DRiVE voucher program for DeKalb Co. seniors

via Commissioner Rader...

 Please come to Central DeKalb Senior Center to learn about the DRiVE Voucher Program for seniors!

Transportation Staff will be there to explain the program changes and answer your questions.

Wednesday, March 7th at 1:00 pm 1346 McConnell Drive Decatur, GA 30033
CDSC Great Room

Please sign up in the lobby!

Additional info about DeKalb vouchers for seniors.

Fall Prevention Program [Sept 22]

via Commissioner Rader...

Fall Prevention Program - Date Change Correction:
Fall Prevention Program will be this Thursday, September 22nd at 12:30p.m. with Sandy Bramlett at the Central DeKalb Senior Center. We apologize for the incorrect date previously sent.

Stay Balanced, Active and Independent - Strategies for staying strong, active and independent. Learn how your BODY and BRAIN help with Balance & Fall Prevention, so that you are able to move with comfort and ease, and with youthful vitality. Get the FACTS about Falls, and what to do if you fall, get TIPS on how to prevent falls in the first place, and sample simple brain/body ‘games’ and exercises you can do daily to keep you steady, active and mobile for life. Lunch is available on Thursday, but requires a reservation, at $7.00 per meal. Call Center Director, Victoria Kingsland at Phone: 770-492-5462.
-----
The Central DeKalb Senior Center is located at 1346 McConnell Dr. 
The Center's website is:  http://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/CentralDekalbSenior/index.html
That page includes links to the monthly activity schedule, registration form and interest sheet.

Senior Opportunities for October

 ...from Victoria Kingsland, Central DeKalb Senior Center
1346 McConnell Drive Decatur, Georgia 30033
Phone: 770-492-5462
Email: VKingsland@dekalbcountyga.gov

A note from Victoria at Central DeKalb Senior Center, with a few highlights that I know you will enjoy!

• On Thursday, October 29th at 12:30 p.m. in Lobby of CDSC, the Ukulele Society of Decatur will perform, this will be a good time for all! Please join us for lunch too!
• I am so excited to announce the following Transportation Voucher Program for Seniors in DeKalb County who do not drive, or have no form of transportation. This program is being offered through DeKalb County Office of Senior Affairs, not any other funder. Every Wednesday, from 1:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., Ericia Wheeler, a DeKalb County employee, manages the program. She will be at CDSC to sign up seniors and their drivers each Wednesday. As you know, transportation is one of the most needed services for Seniors, and I am thrilled to share this opportunity with you. Please let me know if you are interested in signing up for this program. I look forward to hearing from you.
• The DRiVE (DeKalb Reimbursement Voucher Program for the Elderly) opens the door to leisure and fun. Use a driver of your choice!
• Medicare’s Open Enrollment period is October 15 to December 7. ALL people with Medicare can change their Medicare health plan and prescription drug coverage for next year. CDSC will host a presentation on Thursday November 5th, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Please ask Seniors to bring their Medicare card, and the names of their prescriptions. Personalized counseling using the medicare.gov decision tool will be available after the session.

- - - 

The Central DeKalb Senior Center serves "DeKalb County Residents, age 62 and older, who are active and independent. The role of the CDSC is to provide programs, services, and activities that promote health, wellness, social interaction, community engagement, education, and independence. Participants and the CDSC staff will work together to create a true sense of community."

Please visit the Center's website at http://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/CentralDekalbSenior/index.html
On the left margin, there is a link to their monthly activity schedule, as well as links to a registration form (so they can reach out to eligible residents)  and interest sheet (for letting the senior center know what activities would best serve users). Often, there is also a flyer highlighting special activities. Here is the October special events flyer...

Central DeKalb Senior Center activity schedule

The Central DeKalb Senior Center is located at Mason Mill Park. To view their monthly activity schedule, click here.

Smartphone & tablet tips for seniors

Crossroad News reports that the AARP is hosting workshops to help users aged 50+ better use smartphones and tablets.

There are several workshops being held in the Atlanta area: the ones closest to us  will take place workshops will take place at the Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538 Panola Road Lithonia, Georgia 30058) | map | as follows:
10am - 12:00pm
and
2:00-4:00pm on
September 24, October 29, November 12 and December 10.

The workshop will cover touchscreen basics, apps, texting, photo sharing and video chat. For more information, see the flyer. To reserve a seat,  call 877-926-8300 or sign up via http://aarp.cvent.com/aarptekgeorgia and scroll down to the desired location.

Avoiding scams and fraud [July 17]

via LeeAnn Harvey at Volunteer! Decatur:

Too Good To Be True
Thursday, July 17, 6:30 p.m.
Decatur Recreation Center
231 Sycamore St.

Lifelong Decatur Third Thursday series hosts a panel of experts on avoiding fraud and scams, especially those targeting older adults. Whether you are concerned for yourself or a loved one, learn steps to prevent being taken advantage of by investment scams, telemarketing schemes and other fraud, identity theft, and financial exploitation of older adults and other vulnerable individuals.

The panel includes Sgt. Jennifer Ross, Decatur Police Department Community Information and Education Officer; Jeanne Canavan, DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office; and Elder and Family Law attorney Donald S. Horace, Esq.

Think you or someone you know has been a victim of a scam? Here are some resources for help:
·  Decatur Police Department: 404-373-6551
·  FBI Information on Common Fraud Schemes: fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud/seniors
·  Georgia Senior Legal Hotline: 404-657-9915
·  Adult Protective Services: To report suspected exploitation of an elder person who lives in a private residence call 404-657-5250 or visit aging.dhr.georgia.gov.

DeKalb Public Library: senior advisory board [July 23, Oct 22]

click to enlarge

Our DeKalb County Public Library is looking for seniors interested in helping shape the Library's programs and services. 

Two information meetings are scheduled, for July 23 and October 22. Please see flyer for additional information.

Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness

from v. 32, Medlock Matters

The Lifelong Communities Committee is starting to coordinate efforts toward improving emergency preparedness within the Medlock and Clairmont Heights neighborhoods. To start this process, we are asking for your help in assembling a neighborhood inventory to find out how many of our neighbors might need extra help in a disaster, and which neighbors have special skills or training that might be helpful during an emergency. It will also help us keep you involved in continued neighborhood  preparedness activities.

Your participation in this inventory is completely optional. All responses will help us have a central database of the needs in our neighborhood and the resources and people that may be  available to help. The results will also help us focus our plans toward education and outreach within the neighborhood in advance of an emergency. Your responses will be available for use only by MANA and the Lifelong Communities Committee as needed.

Your responses can be entered online at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/neighborhood_inventory

For a paper copy, please contact Kathryn Firago at kfirago at gmail

MANA Community Meeting [Mar 3]

Please join us on March 3, 7pm at the North Decatur Presbyterian Church (611 Medlock Road) for our first meeting this year. 

On the agenda:

Election of officers for 2014
ICS updates
Laurel Ridge updates
Neighborhood Watch
Lifelong Communities
Cityhood updates
Medline LCI
Georgia General Assembly Updates – Rahn Mayo
Candidates for Senate seat - Elena Parent and Kyle Williams
Zoning updates

Update on Medline LCI Study: community meeting notes

Ideas and concerns collected in prior discussions (left, middle) + hands-on opportunities for people who live, work and play in the area to literally draw better solutions (right)
= COMMUNITY THINK TANK!

The February 27 Medline LCI Community Meeting was a success, with Commissioners Rader and Gannon and their staff present to kick off the project. Jen Price (Sycamore Consulting) has kindly secured the presentation slides (see below), so that those who were not able to attend can also participate. Jen has also supplied us with hard copies of the community survey that will be available at the MANA Community Meeting on March 3.

The Medline LCI study group is funded by the Atlanta Regional Commission:

This study focuses on the area around DeKalb Medical Center and will plan for redevelopment of underutilized and vacant properties to create a variety of housing options and an appropriate mix of commercial, office and retail. The study will incorporate Lifelong Communities concepts and the establishment of a “wellness district” for the DeKalb Medical Center area. Additionally, the plan will address sidewalk and bicycle facilities along the major corridors in the area to create a more walkable center and to improve connections to MARTA bus routes and Emory’s Cliff shuttle.

For more information on the Medline LCI Study, see https://sites.google.com/site/medlinelcistudy/
where you can also find a link to the online survey. There is still time to fill out the community survey!

The presenters emphasized that this is the kick-off to a long process; as the area is developed, we will need to continue to push for investment from developers, with a focus on obtaining concessions that help us create an environment that meets the many and diverse needs of our residents.

A big question in everyone's mind is how to ensure this LCI study yields improvements both short and long-term. The answer goes something like this:
1) as LCI recommendations are finalized, we become eligible for County and Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) funding to complete certain projects
2) finalized Medline area use and design recommendations will be added to the zoning code for the area. This means that future developers will have to abide by those guidelines.
3) the Atlanta Regional Commission requires LCIs to be reviewed every 5 years. This allows the LCI to remain a living, evolving project.

The next Medline LCI community meeting will be on a Saturday in late March; details will be posted soon. The meeting will be held in a charrette format to encourage participation.

The Medline LCI Study began last month and will be completed in June 2014.

Lifelong Communities: MANA and Emory School of Public Health team up

from v 31, Medlock Matters

By Kathryn Firago

MANA and School of Public Health team

Last August, many of our neighbors aged 50+ took a survey to help the Lifelong Communities committee understand the needs and wants of this population. Once we had those responses, we had the good fortune of having the Emory School of Public Health provide qualified students in its degree program to analyze the responses and make suggestions to us based on their importance to the community and feasibility of implementation. These young women did us a great service and, by working with our community, each earned an A in their Community Needs Assessment course! The students held focus groups, interviewed key members of the Medlock and Clairmont Heights neighborhoods and researched possible partnerships we could make with other organizations and businesses. Following are some of the items on the plan they have provided to us. The committee has yet to meet in 2014 to discuss this plan in its entirety, but that is scheduled later in February.

Create a Community Buddy System – This is something that many of our neighbors are already doing, but it could be more intentional. Neighbors who would like to volunteer to check in on other neighbors’ safety and well being could be matched with ones who would like to have the contact, be
it weekly or some other time frame. It would be a win-win situation for both. This could aid in elderly neighbors not only getting basic needs met, but also in satisfying social needs for them.
Institute Informal Social Gatherings – Arrange potlucks, walking groups, meet-ups at Melton’s or a local restaurant. Form a knitting group, quilting group, and book club. These could happen frequently and could possibly be hosted by the North Decatur Presbyterian Church as the pastor there has offered to work with MANA more often.

Utilize Facebook and other social networks – This could facilitate more immediate networking and announcements. Meetings for Neighborhood Watch, community meetings and the aforementioned informal gatherings could be publicized not only on the Medlock neighborhood website but also on Nextdoor and Facebook. There could be a service-bartering page to offer and request services, such as yard work, housework, babysitting or pet-sitting. This is another way to connect our neighbors to each other in a more personal way.

Use the Dekalb County Public Library Takeout Service – There is a “Savvy Senior” program that includes book discussion groups, a film series, seasonal tax assistance and volunteer opportunities. A library administrator could travel to our neighborhood to conduct workshops on topics of interest such as coping with diabetes, heart disease, and training in computer use.

These are just a few of the suggestions made by the Emory students. We have many to consider and attempt to implement. If you would like to be a part of this Lifelong Communities committee and start making some of these possibilities a reality, please get in touch with Lynn, Deb, Kathryn or Suzan via medlockassoc@gmail.com

Medline LCI Community Visioning Workshop [Feb 27]

The Medline LCI Study is now in full swing! Supported by the Atlanta Regional Commission, this Livable Communities Initiative study focuses

"... on the area around DeKalb Medical Center and will plan for redevelopment of underutilized and vacant properties to create a variety of housing options and an appropriate mix of commercial, office and retail. The study will incorporate Lifelong Communities concepts and the establishment of a “wellness district” for the DeKalb Medical Center area. Additionally, the plan will address sidewalk and bicycle facilities along the major corridors in the area to create a more walkable center and to improve connections to MARTA bus routes and Emory’s Cliff shuttle." 

To learn more about this project, please attend the Community Workshop on

Thursday, February 27th
6:30—8:00 PM
North Decatur Presbyterian Church (Sanctuary)
611 Medlock Road
Decatur, GA 30033

or visit the Medline LCI website.

If you can't make the meeting or prefer to offer feedback online, you can do so via https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MedlineLCI.

MANA Community Meeting [Oct 21]

Medlock Area Neighborhood Association (MANA) Community Meeting
Monday October 21    7:00pm
North Decatur Presbyterian Church

We certainly hope to see you at the next MANA Community Meeting.  Among the items on the agenda are:

• Zoning news
• Neighborhood Watch
• Lifelong Communities
• Home Sales
• Halloween plans

Also,  Allen Venet will be there to tell us about the City of Briarcliff Initiative.  So come meet and talk with your neighbors and  get news of community interest.

Medline LCI: redevelopment, walkability, and wellness

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) has shared a Google Earth map of the Medline Livable Centers Intitiative project. Per the ARC, the Medline study

"focuses on the area around DeKalb Medical Center and will plan for redevelopment of underutilized and vacant properties to create a variety of housing options and an appropriate mix of commercial, office and retail. The study will incorporate Lifelong Communities concepts and the establishment of a “wellness district” for the DeKalb Medical Center area. Additionally, the plan will address sidewalk and bicycle facilities along the major corridors in the area to create a more walkable center and to improve connections to MARTA bus routes and Emory’s Cliff shuttle."

Medline LCI (orange boundary), per Atlanta Regional Commission's Google Earth map. Pink line marks the City of Decatur Town Center study boundary. A yellow asterisk marks the Medlock/North Decatur/Scott Blvd intersection, relative to which the Scott Blvd. Baptist Church is almost at 12 o'clock. Suburban Plaza more or less spans 1-3 o'clock. Click to enlarge.

The  Medline study will not be ready in time to steer the redevelopment of Suburban Plaza or of the Scott Blvd. Baptist Church property. Even so, these projects have and will continue to face scrutiny by County planning and review by the Commissioners, whose decisions will be informed by the goals of the Medline LCI study.

Community discussions about the Medline LCI study will begin soon, once the contractor who will lead the study is hired.

MANA community meeting notes [June 18]

The meeting took place on June 18 at North Decatur Presbyterian Church. Please mark your calendar for our next meeting, October 21, 7pm, same venue.

Agenda
Welcome and introductions: Lynn Ganim (MANA VP)
Cityhood initiatives: Davis Fox (Commissioner Gannon's Office)
City of Briarcliff Initiative (Herman Lorenz)
Zoning Updates: Theresa Same (MANA Zoning)
Senior Activities (Lifelong Communities): Kathryn Firago (MANA Senior Outreach)
Schools: Tanya Myers (MANA Education) and Natalie Caudle (N. Druid Hills Charter Cluster Initiative)
Neighborhood Watch (Nextdoor): Barbara Dalton (MANA Neighborhood Watch)
Membership kick-off: Judy Perras (MANA Treasurer)

The meeting began with introductions by VP Lynn Ganim, followed by a very thorough "cityhood primer" presented by Davis Fox, who works with Commissioner Kathie Gannon. Mr. Fox gave context to the cityhood movement in the Atlanta area, and answered questions from the audience [to be posted later this week].

Central DeKalb Senior Center coming to Mason Mill Park

via CHCA... 

Commissioner Rader's website has a link to site and floor plans for a new senior center at Mason Mill Park. Simply labeled as "DeKalb County Central Senior Center", the drawings show the new building facing McConnel Drive, situated on an area that is already paved over. 

Proposed Senior Center at Mason Mill Park (in gold, in drawing at the left) and Google map image of park.
  Image via http://www.co.dekalb.ga.us/commdev/pdf/DCSC_communityPresentation_boards.pdf
Click to enlarge.

Street view of proposed center. Click to enlarge.

As proposed, the building would include arts and crafts rooms (listed activites include drawing, painting, carving, pottery, quilting and sewing) and exercise areas (weights/cardio and yoga/dance/aerobics). There is also a cafe, a large multi-purpose room, billiards room, and several classroom and activity spaces. An elevator connects both floors.

OnCentralDeKalb has an item talking about three senior centers being built in DeKalb: a North DeKalb Center (3393 Malone Drive, Chamblee), a South DeKalb Center (at 1931 Candler Road, Decatur, replacing an older structure built in 1979), and a third as-of-yet-unreleased location "Central DeKalb facility" to be "the first county-owned facility in the Central DeKalb area." Per the article, the County will "spend $15 million in federal funding to construct the centers under HUD programs." The article goes on to say that

"Three new senior centers are slated to open by December 2013—one in North DeKalb, one in South DeKalb and one in Central DeKalb, county officials have announced. ... Each 15,000-square-foot center will have community meeting rooms, a computer lab, a fully equipped fitness room, a commercial kitchen, access to walking trails, and sitting areas inside and around the grounds.
The centers’ main dining halls will accommodate approximately 120 people seated, and are designed to easily convert and serve as a meeting space for educational seminars and civic events.
Activity rooms will be made available for ceramics, billiards, and games such as chess, bridge, and backgammon.
A large social lounge will also be included in each facility."

This facility will be a great addition to Mason Mill's recent improvements, and is great news to area residents hoping to age in place. Mason Mill Park is accessible by via the PATH's South Peachtree Creek Trail [trailhead at Medlock Park, with access point on Willivee Dr.]. Mason Mill Park is located at 1340 McConnell Dr  Decatur, GA 30033 | map |.

Pink asterisk marks the proposed location of the Central DeKalb Senior Center at Mason Mill Park.
PATH trail that connects Mason Mill and Medlock Parks is highlighted in light green. Click to enlarge.

DeKalb Medical Center-area LCI approved!

This is great news for our area! Selig Enterprises contributed $5,000 to the County to help qualify for this grant.  This contribution came out of negotiations by MANA and the surrounding neighborhoods with Selig and Walmart.

Per the press release, LCI's (Livable Center Initiatives)

...help these communities create new plans for quality growth and help develop innovative policies that support more vibrant, connected communities. Once their studies and plans are complete, these communities will be eligible for additional LCI funding for transportation projects needed to implement their plans. 

See the press release from the Atlanta Regional Commission at http://www.atlantaregional.com/about-us/news-press/press-releases/0e77e470-34ee-4a38-895e-ff7bd5dc4a0a

Nine Metro area communities received awards, including the corridor around DeKalb Medical Center:

Medline Regional Activity Center 

Award amount: $120,000
Sponsor: DeKalb County
Contact: Cedric Hudson, Planning Administrator,
Phone/Email: (404) 371-2789, chudson@dekalbcountyga.gov 

This study focuses on the area around DeKalb Medical Center and will plan for redevelopment of underutilized and vacant properties to create a variety of housing options and an appropriate mix of commercial, office and retail. The study will incorporate Lifelong Communities concepts and the establishment of a “wellness district” for the DeKalb Medical Center area. Additionally, the plan will address sidewalk and bicycle facilities along the major corridors in the area to create a more walkable center and to improve connections to MARTA bus routes and Emory’s Cliff shuttle.

Aging in place: exploring the possibilities

At the most recent MANA community meeting, representatives from DeKalb County's Office of Senior Affairs discussed a county grant scheduled to be awarded this fall, to help develop an age-in-place community.

CHCA has a writeup composed by several people who attended the presentation.

CHCA and MANA members have formed a committee to explore this issue and have attended several presentations relating to this concept. As this committee gains a better understanding of this opportunity, look to this space and the CHCA website for calls for focus groups, surveys, and other ways to provide input or volunteer.

T-SPLOST: The senior perspective

The AJC has an item focusing on the needs of a demographic that is closely watching the Atlanta-area transportation debate: baby boomers. According to census figures, the metro Atlanta region's 20 counties is home to 1.3 million people aged 48 and older. With advancing years, people may face mobility issues as well as transportation worries (in particular, those who can no longer drive but live in areas that are not walkable and also lack public transportation). As expected, some seniors are in favor while others do not see how the referendum will benefit them.

The Atlanta Regional Commission acknowledges this trend in their website and has a section on aging resources. One of their foci is Lifelong Communities, which emphasizes housing, transportation, and healthy lifestyles throughout an individual's lifespan.

MANA is part of the Toco Hills Naturally Occurring Aging Communities (NORC). Per their website, 15.7% of residents in this area are 65 or older.  Compare that to the county at large (8.6%) and to the nation as a whole (13.3%).

AJC's coverage of the T-SPLOST vote is summarize in this page.