Timeline
2001
- Several community leaders, lead by Easter Seals, being frustrated with the plight of frail elderly, decided to bring together a collaborative community team to address the issue
- Solicited Task Force members
- Met monthly, reviewed data, dialogued about issues, held focus groups and created concept for ‘changing the face of aging’
2002
- Numerous meetings held to determine needs, scope of Seniors Count, its mission and vision
- Created “Resolutions Supporting Seniors Count ”
- Held first Seniors Count Kick-off events
- Received founding gift from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
2003
- Focus group held with community leaders including media, funders, and businesses to discuss Seniors Count and elicit input
- Students shoveled snow in winter, placed air conditions in for summer, assisted frail moving into new living quarters and brought food to elderly in need
- Began campaign to raise $100,000 emergency spending fund
- Received Probate Court ruling for 24 nursing home beds to use as short-term stays. (Gale Home Beds)
- Held first Seniors Count Symposium: report on progress made in 2003; plans for 2004.
- Seniors Count created TV/Radio/print campaign
- Created Seniors Count Web site
2004
- In collaboration with NH Public TV, held Seniors Count memory screening and panel discussion about the national telecast: “ The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's”
- Informed that Seniors Count was one of 28 out of 487 nationally, chosen by RWJ to submit full grant
- Home Maintenance collaboration initiative
- Kick-off for first Community Collaboration Project of Seniors Count “Are You OK”, a partnership of ServiceLink, Elliot Senior Health Center and Catholic Medical Center
- Notified that Seniors Count was community partner for RWJ - NHPTV grant entitled "Seeing Seniors"
- Received Robert Wood Johnson/Community Partnerships for Older Adults (RWJ/CPOA) Planning Grant
- Seniors Count Home Maintenance community collaborative project initiated
2005
- Received Seniors Count – Flexible Spending Grant from The Mary Gale Foundation
- Seniors Count sponsored "New Hampshire Speaks", an officially designated White House Conference on Aging event, at the NH State Conference on Aging
- Seniors Count Symposium, with a facilitated "Town Hall" session, was held in June with 150+ attendees, including a representative from the Mayor's office, NH Dept. of Health & Human Services’ Commissioner John Stephen, and Elise Bolda, National Program Director, Community Partnerships For Older Adults/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant
- Seniors Count presented "Seeing Seniors” forums in Laconia, Newport, Durham, Berlin and Nashua, NH (as community partner for NH Public TV’s grant, funded by Benton Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson). There were also 6 NH Outlook shows on frail elderly topics.
- “Seniors Spring Clean-Up Day”, a Seniors Count Community Collaboration project with over 200+ volunteers and 150 seniors helped
- “Seniors Fall Clean-Up Day”, a Seniors Count Community Collaborative project with a dozen Seniors Count partner agencies, organizations and businesses providing donated goods and 200+ volunteers to help 115 seniors
- “Seniors Count Holiday Light Tour”. Partnered with the Manchester, NH Police Department Senior Services Unit. Special vans brought close to 30 frail elders to join 350 other seniors on a Holiday Light Tour, parade down the main street and a reception at the Senior Center.
2006
- Received two Mary Gale Foundation Grants
- Seniors Count Flex Spending: close to 20 partners use this fund for goods/services to benefit indigent women
- Received Endowment for Health Public Policy improvement grant
- Awarded Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Partnerships for Older Adults 4-year implementation grant
- Seniors Count presentations "Engaging Local Communities in the solution to Long Term Care" at the Real Choice Systems Transformation conference October, 2006
- St. Anselm's College students volunteer to be Seniors Count friendly visitors to frail shut-ins.
- Seniors Count month-long Fall Clean-up Kick-off held November 4. Over 150+ volunteers completed fall cleanup chores for cleaned up the yards for 130+ frail elderly in Manchester.
- A four-week Seniors Count media flight launched to coincide with Alzheimer Disease month. The media flight consisted of print ads, TV and radio spots.
2007
- Seniors Count Flexible Spending Initiative served 359 seniors purchasing over 10,000 goods and services not funded by any other social program in its first year.
- Seniors Count participated in presenting a Legislative Briefing on Long Term Care in New Hampshire.
- Meetings with the Superintendent of Schools and High School Principles spurs on the development of a Seniors Count "Aging Sensitivity Curriculum" for Manchester Schools and other youth groups.
- Seniors Count presented at the CPFOA's "Creative Change" workshop during the pre conference events at the ASA/NCOA conference in Chicago.
- First Seniors Count Aging Sensitivity classes held at Memorial High School with the entire student body (approximately 2200+ students).
- Seniors Count conducts survey in the Granite State Poll to get baseline data re aging issues and knowledge of Seniors Count in New Hampshire.