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December, 2018 KIPDA Newsletter
11520 Commonwealth Drive Louisville, KY 40299 WWW.KIPDA.ORG (502) 266-6084 Fax (502) 266-5047 ky tdd 1-800-648-6056
MONTHLY MEETING NOTICE
Homecare Providers Meetings
Tuesday, Dec. 11
9:30 a.m.
KIPDA Burke Room
Age Friendly Louisville Workshop
Tuesday, Dec. 11
1:30 p.m.
KIPDA Burke Room
Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council
Wednesday, Dec. 12
9:30 a.m.
KIPDA Burke Room
Mental Health & Aging Coalition Meeting
Thursday, Dec. 13
10:00 a.m.
KIPDA Burke Room
*** Email danielle.story@kipda.org if you prefer to receive this notice by email. ***
*Since there is the possibility that a meeting could be canceled, relocated or rescheduled please call the KIPDA office at (502) 266-6084 to confirm a meeting prior to attending.
Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency will make every reasonable accommodation to assist qualified disabled persons in accessing available services or in attending agency activities. If there is a need for KIPDA to be aware of a specific accommodation, you are encouraged to contact this agency at least one week in advance of the meeting so that suitable arrangements can be considered for the delivery of the service or attendance requirement prior to the activity.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Community & Economic
Development Division
Senator McConnell Awarded NADO's 2018 Congressional Partnership Award
Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency (KIPDA) Executive Director, Jarrett Haley, and members of the KIPDA Board of Directors, Spencer County Judge Executive John Riley, Shelby County Judge Executive Dan Ison, and Shelbyville Mayor Tom Hardesty, had the honor of presenting Senator Mitch McConnell with the 2018 Congressional Partnership Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for outstanding leadership in federal programs supporting regional economic and community development.
Senator McConnell was nominated for the award by the Kentucky Council of Area Development Districts.
Executive Director Haley stated, “Senator McConnell promotes communities and regions through his support of federal programs contributing to economic and community development. His leadership has advanced regional development in key areas including infrastructure, workforce development, planning, and business assistance.”
The biennial awards program recognizes members of Congress who have supported policies contributing to NADO’s national legislative priorities, including funding for federal economic and community development programs as well as support for the work of regional development organizations at the local level.
U.S. Census Bureau Now Hiring in KIPDA Region
The United Census Bureau is now accepting applications for recruiting assistants in our region. Please view the link below for more information.
KIPDA held its 2018 Annual Holiday Luncheon and Meeting on Tuesday, November 20th at the Louisville Marriott East in Jeffersontown. Mr. Tony Wilder from the Kentucky Council of Area Development Districts was the guest speaker for the luncheon and former KIPDA Executive Director, Jack Couch, was present to help with the invocation. Mr. Larry Chaney presented the 2018 Kentucky-Indiana Transportation Excellence (KITE) Award to Jeff O'Brien with Louisville Metro and KYTC District 5’s Chief Engineer Matt Bullock for their work on the Ohio River Bridges Project. Barbara Gordon, KIPDA's Director of Social Services Division, presented the N4A Aging Achievement Award to Molly Dobson with the University of Louisville's Institute for Sustainable Health for their work with KIPDA on the successful Flourish Program that helps improve the lives of older adults and caregivers. Honorable Jack Coffman introduced the new 2019 KIPDA Board Officers. Spencer County Judge Executive, John Riley, was sworn in as the new Chairman for the KIPDA Board and Middletown Mayor Byron Chapman became Vice-Chairman. Kevin Baity, the Town Manager for the City of Clarksville, Indiana, was sworn in as the 2019 Secretary/Treasurer.
Transportation Division
KITE Award Goes to Ohio River Bridges Project
The 4th Annual Kentucky-Indiana Transportation Excellence (KITE) Award was given to the Fairdale (KY 2055) Roundabout Project. The KITE winner was announced during the November 20th Transportation Policy Committee Meeting and again immediately afterwards at the KIPDA Board of Director’s Annual Meeting, held at the Louisville Marriott East. Louisville Metro’s Jeff O’Brien and KYTC District 5’s Chief Engineer Matt Bullock accepted the award. KIPDA established the KITE Award to recognize transportation projects developed through the metropolitan planning process that distinguish themselves and “soar above” the norm.
It is our hope that this award will, among other things, accomplish the following:
Demonstrate an appreciation of the successful efforts and influences of transportation planners, engineers, and decision makers
Contribute to the idea of “raising the bar” when it comes to transportation planning
Further communicate to the planners, engineers, and decision-makers the specific value that the MPO places upon good planning and implementation practices
Provide examples of good planning and implementation practices that others may emulate in future activities
Other finalists for the 2018 KITE Award were the I-264/I-64InterchangeImprovement Project (KYTC),, the Dixie Highway Reconstruction Project (Louisville Metro & KYTC) and the Riverport Circulator (TARC).
Social Services Division
Human Rights Day is Monday, December 10th
Human rights are rights inherent to all people, whatever the nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnical origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. In today’s society, the fight for equal rights is everywhere from refugees trying to find solace and peace in another land to individuals who no longer want to be discriminated against due to their skin color, or sexual orientation.
Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10th. On this day it is encouraged that the world is united and stand up for the rights of others! In today’s environment, many of us are fearful of the way the world is heading. Disrespect for basic human rights continues to be wide-spread in all parts of the globe. Extremist movements subject people to horrific violence with messages of intolerance and hatred that prey on the fears of others.
Standing together united we can reaffirm our humanity. In the streets, in schools, the workplace and over social media we can make a difference by standing up for someone’s rights. Not only on this day but on everyday step forward and defend the rights of a refugee or migrant, a person with a disability, an LGBT person, women, a child, a minority group or anyone else at risk of discrimination or violence.
You CAN Treat Your Depression
Depression is Not a Normal Part of Growing Older (taken from the CDC)
Depression is a true and treatable medical condition, not a normal part of aging. However older adults are at an increased risk for experiencing depression. If you are concerned about a loved one, offer to go with him or her to see a health care provider to be diagnosed and treated.
Depression is not just having "the blues" or the emotions we feel when grieving the loss of a loved one. It is a true medical condition that is treatable, like diabetes or hypertension.
How Do I Know If It's Depression?
Someone who is depressed has feelings of sadness or anxiety that last for weeks at a time. He or she may also experience–
Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and/or helplessness
Irritability, restlessness
Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable
Fatigue and decreased energy
Difficulty concentrating, remembering details and making decisions
Insomnia, early–morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
Overeating or appetite loss
Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not get better, even with treatment
How is Depression Different for Older Adults?
Older adults are at increased risk. We know that about 80% of older adults have at least one chronic health condition, and 50% have two or more. Depression is more common in people who also have other illnesses (such as heart disease or cancer) or whose function becomes limited.
Older adults are often misdiagnosed and undertreated. Healthcare providers may mistake an older adult's symptoms of depression as just a natural reaction to illness or the life changes that may occur as we age, and therefore not see the depression as something to be treated. Older adults themselves often share this belief and do not seek help because they don't understand that they could feel better with appropriate treatment.
How Many Older Adults Are Depressed?
The good news is that the majority of older adults are not depressed. Some estimates of major depression in older people living in the community range from less than 1% to about 5% but rise to 13.5% in those who require home healthcare and to 11.5% in older hospital patients.
How Do I Find Help?
Most older adults see an improvement in their symptoms when treated with antidepressant drugs, psychotherapy, or a combination of both. If you are concerned about a loved one being depressed, offer to go with him or her to see a health care provider to be diagnosed and treated.
If you or someone you care about is in crisis, please seek help immediately.
Call 911
Visit a nearby emergency department or your health care provider's office
Call the toll-free, 24-hour hotline of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255); TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889) to talk to a trained counselor
Older Driver Safety Awareness Week: December 3rd through the 7th
People grow older every day. That is a fact of life and with the increasing age come changes in physical, mental and sensory abilities that can challenge a person's continued ability to drive safely. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) want people to know there are a variety of safe travel options for people of all ages. The real need is a broader awareness of the solutions, rather than a narrow focus on the problem.
The AOTA have occupational therapy practitioners who can evaluate a person's overall ability to operate a vehicle safely and provide rehabilitation, if necessary. “Many are specially trained in the full scope of driving rehabilitation. Occupational therapy practitioners work with older adults as well as their families and caregivers, offering individualized assessment. They can identify individuals' unique challenges and find strategies that will help them live life to its fullest by keeping them active, healthy, and safe in their communities.”
AOTA's Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, December 3–7, 2018, aims to promote understanding of the importance of mobility and transportation to ensuring older adults remain active in the community—shopping, working or volunteering—with the confidence that transportation will not be the barrier to strand them at home.
Check their website throughout the week of December 3-7, 2018 as the AOTA will bring attention to a different aspect of older driver safety.
