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Fairfax County's Volunteer Solutions Receives National Best Practice Award Volunteer Solutions Director Ruth Reagan discusses how her program's reorganization allows Fairfax County to more effectively and efficiently recruit and manage volunteers who provide services to older adults. Reagan's remarks were made after receiving a best practices award on behalf of Volunteer Solutions from the National Association for Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) at a May 16, 2012 reception in Washington, D.C. During the reception, the n4a, U.S. Administration on Aging and several other organizations announced the launch of the Aging Network Volunteer Collaborative, an online resource center that helps organizations recruit older volunteers to help older adults. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Administration of Aging Edwin Walker said, "Volunteers have always been a critical part of how we provide services to older people and their caregivers. . . .  We need them more than ever as the population of older persons needing assistance continues to grow." Under the new reorganization, Volunteer Solutions recruits and manages volunteers for older adult services provided by the Department of Family Services, Neighborhood and Community Services and the Health Department. Visit Volunteer Solutions and Volunteer Solutions on Facebook to find out how you can help an older adult in Fairfax County.

Older Americans Month 2012 Proclamation – Never too old to play!   (Enlarge photo/download.) Fairfax Area Commission on Aging Chairman Tena Bluhm accepts the Older Americans Month proclamation from the Board of Supervisors on May 1, 2012. Joining her are county staff members, commissioners and volunteers. The proclamation acknowledges the service of the county’s older adults who serve on boards, commissions and authorities and who volunteer thousands of service hours, especially those who volunteer for the Department of Family Services, the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and the Health Department. It also acknowledges the importance of the county’s efforts to develop recreational and learning opportunities and support systems that allow older adults to age in place and continue to play a vital role in our community. Finally, the proclamation endorses the nationwide Older Americans Month theme – Never too old to play.   For information on county services for older adults. For information on the Fairfax Area Commission on Aging. See additional 2012 Older Americans Month Photos.

Fairfax County's VICAP Wins 2011 State Volunteer Award Fairfax County’s Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP) won the award for best 2011 volunteer counseling program from the Commonwealth of Virginia in honor of the program's unique outreach partnerships to underserved county residents. The award was presented during a VICAP coordinators conference in Charlottesville on September 22, 2011.  Pictured here are Howard Houghton, manager of VICAP, and Susan Starling, one of the program’s dedicated volunteers. The county’s program is part of a state network of volunteer counseling programs that help people understand Medicare and resolve disputes with health care providers, Medicare and Medigap insurers.The program also sponsors community education presentations each year during Medicare’s Open Season. Fairfax County’s program serves hundreds of people each year and has saved or recovered thousands of dollars for beneficiaries. Find out more about VICAP.

Fairfax County’s Programs for Older Adults Featured at National Conference

Ruth Reagan, director of Fairfax County’s Volunteer Solutions, discusses the history of the Meals on Wheels volunteer program in Fairfax County and recent efforts to manage this burgeoning program.  The program oversees 1,300 volunteers who deliver meals to 500 older adults and adults with disabilities who cannot prepare meals for themselves.  Reagan presented to a workshop of aging specialists at the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging conference on July 19, 2011 in Washington, D.C. Find out how to volunteer for Meals on Wheels.

Jeanna Muhoro of Neighborhood and Community Services and Jason Poteat of Fairfax Connector welcome attendees of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging conference to the MATT exhibit on July 19, 2011 in Washington, D.C. MATT stands for Mobile Accessible Travel Training. The MATT bus is equipped with tools to teach older adults how to use bus and rail transportation.  Find out more about MATT.

Fairfax County Volunteers Attend White House Event on Senior Volunteerism and Community Service

Heisung Lee, a volunteer for Fairfax County’s Meals on Wheels, discusses how she developed the county’s first Korean Meals on Wheels program with assistance from the county’s Fairfax Area Agency on Aging. She said the program became a model that has been duplicated by Korean faith communities in the county and throughout the country. Lee was one of the panelists at the White House Event on Senior Volunteerism and Community Service held on July 13, 2011. To her left is Dr. Erwin Tan, director of Senior Corps, Corporation for National and Community Services.  To her right is Kenneth Charvoz, a volunteer and panelist from Arizona.

Fairfax County staff and volunteers attended the White House Event on Senior Volunteerism and Community Service, held on July 13, 2011.  (Left to right) Fairfax Area Agency on Aging Acting Director Sharon Lynn; Heisung Lee, a Meals on Wheels volunteer; Joan Makurat, a volunteer for the Northern Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program; Mary Robinson, a volunteer for Fairfax County’s Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program; and Ruth Reagan, director of Volunteer Solutions, a county program that provides services to older adults and adults with disabilities.

Kathy Greenlee, assistant secretary for aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, welcomed volunteers and volunteer staff attending the White House Event on Senior Volunteerism and Community Service on July 13, 2011. She said volunteering is “not a nicety, it’s a necessity.”  She noted that volunteers involved with Meals on Wheels and driving people to doctor appointments play an essential role in helping older adults remain independent in their homes.

Medicare Presentation for Vietnamese Speaking Adults Dr. Thu Bui interprets Howard Houghton's presentation on Medicare for a group of Vietnamese speaking older adults at the Bailey's Community Center in Falls Church on December 14.  Howard is the coordinator of the county's Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP) and has been conducting presentations during the Medicare election period which ends on December 31, 2010.  Learn more about VICAP or call 703-324-5851, TTY 711 for assistance.

Howard Houghton - 2011 Medicare Howard Houghton describes the 2011 Medicare policy choices to a packed crowd at Sherwood Regional Library in Alexandria on December 7, 2010. Howard is the coordinator of the county's Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP). The program provides consumer assistance with Medicare, Medigap policies, Medicare Part D and Medicaid. Learn more about VICAP.

Meals on Wheels Volunteers Meals on Wheels Volunteers Lorraine Hoppe and Renee Druckenbrod load up thier SUV in front of the David Pinn Community Center in Burke in November 2010. Lorraine and Renee are friends who deliver meals to older adults who can not prepare meals for themselves in the Burke and West Springfield area. Go to Meals on Wheels for information about this program and Volunteer Solutions for information on becoming a Meals on Wheels volunteer.

Live Well with Chronic Illness ElderLink's Colleen Turner and Will Clayton discuss the new self help program for people with chronic illness: You Can! Live Well, Virginia!  The program is a six week course that meets once a week. The second session, which took place in Alexandria, is winding down and a new program begins on October 25, 2010 at the City of Fairfax Regional Library.  Learn more.

Independent Living Program at Mason Governmental Center Strreetch! Participants worked out with bands at the Independent Living Program on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at the Mason Governmental Center. The free program provides a mix of healthy living seminars followed by yoga and stretching exercises. The program lasts for 8 to 12 weeks and then travels to another part of the county. Contact Jennifer.Edge@fairfaxcounty.gov or visit the Independent Living Project to keep tabs on when the program is coming to your neighborhood..

National Association of Counties (NACo) Award Winner The county-wide collaboration that helped older adults and adults with disabilities, who needed assistance to prepare for the DTV conversion, was recognized with a National Association of Counties' award. The effort was spearheaded by the Department of Cable and Consumer Services and supported by a number of other county agencies as well as community volunteers. In the photo, Randall Scott from the Department of Cable and Consumer Services is holding the award received during the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors' July 27, 2010 meeting. He is flanked by (L to R) Rick Ellrod, Communication Policy and Regulation Divsion/Cable and Consumer Services, Grace Lynch, Communications and Outreach Program/Department of Family Services, Laura Nichols, Northern Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, Trina Mayhan-Webb, Volunteer Solutions, Sharon Lynn, Fairfax Area Agency on Aging, Patricia Stevens, Office of Public Private Partnerships, and Barbara Antley, Adult and Aging Services/Department of Family Services. See the county news release.

Northern Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Volunteers with the Northern Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program met for a training in Spring 2010. Volunteers regularly visit nursing homes and assisted living facilities and work to promote the highest quality of care. Front Row: Nancy Bireley, Lata Desai, Mary Ann Wollerton, Gisela Ahern, Angela Elliott, Joan Makurat, Gladys Cole, Lucy Capaldi, Harriette Winingham, Carol Leet, Nancy Evinger, Melanie Willis, Beth Pautler, Pat Fowler, Madeline Ehrman, Liz Hoefer, Janet Wooding. Back Row: Lisa Callahan, staff, Karen Margensey, Paul Dyson, Alex Major, Henry Cullerton, Ruth Ann Hadley, Fred Churchill, Richard Merritt, Tom Fonseca, Jon McKenzie, Roz Cohen, Gene Carnicom.

George Mason Regional Library Kathy Wilson flips through a book at the George Mason Regional Library. The library is featuring a special display on books about older adults and caregiving in March 2010. Kathy is a member of the Friends of Access Library and manages circulation of the Golden Gazette newspaper.

Independent Living Program Jennifer Edge (right) times Jean Witt's repetitions during the February 1, 2010 Independent Living Project at the Sherwood Hall Regional Library in Mount Vernon. Jennifer manages ElderLink's Independent Living program and Jean is a participant. The program provides a combination of exercise and information to help people continue to live in their homes as they get older.

Medicare Insurance Counseling Howard Houghton offers Medicare insurance counseling at McLean's Lewinsville Senior Center in December 2009. Houghton is the manager of the county's Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP). He schedules seminars every year, October through December, during the insurance election period. He and his counselors are available year round to counsel residents on issues associated with Medicare, Medicare Part D, health plans, Medigap insurance and long-term care insurance. Learn more about VICAP.

Volunteers Honored for Service Installing DTV Converter Boxes Volunteer Solutions Director Ruth Reagan with volunteers who contributed over 750 hours installing DTV converter boxes into the TV's of almost 200 older adults and adults with disabilities, preparing them for the conversion to digital television. L-R: Len Pfeifer, Elliott (Pete) Brown, John Peters, Herb Wong, Scott T. Bennyhoff, Randall (Scotty) Scott. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors honored the volunteers for their service on November 16, 2009. (Glenn Willis was also honored but is not in the photo.) See the news release.

Vietnamese Meals on Wheels: Third Anniversary Fairfax County’s Vietnamese Meals on Wheels program celebrated its third anniversary and presented awards to the volunteers who made the program a success. Pictured here are: Left to right, holding plaques: Mr. Vo Minh Luan, Ms. Tran Thi Phuong, Ms. Le Kieu Van, and Mr. Huynh Minh Nguyen receiving the volunteer recognition plaques from Ms. Jan Kikuchi, nutrition supervisor for the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging (fifth from left). Mr. Phan Khanh of the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging is pictured (third from left) and Ms. Ly Kim-Ha, volunteer developer for the agency (on far right). Submitted by Volunteer Photographer, Xuan T. Ly. See the News Release on the Vietnamese Meals on Wheels Third Anniversary.

Courtesy of the American Automobile Association   Fairfax Area Agency on Aging Sponsors "Car Fit" Event   CarFit helps older adults determine how the “fit” of a car affects their driving and how to adapt the car to their changing needs. CarFit staff members conduct 20-minute individual assessments. Proper fit includes: proper mirror adjustment to minimize blind spots, correct foot positioning on the gas and brake pedals to decrease fatigue, seat belt and headrest adjustments, and seat adjustment allowing for at least 10 inches between the driver and steering wheel. See the News Release on the "Car Fit" event.