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Catch n4a staff at SE4A!

Attending next week's Southeastern Association for Area Agencies on Aging Conference? If so, check out the many presentations by n4a staff, including n4a CEO Sandy Markwood! SE4A is the regional association for AAAs located in the nine southeastern states of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia.

n4a CEO Sandy Markwood will be giving the keynote address for the Tuesday General Session, with other n4a staff delivering presentations on federal policy issues, dementia and brain health, business acumen, partnerships between AAAs and health care and more.
 
Here's the line-up!
 
Sunday, September 9
 
Pre-Conference Intensive: Medicare Advantage and Your AAA: Responding to the New Supplemental Benefits Opportunities
8:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Description: In February 2019 Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act, which included the Chronic Care Act, giving Medicare Advantage Plans greater flexibility to cover non-medical benefits such as home-delivered meals or caregiver supports to targeted high-need/high-risk Medicare beneficiaries. This expansion opens the door for AAAs to partner with these plans and get paid for delivering the health-related social services they are experts in. Learn more about the law, the new benefits and how to develop a plan for your AAA to take advantage of these new opportunities.

n4a speaker: Marisa Scala-Foley, Director, Aging and Disability Business Institute
 
Monday, September 9
 
Medicare Advantage and Your AAA
10:30 AM to 11:45 AM
Description: February 2018, Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act, which includes the CHRONIC Care Act, giving Medicare Advantage (MA) plans greater flexibility to cover non-medical benefits such as home-delivered meals or caregiver supports to targeted high-need/high-risk Medicare beneficiaries. This expansion opens the door for AAAs to partner with MA plans and get paid for delivering the health-related social services they are expert in. Come to this session to learn more about the law, the new benefits, and how AAAs are responding; and begin to develop a plan for how your AAA can take advantage of these new opportunities.

n4a speaker:  Marisa Scala-Foley, Director, Aging and Disability Business Institute
 
Every Ride Counts: Enhancing Transportation Information to Support Community Living
1:45 PM to 2:45 PM
Description: Today, AAAs increasingly provide core supportive services that address client and community transportation needs. Critical to offering these services is the ability to educate consumers about local transportation resources. Good transportation is key to successful community living and AAAs can and should be engaged in promoting the availability and accessibility of transportation options for older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers in their local communities. Every Ride Counts, a new national campaign launched by NADTC in December 2018, was designed to help organizations like AAAs address the challenge of ensuring older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers are aware of the local transportation options available to them.
 
n4a speaker: Melissa Gray, Senior Program Manager, National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
 
Trends in CBO Contracts with Healthcare Entities: Results from the Business Institute's 2018 Request-for-Information Survey
1:45 PM to 2:45 PM
Description: Aging and disability community-based organizations (CBOs) are increasingly contracting with healthcare payers and providers to address the social and behavioral determinants of the health of older adults and people with disabilities. This session will delve into AAA partnerships with healthcare providers and payers. It will discuss the findings of the Aging and Disability Business Institute's 2017 and 2018 Request-for-Information surveys on the contracting status of CBOs across the country, describing the most common types of healthcare partners, services provided, and payment models used in these contracts. The audience will hear from Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens, who will share their experiences contracting with healthcare partners, and discuss challenges and lessons learned in the process.
 
n4a speaker: Beth Blair, Senior Research Associate
 
Tuesday, September 10
 
General Session
8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
n4a CEO Sandy Markwood will join Mary Lazare, Principal Deputy Administrator for ACL, and Bob Blancato, president of Matz, Blancato and Associates, for the SE4a opening General Session.
 
n4a speaker: Sandy Markwood, CEO

Staying Connected in Your Community with engAGED Older Adults
10:30 AM to 11:45 AM
Description: This session will briefly review research that outlines the impact of social isolation on older adults and underscores the health and wellness benefits of remaining socially engaged. Further we will provide examples of two short surveys which can be used to assess the level of isolation/engagement for individuals. Further discussion will describe how that information can be used to improve the rate of social engagement amongst older adults in communities and outline resources available through engAGED.
 
n4a speaker: Sandy Markwood, CEO
 
Fostering Dementia-Friendliness in Your Community
10:30 AM to 11:45 AM
Description: Do you want to foster dementia-friendliness in your community? You can! Communities across the country are working to become more dementia-friendly with resources and support from Dementia-Friendly America. Alabama's Dementia-Friendly Communities Initiative kicked off in 2016 and has blossomed in its three years! It all started with a partnership with Dementia-Friendly America and a heart for those living with dementia. Join us to learn more about how YOU can make a difference in your community.
 
n4a speaker: Meredith Eisenhart Hanley, Director, Community Capacity Building

Live From DC: A Federal Aging Policy Update
1:15 PM to 2:15 PM
Description: Get updated on federal policy without going to D.C.! n4a's policy chief will bring you up to speed on the latest federal aging budget and healthcare policy activity, and what it means for your work and the older adults and caregivers you serve. You will leave with a better understanding of how Washington works now, what's happened so far and what's ahead that advocates must be prepared for!
 
n4a speaker: Amy Gotwals, Chief, Public Policy and External Affairs

Contributors

Contributors

USAging Fact: Learn about your peers’ work—and how it can fit into your agency’s goals! The AIA Awards recognizes successful and innovative programs that USAging members have developed to serve older adults. Get inspiration from our 2023 winners!