PIA is working to address the needs of older adults, their families By Elizabeth Chentland
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artnerships in Aging is a non-profit organization dedicated to the thoughtful growth of programs, services, and community partnerships that assist in supporting older adults and their families. In partnership with area governmental, quasigovernmental, non-profit, academic, and business organizations, PIA strives to engage adults and children alike in focusing efforts and attention to the senior com-
munity, and addressing gaps in services. One of PIA’s initial goals was the design of a program that would build partnerships with businesses and industry to support employees with caregiving responsibilities for both children and aging parents. PIA also was successful in assuming the coordination of initiatives such as the PIA Network, the Metro Area Study of the Aging Population in 2005, the Decision Accelerator for Older Adults in 2007, and
Symphony offering ticket packages for its Joslyn Series of Sunday concerts The Omaha Symphony is introducing a special ticket package for groups of 10 or more older adults to its series of concerts at the Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. The $35 per person package includes a ticket to the concert, museum admission, a pre-concert lecture, plus lunch featuring your choice of a sandwich, wrap or salad, or ½ sandwich and small salad, or ½ sandwich and bowl of soup, or ½ wrap and small salad, or ½ wrap and bowl of soup plus a drink of your choice, and dessert. The Joslyn Series concerts are Sundays at 2 p.m. The doors open at noon, so you can arrive, have lunch, tour the museum, attend the 1 or 1:25 p.m. art/music lecture, then relax in the Witherspoon Concert Hall at 2 p.m. with the Omaha Symphony in concert. These concerts are open seating, so you can sit anywhere you wish. Here’s the schedule of concert dates: • Sept. 29: Bach, Haydn, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2. • Nov. 10: All Stravinski. • Jan. 12: Saint-Saens, Ravel, and Barber’s Adagio for Strings. • Feb 23: Shostakovich and Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals. • March 23: Berstein, Gould, and Brahms Serenade No. 2. • May 18:Vaughan Williams, Respighi’s Birth of Venus. For more information, please call 402-342-3836, ext. 121 or go to djohnson@omahasymphony.org.
The Partnerships in Aging staff (left to right): Kay Sharpels, Elizabeth Chentland, and Janet Miller. the Continuum of Care for Older Adults project. PIA continues to sponsor the PIA Network and other community efforts to meet the needs of older adults through collaborative efforts. In September 2012, PIA began managing the Respite Resource Center that focuses on assisting caregivers of individuals with disabilities to locate respite providers, respite funding, and available training programs. The Respite Resource Center leadership team also provides Powerful Tools for Caregivers training and Respite Education and Support Tools (REST) training in Douglas and Sarpy counties, both of which are evidencebased training efforts focused on caregiver health
and wellness. In August 2013, PIA began managing the Grandparent Resource Center in close collaboration with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. This program focuses on supporting grandparents raising their grandchildren through support groups, pantry services, transportation, legal advice, and respite. In addition, PIA developed a community outreach initiative in August 2013 to address hot topic issues facing older adults and their families. In collaboration with more than 20 organizations in Douglas and Sarpy counties, PIA will co-sponsor 20 events in the next year on a wide variety of topics including chronic care management, home
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(402) 392-0767 • www.BethesdaSeniorLiving.com Page 20
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New Horizons
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September 2013
safety, hospice, respite care, legal issues caregivers face, wellness workshops, and much more. Further expansion is planned to better support and engage caregivers of older individuals with disabilities, as well as other intergenerational projects that teach children and young adults about aging and encourage intergenerational mentorship. For more information about PIA programs and services, available community resources, and/or upcoming trainings and community presentations, please visit the Partnerships in Aging website at www. piaging.com or call 402996-8444. (Chentland coordinates the PIA program.)
Eclectic book review series begins Sept. 17 The Eclectic Book Review Club, in is 64th season, begins its fall series of reviews on Sept. 17 at the Omaha Field Club, 3615 Woolworth Ave. A noon lunch will be followed by the 12:30 review. • Sept. 17: University of Nebraska at Omaha professor John Price and Daddy Long Legs, the Natural Education of a Father. • Oct. 15: University of Nebraska Lincoln professor Andrew Jewell and The Selected Letters of Willa Cather. • Nov. 19: Creighton U. professor Eileen Wirth and From Society Page to Front Page: Nebraska Women in Journalism. The cost of the luncheon is $13. For reservations, call Rita at 402-553-3147.