks initiated a partnership
  with the IDEA Center, State University of New
  York at Buffalo in the beginning of 2009. Susan
  Hunter, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate,
  contributed to the project the Centers
  nationally recognized expertise in community
  planning, universal design, and Aging in Place
  communities.

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How was the work conducted?

• Over a period of 9 months in 2009 and 2010, Mercy
  Care and its more than 30 community committee
  volunteers and partners in the Tri-Lakes
  undertook planning activities to empower
  communities to develop a plan for residents in
  the Tri-Lakes to Age in Place more successfully.
• (Elders, professionals working in health care and
  aging services, clergy, local government)

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Priorities Identified in Survey in Order of
Importance
Lake Placid Saranac Lake Tupper Lake
Friendship Companionship Adequate Housing Health/Human Services
Health/Human Services Health/Human Services Friendship Companionship
Adequate Housing Transportation Adequate Housing
Transportation Friendship Companionship Transportation
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Key Survey ResultsTri-Lakes

• Two hundred survey responses were received from
  elders in the Tri-Lakes age 55 and older.
• 70 respondents were from Saranac Lake 60
  respondents were from Lake Placid 40 respondents
  were from Tupper Lake and another 30 respondents
  were from surrounding communities.
• 44 of respondents have lived in the Tri-Lakes
  for 40 years or more.
• 96 of respondents reside in the Tri-Lakes year
  round and 4 percent are seasonal residents.
• 21 of respondents were 85 year of age 27 of
  respondents were between the ages of 75 84 32
  were from respondents between the ages of 65
  74 and 20 were from respondents between the
  ages of 55 64.
• 31 are working full or part-time now.

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Elder Contributions to Community

• 46 of respondents stated they have knowledge or
  abilities which they would like to use more to
  benefit their community.
• 56 of respondents are volunteering now.

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Housing

• 68 of respondents live in a single family house
  20 of respondents rent their home
• 51 live alone and 41 live with a spouse or
  partner 7 live in other situations.
• 5 live with an adult son or daughter and 6 live
  with another relative or friend.
• 36 said their home will need modification or
  repairs in order for them to continue to live
  there comfortably as they grow older.
• 50 of respondents stated they are concerned or
  somewhat concerned that they may not be able to
  afford to stay in their own homes as they grow
  older.

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Health Human Services

• 51 of respondents said that if they needed some
  information about health or human services for
  themselves, friends or family members, they would
  know how to get the information. 35 said they
  would know how to get information for some
  services but not for others.
• 68 of respondents stated they preferred to fill
  out only one application and have the information
  shared if needed to obtain Social Services,
  Public Health Nursing Services, Offices for the
  Aging, and other services 32 answered they
  would prefer to fill out separate applications,
  which may not be shared, for each service.

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Friendship Companionship

• 28 of respondents stated they strongly agree or
  agree with the statement, In my present living
  situation I sometimes feel rather lonely.
• 41 of respondents said they would like more
  opportunities to socialize and do things with
  other elders.
• 30 of respondents indicated they would like or
  might like a Mercy Care Friendship Volunteer to
  visit them to provide friendship and
  companionship, to do things with them in the
  community, and to assist them as may be needed
  with other particular needs.

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Transportation

• 80 of respondents said they drive a car
  themselves or someone in their household drives
  them when they need to get somewhere in the
  community.
• 80 of respondents stated that transportation
  within the community or the Tri-Lakes is not a
  serious problem.

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Implementation Highlights 10.1.11

• The Adirondack Community Housing Trust has
  expanded the population it serves to assist
  elders financially to help them remain in their
  homes as they age
• Mercy Care partnered with the Research
  Education Foundation of the NYS Builders
  Association to develop an educational forum on
  Harnessing the Power of the Built Environment to
  be present by Esther Greenhouse on October 20 at
  Paul Smiths College
• MC worked with NYSBA to bring CAPS (Certified
  Aging in Place Specialist) training for builders
  contractors to the Adirondacks (training to be
  undertaken at Paul Smiths College on October 18
  19

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Results

• Universal Design brochures have been provided to
  Building Codes Officer in Lake Placid and Saranac
  Lake, who are distributing them with building
  permits
• Through Task Force, Will Rogers (Independent
  Living Facility in SL) and Harrietstown Housing
  Authority connected to help residents at Will
  Rogers who qualify to received 200-400
  reduction in monthly rent

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Results

• Physician home visits are available with
  established Dr./Patient relationship in some
  practices in SL
• Tri-Lakes Center for Independent Living is hiring
  3 new people to do free home modification
  assessments
• The Village of SL has put together an inventory
  of the condition of all village sidewalks and has
  drafted cost estimates for abandoning, removing,
  and replacing some of them, as well as creating
  new sidewalks

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Results

• New bus service established by the Tri-Lakes
  Center for Independent Living for out-of-town
  shopping and medical transportation accessible to
  elders in all three Tri-Lakes communities
• LP Friendship Companionship Task Force has
  partnered with the Essex County Complete Streets
  coalition to hold a public workshop and
  assessment training on October 17
• LP Task Force has developed an Aging in Place
  Services Cardpublic and private high school
  student volunteersyard work/snow shoveling
  (adaptable to other communities

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Results Continued

• Mercy Care Volunteer Parish Nurses and the Essex
  County Public Health Department have presented
  advance directives information to professionals
  working with older adults and to Mercy Care
  Friendship Volunteers
• A Mercy Care Tool Kit is being developed to
  assist other rural communities who wish to
  establish Friendship Volunteer Parish Nurse
  Programs.

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Interest, Enthusiasm, and Engagement

• Implementation is an ongoing process of
  engagement with community leaders, volunteers,
  and local government to create more livable
  communities better places for people of all ages
  to live

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Mercy Care for the AdirondacksContact Information

• Donna Beal, Executive Director
• Mercy Care for the Adirondacks
• 185 Old Military Road
• Lake Placid, NY 12946
• 518-523-5581
• dbeal_at_adkmercy.org
• www.adkmercy.org