2009 Strategies and
suggested workshop topics
Given the condition of the economy at the state and national level, the 2009 Minnesota Age & Disabilities Odyssey invites your participation in jointly exploring how we can meet the basic foundational needs of older Minnesotan’s and individuals with disabilities. Building on a strong foundation is critical for the demands of the times we are facing.
The Odyssey will focus on dynamic, practical strategies to address CHOICES. We invite submissions for workshops that address the following:
- Community connections
- Health, wellness and long term support
- Own place to live
- Important long-term relationships
- Control over supports
- Employment earnings and stable income
- Safety
(Examples of suggested strategies listed under the Topics)
Community connections
- Evidence-based caregiver support programs
- Activating “good neighbors” through faith-based and community-based programs
- Balancing informal and formal supports in today’s economy
- Information & Assistance
- Caregiver coaching and respite
Health, wellness and long term support
- Legislative Update: outlook for public LTC funding in 2010
- Strategies to promote targeting and triage to use scarce dollars effectively
- Innovations in service design
- From angels to heroes—creative ways to maximize personnel effectiveness
- “Green” approaches to better nutrition
- Consumer-focused/customized nutrition interventions
- Unique strategies for the needs and demands of Alzheimer’s
- Introducing new technology
Own place to live
- Meeting the challenge of basic housing
- When is “doubling up” a good or a bad thing?
- Accessible housing: opportunities and best practices
- To remodel or to build new? Lessons from the field
- Where to live and who provides support in their home
- Turning “housing” into “home”
Important long-term relationships
- Building partnerships
- Providing feedback to policymakers, administrators and providers
- Attracting and retaining volunteers
- Engaging communities in planning and being more responsive to community needs
- Building and maintaining social support networks
- Adult “orphans” – advocacy for persons who lack personal support networks
Control over supports
- Fiscal support entities
- Balancing autonomy and accountability
- Consumer directed service models
- Maximizing individual choice and control
- Consumer rights
Employment earnings and stable income
- Strategies for stretching personal budgets
- Finding work for all in today’s labor market
- Self-employment
- Stable income from public and private sources
- Community approaches to addressing the challenges of poverty
- Shifting values of savings and assets
Safety
- Evidence-based falls prevention
- Ensuring safety and security for vulnerable persons
- Incentives for safety—innovative strategies to reduce risk and promote health
- Community/volunteer models to detect and report abuse/neglect
- Quality Assurance
