HomeMy WebLinkAbout020221 Council on Aging Report2/2/21
Contra Costa Advisory Council on Aging (ACOA)
2020 Activities
Prepared by: Jim Donnelly
Danville Representative to ACOA
The Contra Costa County Advisory Council on Aging (ACOA) is appointed by the Board of Supervisors to advise them on all matters associated with the planning, development and administration
of programs relating to older adults. The ACOA is staffed by representatives of the Contra Costa County Area Agency on Aging (AAA). The ACOA is designed for a membership of forty (40)
members, twenty serving a representatives for cites of Contra Costa county and 20 members at large. As of December 2020, 33 positions are filled. Due to the pandemic three meetings
(Jan, Feb. Mar.) were held in person and six were held via zoom
The ACOA is made up of 8 committees/workgroups were the work of the ACOA is conducted:
Health Work Group Elder Abuse Prevention Work Group
Legislative Advocacy Work Group Housing Work Group
Technology Work Group Transportation Work Group (Senior Mobility Action Council)
Planning Committee Membership Committee
This has been a year of both disappointment and success. Disappointment because we were unable to meet in person and success because we learned how to use Zoom.
Once we were able to meet, we got right to work. All the committees revised their Duties and Responsibilities Document so that it more clearly reflects the work of the committees and
work groups. Revised ACOA were submitted and approved by the BoS
ACOA had developed a Contra Costa Conference of Aging for August 2020. The author of Elderhood, Louise Aronson and Fiona Ma, State Treasurer, confirmed to take part in the program. Due
to the pandemic, the conference was postponed and is now tentatively scheduled for March 2022.
The Elder Abuse Prevention Work Group has a new workgroup chair. The workgroup is working with Adult Protective Services to update its presentation, which it hopes to present via zoom
to seniors and care-givers at various venues throughout the county.
The Health Work Group revised the ”Good Neighbor Flyer” to address the COVID-19 pandemic. It was altered to include food resources for seniors and information on how to check on neighbors
while social distancing.
The Transportation Work Group produced a 2020 Transportation Infographic as well as the annual SMAC Newsletter.
The Legislative Advocacy Work Group continues with developing position papers, submitted to legislators, on a number for bills affecting seniors.
The 2021 ACOA Work plan calls for the Council to work closely with the Area Agency on Aging to monitor and insure that senior residents of CCC have adequate and appropriate services
supplied by reputable and trustworthy contracted entities. ACOA members have been actively involved in the development of the Master Plan for Aging.