Governor Jim Douglas today awarded more than $630,000 in Community Development Block Grants to South Burlington, Montpelier, Vergennes, Georgia and Bristol.  At a ceremony at the American Legion Post 14 in Vergennes, the Governor announced funding for an affordable housing project for the elderly, as well as money for improvements to make the Georgia and Bristol municipal buildings handicapped accessible. “This project will provide much-needed housing for seniors in Vergennes, with on-site services and easy access to nearby services and the community,” Governor Douglas said. “These kinds of projects are an important part of Vermont’s housing stock, particularly as more of our population seeks to remain in their communities as they age.”

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Increasing numbers of old, frail and disabled Vermonters are falling victim to abuse, neglect and exploitation — and the state agency charged with protecting them is so understaffed and overworked that it’s just a matter of time before the media will be reporting “horror stories” about it. That’s the dire assessment from a loose coalition of advocates who work with Vermont’s “vulnerable adults,” a legal term that encompasses anyone 18 or older who is elderly, infirm, mentally or physically impaired and receiving state assistance, such as residents of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.

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Shortfalls in Medicaid funding could severely impact the elderly Vermonters whose nursing-home care is funded by the program, according to a national study released Thursday. And unless the projected deficit is filled by the state and federal governments, local advocates say, seniors could see painful cuts in health-care services. Link to full article

The Bennington Banner reports that "Energizer celebrated its 'first-in-the-world' mercury free button cell battery at its Bennington plant Wednesday, marking the company's engineering feat by donating the new product used in hearing aids to local seniors" with the Bennington Project Independence program. To date, "Energizer is the only battery maker in the world to offer zero-mercury hearing aid batteries. The company said the breakthrough in technology is the result of newproduct design, purer raw materials and a new manufacturing process." Notably, "the zero-mercury battery comes two years ahead of the date set by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association to completely remove mercury from hearing aid batteries. The technology is a patented company secret, but if other battery manufacturers develop their own mercury-free batteries, several tons of mercury would be removed from circulation." The plant in Bennington "will be the sole site producing the battery."

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The Bennington Banner reports that the Bennington Meals Program, which delivers free hot meals to residents age 60 or older, may be effected by fuel costs this year.  Notably, the organization "depends primarily on volunteers using their own vehicles to deliver food to meal sites and private homes in Bennington County," and finance manager Peter Noyes "expects fuel costs to possibly decrease the twice-per-week deliveries to certain meal sites to once per week."  Last year
"gasoline prices cost the program $20,000." That money reimbursed volunteer drivers at 37 cents per mile, "but the program's board of directors is working to raise that amount." Noyes said that "the 2008 fiscal year would see 50,000 meals served which is 5,000 more than the year before." He was not sure if the increase is due to the rise in the cost of living or not.

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WCAX News reports that a report by the U.S. census bureau has found that " the birth rate in New Hampshire and Vermont was 42 births per 1,000 women," lower than the national average of 55 births per 1,000 women. The findings suggest that both states have the lowest fertility rate in the nation. "Vermont officials worry the low birth rate could threaten to shrink the state's work force. The median age of Vermont's work force is just over 42-years-old, the highest in the nation."

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Vermont Public Radio reports that according to new U.S. Census figures, "Vermont's population is aging and slowing becoming more diverse." Indeed, "the median age rose in each of the state's 14 counties from seven years ago." Windsor County was found to be "the state's oldest, with a median age of 44," while "Chittenden County was the youngest, with a median age of 37. In addition, the ce"nsus data show a slow rise in the number of racial minorities and Hispanics in Vermont."

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Vermont Public Radio reports that "the Vermont Health Department says a [temporary] shortage of a vaccine for shingles is due to a bottleneck in manufacturing" because the same virus is used to manufacture the shingles vaccine and the chicken pox vaccine. According to Don Swartz, Medical Director of the Department, "Right now, the priority is the manufacture of chicken pox vaccine to immunize children who are entering school." Recently, the Department "sponsored a program to distribute free shingles vaccine to people over 60, a population that is susceptible to the illness.

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The Rutland Herald reports that a couple from Woodstock has donated $250,000 to the Thompson Senior Center.  The money will "be added to the center's endowment, and the income generated will be used to provide activities for the area's senior citizens." The Center currently "offers classes in cooking, tai chi, yoga, watercolor painting and a foreign language program with lessons in French and Italian. The center also offers outings, including an upcoming trip to the Robert Frost Stone House Museum in Shaftsbury and a recent cruise to Alaska."

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The Burlington Free Press reports that about 10,000 to 11,000 of the Vermont's residents have Alzheimer’s disease, "a progressive, terminal disease that destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior, and eventually, the body’s ability to function." Dr. William Pendlebury, professor of pathology and neurology and medical director of the Memory Center at Fletcher Allen Health Care, said he "anticipates the prevalence of the disease [to] triple during the next 20 to 30 years." He noted that the problem will be compounded in Vermont because of the state’s growing aging population. Indeed, an estimated 23,800 additional Vermont baby boomers are expected to develop the disease during their lifetimes. 

For this reason, Jeff Maker, executive director of the Vermont Alzheimer’s Association, believes that "it’s time to increase awareness about Alzheimer’s — from memory-building measures to treatments and research toward a cure — and to forge partnerships linking municipal, state and government agencies with health care systems and other organizations to develop support programs that reach those with dementia, their families and caregivers throughout the state."

Working Toward a Cure

"A study of new treatment is under way at Fletcher Allen Health Care, and caregivers at local senior living facilities are developing new ways to communicate with those afflicted." For example, the "'Memory Bridge' initiative at The Arbors residential facility in Shelburne [is] an effort to teach people how to create meaningful relationships with those affected by dementia. The program, created by the Foundation for Alzheimer’s and Cultural Memory, links middle and high school students with those in residential care settings for companionship. Its goal is to cultivate a better understanding of memory impairment, including the depths of memory dementia doesn’t reach, by teaching methods to communicate with the memory-impaired in emotionally meaningful ways. Though designed for teens, the listening and communication techniques apply to all ages and are becoming widespread among those caring for Alzheimer’s patients."

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Vermont Public Radio reports that thanks to a $5 million gift from philanthropist Lois McClure, the "the University of Vermont has created a new Center on Aging that will use research and education to help people stay healthy as they grow older." Notably, "Vermont has the second oldest population in the country, and "in 20 years, the number of Vermonters 65 and older will double," meaning "there will be fewer [people] in the work force." In addition, "the number of older people with disabilities will grow 45 percent in ten years." McClure explained, "There are a lot of things we haven't figured out about supporting an older population. How will people remain financially secure into their 70s, 80s and 90s? What accommodations will people need to keep working as they get older? And how do we stay healthy?"

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Vermont Public Radio reports that the Vermont Meals on Wheel program, which has been feeding the city's older citizens two-meals a day since 1972, delivered its two millionth meal. Senator Patrick Leahy was there to help deliver the meal in Burlington on Monday. Notably, the Meals on Wheels program coordinates hundreds of volunteers around the state who check in on older people to provide nourishment, and a little bit of company.

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The Burlington Free Press reports that "the West River Valley Senior Housing development in Townshend is being recognized as the No. 1 new senior housing development in the United States" by the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition. The Townshend complex, which opened last October, provides a mix of market-rate, affordable and rent-subsidized units, including 24 independent living apartments and 28 units of assisted living. The organization will receive the award at a ceremony in Washington later this week, and " Housing Vermont, which helped develop the Townshend project, will receive a $5,000 award."

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The Bennington Banner reports that "Windham County Reads has begun its 10th year of the Bookmobile, a bus retrofitted to be a portable library, that travels to child care centers, senior apartment complexes, [and low income housing complexes] to bring books to the people." The bus makes 70 stops and spends 15 to 30 minutes at each stop. At each stop "residents have [the] chance to borrow books in various genres and children [can] hear a story, see a puppet show and hear songs before they browse the shelves."

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The Burlington Free Press reports that HomeShare Vermont, "a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting elderly residents and people with disabilities in Chittenden, Addison and Grand Isle counties to live independently in their own homes by connecting them with persons seeking affordable housing or caregiving opportunities," has "received national recognition from the Federal Administration on Aging (AoA) as a 2008 National Aging Program Champion." Notably, "the designation highlights programs and initiatives in States and communities that demonstrate the principles of the AoA’s efforts to modernize community-based long term care and provide supports that enable older Americans to maintain their independence in the community for as long as possible."

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