Council on Aging’s outreach bureau is a service available to area businesses and organizations to educate people about available programs and services for older adults, people with disabilities and their caregivers.
Our outreach bureau focuses on educating individuals about our programs and services so they may 1) feel more informed about the breadth of services available in our community, and 2) be better prepared to make a referral for services.
What We Offer
Our outreach bureau includes COA staff and carefully vetted community partners who are knowledgeable about programs and services available to older adults and people with disabilities.
COA’s outreach bureau is available to the following:
- Hospital systems, physician’s offices, fire/EMS/law enforcement departments, municipalities, community groups and other social service organizations whose staff should be informed about COA’s programs and services and understand how to make referrals.
- Large area employers that are interested in providing education to their workforce about caring for aging loved-ones and the importance of long-term care planning (a donation is suggested for for-profit organizations, see details below).
Due to limited resources, we ask that you are mindful of our requirements (listed below). Additionally, we are rarely able to fill evening and weekend requests.
Through our outreach bureau we provide:
- Presentations: A PowerPoint presentation tailored to your organization’s specific needs. In most cases, presentations can be customized to meet CEU requirements (COA does not provide the CEUs). In-person and virtual formats are available.
- COA information at events: A COA information booth staffed by an educated volunteer or COA staff member to share information about in-home and community-based services for caregivers, older adults and people with disabilities.
- Information and answers on aging and independence: We produce fact sheets, brochures and other literature that describe our programs and services, share our clients’ stories, and call people to action. Call or visit us online for a list of available materials and then let us know what you need for your event or organization.
Cost
COA’s outreach bureau is a free service. However, it takes considerable time and resources to prepare for each presentation or event.
For for-profit organizations, if you are pleased with the level of service and information you receive through our outreach bureau, please consider making a donation to Council on Aging. Donations can be made securely via Paypal on our Donation page or you may give a check to your speaker. Checks can be made payable to Council on Aging.
Requirements
For your request to be considered, we ask the following:
- Complete the Outreach Request Form. NOTE: The form is an initial intake and not confirmation of a speaker.
- Provide at least 30 days notice for your event/speaker request.
- For speaker requests, the audience must include at least 25 people. We may make exceptions in special situations, but in most cases, speaking to larger groups makes the best use of our resources. If your group is small, please consider collaborating with another organization to bring in a larger audience.
- For events, at least 100 people must be in attendance.
- In general, we are best able to accommodate events and presentations that are scheduled during normal business hours, Monday-Friday. Our weekend and evening availability is very limited and is reserved for large groups and events.
Due to staffing and other factors, we are not able to fill all requests. Because of the amount of requests we receive, we must consider things such as date/time/location of event, audience type, event size and staff availability. Additionally, we are rarely able to fill evening and weekend requests.
If we are unable to be on-site at an event, we may be able to provide a quantity of COA information to be distributed at the event.
Available Topics
COA: How We Can Help (COA general)
What help is available for older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers in our community? You will learn about
- state of aging in our region
- Ohio’s Aging Network, including the role of your Area Agency on Aging;
- long-term care
- affordable programs that help older adults and people with disabilities remain independent in their homes and communities,
- programs that help people transition from one care setting to another.
- supports available for family caregivers. support for family caregivers and
For first responders: What help is available for older adults?
Presentations and information for first responders includes a shortened, yet informative, version of above, plus
- how COA can help with specific situations / calls
- tips for making referrals to COA
Caregiving Crunch
The importance of quality caregiving can not be understated! Presentations customized for those who provide care cover the following:
- What is caregiving? Who can be a caregiver?
- importance and impact of caregiving nationwide
- rewards of caregiving
- tips for caregivers – how to take care of yourself
- COA services available through in-home programs – how they can help
- caregiver support services – COA’s Caregiver Support Program
Looking for a speaker on a topic not listed here? We may be able to connect you with another community resource that can accommodate your request.
Submit a Request
Click here to complete a request form for a speaker, information booth, literature or one-one-one meeting.