Episode 6: Becoming an Age-Friendly Community

Host: Shakita LaGrant-McClain

Guests: Denise Callaway, Host of “Connect MKE” on MY24/CW18 and Chair of the Commission on Aging; Emily Peterson, DHHS Aging Services Project Manager and Policy Advocate

DHHS Executive Director Shakita LaGrant-McClain is joined by Denise Callaway of the Commission on Aging and Emily Peterson of Milwaukee County Aging Services for a conversation about programs and partnerships supporting older adults across Milwaukee County. They discuss how services like the Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC), senior dining programs, and housing initiatives are helping residents stay healthy, connected, and independent.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:10

Welcome to this episode of our DHHS podcast: Conversations to Creating a Healthy Community. And today I have the pleasure of being joined by Denise Callaway. And Denise Callaway is the host of Connect MKE on Mod 24, CW18. And most importantly, she's also our chair of our Commission on Aging. Welcome, Denise. Thank you, Sue. Woman Callaway. We also are joined by Emily Peterson. And Emily Peterson is our project manager and policy advocate for agent services. Welcome, Emily. Thank you for having me. Thank you so much for joining us today. So today, we're going to discuss all things agent services from our Asian Disability Resource Centers to senior centers and everything in between. Are y'all ready? Oh yeah. Ready? Ready to get started? Let's go. Let's go. All right. So this is a question for both of you. With the Asian Disability Resource Center, which is known as the ADRC, now on the first floor of our new COG facility. More than a building, but a lifeline, right? We have seen a dramatic, so 73% increase in walk-in and customers, which is amazing, right? From the historic COGS to here. Talk to us about the services that our Asian and Disability Resource Center offers and how it can assist with issues such as isolation and transportation. That's all part of our Asian disability services. So the ADRC is just one part of Asian disability services, right? So you have Asian services and adult protective services. So can you all tell me a little bit about those services and you know what makes people want to come here now? What does that increase contributed to?

SPEAKER_01 1:41

Well, I think the increase contributes to people being healthier, to people having information they can use that helps them live healthier and better lives. And that's that's what we try to do in aging services. I I think it's just incredible. And I'm so glad that so many people are now coming in and taking advantage of the service because everything that people need, those connections that people need to meet need to meet can all be found in this one location now. It can really be found there, but it's so accessible here and it's so welcoming here. And people can really be feel like they are in a place where they're going to get help, right? And then when they're able to get that health care, I mean it's just incredible. And as you said, it's everything from transportation to finding out senior centers. If you have a family member who's dealing with dementia, or Alzheimer's here and you can get the information. So you don't really have to worry about where you need to go. You just need to come here.

SPEAKER_02 2:49

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

Oh, I love that. I love that. What are your thoughts, Emily? Yeah, I agree with uh Chair Callaway, and I think having this building here really helps effectuate that no-wrong door model of service delivery for our clients and having those navigators at the front desk, somebody can walk in, and they may not even know exactly what it is that they need, but there's experts right there who they can listen to your problem or concern and they can make suggestions for you. Maybe you need uh financial navigation services through our aging services program. Maybe they refer you to the senior centers, maybe they sign you up for our older adult transportation system. So there's a lot of opportunities for those navigators to connect people, and that's really what the no-wrong door is meant to be about. And I think having this central location where people can come in, get connected, and maybe even learn about things that they didn't even know they could be connected with. Right. Such a great opportunity for the community. Yeah, I appreciate that. You want to add, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Well, in fact, I was just thinking about this. When I was coming in today, there was someone who asked me, where can I go for this? Is which building do I go to? Is it this building? And I said, yes. And she said, Well, what do I do? I said, You just walk through the door and people will help you.

SPEAKER_02 3:59

That's right. That's right. I love that. Thank you. And I think it's part of mouth too, right? So the increase happened. I mean, at first we didn't see as many people coming in, but all of a sudden, I mean, there's a lot of folks who are just walking in, and maybe just to ask a question, maybe just to get information, right? And being able to connect, not just in our agent disability services with agent services, but to connect with mental health, right? To connect with housing. There's a housing navigator in ADS now, right? You all had, there was um, they had like a housing event a couple weeks ago. The line was around the corner. I had not seen that since the historical Cogs, right? When we used to have income maintenance there, but people were coming to get connected to housing for older adults. So we had landlords come into the building who, you know, had these uh units were available for older adults, and people were just around the corner and coming in and being able to get their needs met. That's just amazing, right? We had we wasn't able to do that in the old building.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

So but I think that also says a lot about not just the services, yeah, but the quality of services that are offered that people now know they can come here to this one location, right, and they can get the help they need. And that's that's huge, you know, particularly if you're someone who has a disability, right? If you're someone whose mobility may be limited as you age and you don't always feel comfortable getting out and and going somewhere, or it's a it's a challenge to do that. To know that you can come to this one place and get what you need is huge.

SPEAKER_02 5:28

And people will tell people and tell people more people, and that's what we want, right? Because we want to get those people out of their houses so they don't have the isolation going on, right? And they want them to network and to be a part and go to our senior centers and all the great places and senior dining. So great work. I appreciate that. Um, Emily, I want to talk to you about our adult protective services, and we call it APS. Um, and we have achieved significant milestones with strengthening elder justice efforts statewide. And you have, I mean, you are very active in statewide initiatives across Wisconsin. So we want to thank you for that work as well. So not just doing amazing work here at the Department of Health and Human Services, but across our state. So I want to actually um can you talk just a little bit about that work and what they're doing?

SPEAKER_00 6:11

Yeah. Um our adult protective services team is amazing and created a model that was replicated statewide, um, the elder fatality review model. This is our approach to helping um achieve success in strengthening adult protective services and ensuring that older adults are able to connect with the services that they need to protect themselves from fraud, abuse, um, things that can happen in the home and in the community. So, this model, they were able to take it on a statewide basis, and now other APS units across the state are also able to use that model. And it's been really successful, not here only here in Milwaukee County, but when those other counties have been able to use that model, it's also been really successful. So we're really proud of that APS team for being able to elevate that model across the state.

SPEAKER_02 6:59

Yeah, wow, amazing. Um, Denise, there has been a lot of work done to, you know, realize the vision of our MKE Hubs report. Whoa, what an amazing report. You all did a great, I just want to say, Commission on Asia, y'all are doing some amazing work here. So I just want to, you know, give congratulations and shouts out to all the work you all are doing. So you all published this on your Commission on Asia and that senior select committee that you put together, making sure you have all the voices at the table, listening to what the community wants, not just what we want, right? Um, and so the report is really a roadmap to how do we reimagine senior centers? And we've been we've been best buds lately because we've been talking a lot about senior centers and how we can make them better. So you recently toured space um on the south side um in the former Bucyrus uh building, South Milwaukee, right? Yes. So can you share a little bit about this new senior center and what you hope it will bring to the community?

SPEAKER_01 7:51

Well, I first want to talk about the hubs report.

SPEAKER_02 7:54

Go ahead. Yes, please.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

Um, and to really give a shout out to one of our commissioners, Gene Koskowski, who chairs that committee. Yes, he's a former architect. He used to work in that space of developing um structures and and buildings for seniors. So, I mean, this is this is where he loves to be. Yes. But it's more than about the building, even though the building at USIRES is fantastic. It will be able to do great things. We can talk about that in a second. But it really is allowing us to think about how seniors are living now, how they will live in the future, what people want, and how we can work to provide that service. I think our senior centers now do some really great things. Absolutely. But the Hubs report really encourages us and pushes us a little bit more to think about what senior centers can be. What do seniors want now? Yes, we want the activities that are taking place there. But we also want to be able to have places to gather. Right? Right. Maybe having like a coffee shop.

SPEAKER_02 9:07

A little coffee shop there. Have a little coffee, yes. There.

SPEAKER_01 9:09

And and the great thing that I like about the Hubs Report is not only that it is both thinking about the immediate, but also really thinking about the future. I I like to say to people, aging is something that everybody wants to do. It's the yeah, it's the concept.

SPEAKER_04 9:26

Right, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

And we're all doing it now. We all want to get older.

SPEAKER_04 9:30

Right.

SPEAKER_01 9:30

We all live vital lives now, and we want to be able to continue to live vital lives. So senior centers can really be an important part of that. As we reimagine those and what they look like, making them more vibrant, um, looking at the opportunity to have senior centers open later or maybe open on Saturdays. So people who are seniors now who either may be working or have commitments at the times of the day when the senior centers are open, we can take a look at how we can expand those offerings that we have. How can we also make them physically friendly to folks? Um, and there's some some things that we're doing at some senior centers now. I'm thinking about Clinton Rose, that really is bringing that vision forward. So we're not waiting for the perfect time. We're taking a look at ways in which some of the things that the senior that the Hubs Report Senior Centers talks about that we can do now. One of those is uh the Bucyrus Erie effort, which is so exciting. It's a collaborative effort with the developer, with Milwaukee County, with the city of South Milwaukee, which had to close its senior center, and um the commission on aging. So we're all taking a look at what senior centers might be able to look like in the future. It might be more of a public-private collaborative. Right. But the thing that I love best about this as we continue to move forward uh with it is that uh we asked seniors who are now at the Kelly Senior Center to come with us to that space and to imagine what that space could be like.

SPEAKER_02 11:15

I love that. So you all had them uh go to that before we even had any plans, right? Just go tour it and like imagine. Everyone, close your eyes and imagine what this could be. Tell us what you would want here. And they did.

SPEAKER_01 11:28

They did. We have different stations and they could tell us what they wanted to see. So if we have a gathering spot, what do you want to see in that gathering spot? Right. We have an area where people who are into crafts can do crafts. What do you want to see? And they told us what was important to them, and that's so important. And not just building a senior center, that building the senior center is going to fulfill their needs because we know that's gonna encourage them to talk about it. Right, it's gonna encourage their friends to come and we can address those issues of social isolation in particular, and because you included them in the process, right?

SPEAKER_02 12:09

You have that buy-in. Yes, and now they're all talking about it and they're all excited about it, right?

SPEAKER_01 12:15

Yes, I don't know what is gonna happen. What is gonna happen? And we're working on it, but it's just so exciting to see this. It will really be the first new senior center in decades in Milwaukee County, and it's not just new, it's future forward.

SPEAKER_02 12:31

Wow, I love that. Thank you all for your leadership. I mean, I know there's a ton of people who are. There are, you know, you are like, we have to do this together, we have to work together, and we need to have the voices of those older adults, whoever are participating in senior centers now and in the future, at the table and helping us to make these decisions. Like that has really been key. And you've been like a driving force of that. Like, okay, you all, we got to do this together. We have to be collaborative. This has to be partnership. And I just thank you for being open.

SPEAKER_01 12:57

Well, thank you all for being open too. Um, you know, it is something that we have to do together. Yeah, and um, I don't want to embarrass you, but under your leadership, you you really have opened that door to communication. Yeah, and it it's not just communication with the commission. You talk to seniors like to dance with them too. I can't wait to go back and dance with them. Yeah, yeah. But I mean, that that makes a huge difference in how we're able to work together for seniors. And I I think that seniors see that collaboration and it tells them that they're valued.

SPEAKER_02 13:30

Yeah. One of the articles said, at least they're trying. Like it's not perfect, and and that's okay. Like, but I'm like a win for them. If they see that we're trying, I think that means so much. Because for so long, Milwaukee County, I mean, there's that trust, you know that. You know, we're working a number of these initiatives and not being able to trust us always. And I think little by little we're showing them we're here. We want to hear your voice, we want to work with you, not against you, right? So I think every pro every little you know, win, I'm like, yes, you know, we're bringing them along. So that feels it feels really good. So yeah, so thank you for your leadership. So, Emily, um, so our agent services has recently expanded its housing collaborations, right? So we know housing is a social determinant of health. So no matter if you are a child, you know, a youth, uh, older adult, an individual with disability, no matter who you are, right? We know housing is important. Um, and so what we want to do, we've been partnering with, and I think I brought this up earlier, our partnership with landlords and property managers and things like that. Can you talk about how this is supporting the older adults in our community and why is that so important?

SPEAKER_00 14:30

Yeah, it is very important. Housing is one of the biggest topics that we hear about from older adults. Earlier this year, we held a series of policy priority listening sessions in the community to learn from older adults what they were most concerned about in housing, uh, whether it's property taxes or instability in uh rental properties, uh, being able to stay in your home for as long as possible. All those issues around housing are becoming more important than ever for older adults. But um in our uh adult protective service and housing area, they received an elder justice grant, an additional $100,000 to be able to support housing for older adults. They'll partner with nine additional property managers and landlords to be able to bring older adults into more stable housing. Okay. Um that's just one step in the process to continue to provide that housing for older adults in the community. Um, and of course, that's been a huge priority of the age-friendly steering committee, which I know we'll talk about later. Um, but as you can kind of tell, like that housing piece becomes more and more important for older adults as they want to age in place, stay wherever their home is and be comfortable in that home and feel safe.

SPEAKER_02 15:37

Absolutely, absolutely. I look forward to talking. It feels like housing is in like every discussion that we have. You know, it's one of our focus areas for our strategic planning, age-friendly housing has come up in, right? So we know that it's an important issue for older adults. And we think about age-friendly, we were gonna talk about, right? It really is what's good for older adults is good for all of us. Absolutely. I just love it. I love that, right? So if we can make it all good for our older adults, we all gonna live happy. We all gonna be safe and healthy in this community, right? So I just love that part of it. So um, I do before we go to the age-friendly, last year we had the um blood pressure hubs. Y'all were I love this. So you get to talk all about it, right? So the blood pressure hubs were installed in all of our Milwaukee County senior centers. Um, and so talk to us about why it's so important to give older uh DOS easy access to preventative care. Well, and tell us about that process. You can even share because I know you want to. So tell them maybe a little bit about that process.

SPEAKER_01 16:34

So we when the Commission on Aging, we found out that the American Heart Association was offering a program in other communities where at certain locations adults could go in, have their blood pressure checked, they could get information about what healthy blood pressure looks like, they could get information on how to lower your blood pressure. And if you didn't have a physician, where you could go to get more information to keep your blood pressure to get it or keep it in that healthy range. And we found out about it, and we we said to DHHS, you know, they have it in these communities and we're happy for them. But can we reach out and get this in our senior centers? Because we have seniors there every day, and we know that high blood pressure is a silent killer. You can have high blood pressure and not know it until you have a catastrophic medical medical event. Right. And we thought, what better place to do this in a place where seniors already gather? Right. They're places that they trust. You all reached out, the American Heart Association has been a fantastic partner in this. They've just really been great. They embraced it wholeheartedly. So every senior center had uh has a blood pressure monitor that's there that sits up on the table. You can come and take your blood pressure. Beyond that, there is the information that can help you understand and interpret it. Right. Um, it gives you information on where to go for help. There are also portable blood pressure monitors that people can check out. Wow. So they can monitor their blood pressure at home. Wow. And that's huge. We want them there every day, but there may be different times during the day that you want to check your blood pressure. So you can do that. Okay. It has been a fantastic success.

SPEAKER_02 18:36

It has been.

SPEAKER_01 18:37

We have had back in when we looked at uh some data back in November of last year of 25, we had uh almost 8,000 times in our senior centers that those that main blood pressure monitor had been used. I am sure based on looking at some of uh of the usage that we have, we have got to be at or approaching 10,000 uses at this point in time. That's 10,000 times people have had the chance to check their blood pressure and know that they're okay. Or know that they need help. That's right. But it's just not the blood pressure machines that are there. The the American Heart Association has stepped up and it offers various uh heart-healthy programming that comes in so people can learn about nutrition. Okay, they can learn about the role that stress plays or how important exercise can be and help you to control your blood pressure. So they get the whole package. And it makes all the difference in the world that they have this opportunity, a place they trust to get information that helps to improve their lives. We've had seniors who've discovered they have dangerous levels of high blood pressure only because this program was in place. So we are just so excited about this very tangible way that seniors can can see their monitor their health.

SPEAKER_02 20:07

Commission on age and lead in the way, you know, you're like, listen, we need this. I don't know if it was a question, like, could we? I think it was like this is what we need to do, right? And I think that's okay, right? Because you are truly listening to um and really looking at the data as real as well. Like, what is happening in our community, and how do we make sure we keep older adults safe and healthy and really looking at preventative care and those kind of things. And that's your focus. And so I love that. I just want to thank you because it truly is a partnership and you lifting up what are those concerns and what you're hearing from the community, not just what we want them to have, but what are they needing from us? So thank you for leading that effort as well. Appreciate you. So uh it all worked out. It's the most important thing. I love it. Um, a question for both of you. So, good nutrition is an important part of healthy aging. We know that, right? Um, and so senior dining sites serve delicious, nutritious meals at convenient locations throughout Milwaukee County. Um, can you both talk about the benefits of getting older adults connected to our senior dining program?

SPEAKER_00 21:07

Absolutely. And I think this is probably one of our my favorite programs that we offer because who doesn't love a good meal? Yes, and there are many ways you can be involved in our senior nutrition program. My favorite is the dine out program, and this is an opportunity for older adults to go to several different restaurant locations throughout Milwaukee and get a meal. Um, and the nice thing about it is that it's a drop-in process. You don't have to register in advance. If you wake up on Tuesday morning and you're like, I want to eat a daddy's for lunch, you can go down to daddy's at 11 o'clock and eat lunch. Um, and I would like to do that. So yeah, it's a great process. So um the meals are only $3 if you're an older adult as a voluntary contribution. And you can also bring someone with you who's not an older adult to share that meal and experience it with you, too. Um, we just opened a brand new dynamic in our program last week, NX Cafe. So the idea behind these dynamics. Nine out sites is not just to provide a nutritious meal, abundant a meal that tastes good, a meal that's culturally competent. And that's been a really highlight of this program that our nutrition director, Galen, has focused on bringing in restaurants that people in the community really actually want to eat at. And then also supporting minority-owned businesses in the community is another strong feature of the program. So I highly encourage folks in the community to go out to the dine out sites and take advantage of them. You want to learn more, just like we talked about earlier, the Aging and Disability Resource Center is that one-stop shop to learn all about the programs, the locations. If you want to register for another site, you can do that there as well by either calling, stopping in, learning more, emailing, and of course going on our website.

SPEAKER_02 22:49

Yeah. This is one of the hot things that are, like you said, one of the favorite things that people, and it started with some of the ARPA funding and things like that. And Galen, like really being innovative, thinking about the needs of the community, um, and being able to really support some of these smaller restaurants and making sure that it's things that the community wants. I mean, what are your thoughts, you know, Chairwoman Calloway, on just like the impact and how has this benefited the older adults in our community?

SPEAKER_01 23:15

I think one of the best things about it is that it gets people out of the house.

SPEAKER_04 23:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 23:21

Right? It gives you a chance to call a friend and say, hey, it's Tuesday. Let's go to Daddy's or on now, Thursdays, you can go to an ox cafe on the northwest side. Right. And they're also sprinkled around the community. So people have an opportunity to try different things on different days of the week. But it lets people have that social connection in a restaurant. And sometimes people may be on, well, everybody's on a budget.

SPEAKER_04 23:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 23:53

But sometimes folks' budgets may make it difficult for them to go out to a restaurant to eat. This kind of puts them back in that space and back in the community. So they might see someone at one of these restaurants who's not there for dine out, but they can have the opportunity to connect with someone there. And I I just love the way that this gives seniors the opportunity to have a nutritious meal and to make that social connection, not just at the dine outsites, but at all of our locations. You know, I think one of the things that is such a dangerous downside of social isolation is that seniors don't eat or they don't eat foods that are nutritious because they especially if they're living by themselves, they're like, oh, it's too much trouble. Or they just don't have the motivation to do it. Or if they lost a partner, it's just kind of hard for them to cook for one person. This is a way that we can make sure seniors have that opportunity to get out, have a nutritious meal, make that connection. The other thing I love about this is that somebody sees them when they are out doing this. So if there is an issue or a problem, there's an opportunity for someone to potentially, especially at the Milwaukee County dining out sites, there's an opportunity for somebody to see that, to notice that, and if necessary, connect them to help.

SPEAKER_02 25:30

Yeah, I say it really is that mind, body, and spirit, right? Because you talk about the isolation, but we talk about the mental wellness, like to get out, to not be in isolation, to socialize. And I visited a lot of these dining sites and they're laughing, they're talking, they're meeting people, right? It's just, it's amazing, right? I'm like, I'm just gonna stay here. I just wanna stay at these dines because it is just it really does fill the belly, right, with the nutritious meals, but also that mind, that spirit, all of those things together. So amazing program that that is happening there in our our dine out sites and senior dining as well. Um, another question. So uh Milwaukee County was honored to be invited to the ARP Wisconsin Age-friendly communities network. And so now we are an age-friendly community. And that took some time because I know that the previous chair, chairwoman Wilberg, I mean, her advocacy about this not just being just one department, right? That it truly is a countywide effort and the county exec leads that. And and that was really intentional, right? And we think about age-friendly, being an age-friendly community, you can't just have one entity doing it, right? It really needs to be collaborative because we have older dots across Milwaukee County, right? And I think there's what, around 200,000 now? Because that number, well, for we were saying 190,000 and I heard you uh quote 200,000. So that number continues to increase. And so, what are you excited about as we move forward in this journey of becoming an age-friendly community? So we got together our advisory council, you all came up with those priorities that we're gonna focus on. So, you know, what are you excited about as we become an age-friendly community?

SPEAKER_01 27:02

I'm excited that it shows that we're listening to people and what they want. Um, when we did a survey as part of the area aging plan that we developed for 2025, 2027, we asked seniors, what kind of place is Milwaukee County to live, you know, as you age. Right. 77% of them said it was good, very good, or excellent. So people are telling us they like being here. They like it, okay. Yeah so if you like being here, we want to make sure you love it. And that we do things that promote your ability to stay and age in Milwaukee County.

SPEAKER_02 27:46

Right.

SPEAKER_01 27:47

So this takes a look at um the big things and the little things that really make a difference in making a community age-friendly.

SPEAKER_04 27:57

Right.

SPEAKER_01 27:58

And so it's as simple as one of the things that the folks who were on the steering committee did was they took walking tours. Yeah. Right. So as you're walking around neighborhoods and you're on the sidewalk, oh what what are some of the things that maybe make it difficult to walk in this community? Is the is the traffic night like not long enough for you to get around or to get to the other side of the street? If you're someone who may have a disability where you depend on a wheelchair, is there an appropriate ramp that allows you to get off the sidewalk to the crosswalk and cross safely to the other side? Right. So there are things as small as that and then larger issues, you know, looking at housing, which everything seems to come come back to. Yes. Um, so I I think it is again a way of saying if we make this a community that's friendly for aging, we make it a community that's friendly for everyone. Everyone. Everyone. And so that to me is one of the things that is exciting about this. And I love that Milwaukee County, again, was so willing to embrace this idea to explore it and say, yeah, we want to be part of this. Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

Yeah. So you all are looking at like there's a bunch of domains we're really focusing on, like health and wellness and housing and transportation. And so that advisory, I mean, has amazing people from all over Milwaukee County, right? That are experts and that can help really inform how we put that plan together, how we truly make this a better place for our older adults and for all of us. Like you said, it's for everyone. So that's what I really am excited about.

SPEAKER_01 29:41

Safe sidewalks are good for everybody, right? All of us. Right. Affordable housing that is appropriate. That's good for all of us. That's right. Accessible health care. These are things that don't just make the community part of the community that's aging stronger, it makes everybody stronger.

SPEAKER_02 29:57

Absolutely. Thank yes, absolutely. I love that. Um, so lastly, I just want to talk about can you all give a specific example or a success story that you felt encouraged you and demonstrates how our systems are working together in a better way? We know we're not perfect, right? But do you have like a success story or something that you can tell us that shows that the direction we're moving in is working for the people we serve?

SPEAKER_01 30:23

I'll let Emily go first.

SPEAKER_00 30:25

Okay, sure. Yeah. Um, we have a wonderful Medicare outreach program here at Milwaukee County that works together with a specialist in that position who does community presentations, one-on-one counseling, and also works with our elder benefit specialist team in the aging and disability resource center. Um, and actually, we have a brand new person in this position who just started a couple weeks ago. He's wonderful. His name's Tony. Okay. Um, and his first week on the job, he came with me to a presentation we were doing at the Shorewood Senior Center. Um, and he is a wealth of knowledge. And uh, there was a woman who attended the presentation and she was struggling because she had just found out that her prescription inhaler uh was like quadrupling in price, and she didn't know how she's gonna be able to afford it. And like I said, this was his first week on the job. He was just getting started, but he's incredible. He jumped in right away. And while I was presenting, he spent that whole hour researching different ways to help lower her prescription costs, was able to connect her with a prescription discount card, and then help her, you know, find out how she could enroll so she could lower her prescription costs down to $35 a month instead of um the like $900 it was supposed to be. And that was right away an opportunity for him to make an impact, not only on her life, but then also um to be connected in a deeper level with that municipal senior center so that he could be a resource for them in the future. And that kind of just shows how Milwaukee County can be a no-rung door all across the county. We're not just no-rung door at Milwaukee County. It's not just our aging and disability resource center. We truly can connect with partners across all of our 19 municipalities and be that resource for people so that no matter where you are aging in our community, no matter where you're growing up here in Milwaukee County, there are resources that can help you. And there are no barriers, there's no lines between each city. Uh, we're all really truly here to help one another. And that really um was a positive success on an individual level and then on a system level to show, like, yes, we are all working together. This is one county, and there really is no wrong door.

SPEAKER_02 32:31

Yeah, because he became that right door. He got to yes right away. Yep. Right. Oh, I love that. Thank you for sharing. Absolutely. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:38

So I I really love the fact that whether it's through physical locations like the ADRC or our senior centers, every single day we are connecting people to information and resources that help help them live better lives. Right? Yes. And so I have a success story that's a little personal to me because it involves my 98-year-old neighbor who is living on his own and thriving. And you know, quite honestly, he couldn't do it without the services that we provide, without the aging services that we provide. He goes to Kelly three times a week and loves it. He is best buds with the transportation provider, driver, who gets him where he needs to go, not just to Kelly, but to his doctor's appointments in other places. But when I say they're best buds, there was a relationship that so we he has a service, yes. But there's a caring relationship that has grown out of their interaction. And I know it happens to other seniors who get services for us and interact, whether it's GHS staff or our parts staff and our partner organizations. There's a connection that's made there that improves someone's life. So he doesn't just pick him up, you know, drive up and wait for him to get to the vehicle. He gets out of the car because he's his walker, he gets out of the caravan, he walks over to him, talks to him a little bit, then they get up and they uh gets him safely into the vehicle. When he comes back, he makes sure that he gets where he needs to be in his home. Okay. That's not just about providing a service, that's about making a connection that improves someone's life. And that's what we do.

SPEAKER_02 34:54

That's what we do.

SPEAKER_01 34:55

We make those connections that help people live better lives. And we are so fortunate that we have the opportunity to see that happen every single day. And I would really encourage people if you feel like you have an an ad an aging parent or grandparent or relative and you need help and you have someone in your circle who has a disability and they're struggling to get what they need, you don't have to do that. You can come here because we are here to help you. And we do it every single day.

unknown 35:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 35:35

I love that. And that's how we're going. We are here to help you. And I just want people to know, everyone that is listening, we have our amazing chairwoman of our commission on aging here. We have our amazing, she's policy advocacy statewide, not just for Department of Health and Human Services, Emily Peterson, who every single day is advocating for the older adults. And it's not, and I love this because you know, you have people of all ages who advocate because we all, I think about my grandmother who recently passed, but she was the foundation of our family, right? And you're right, the constant is that we're all getting older. And what you both do is make sure, you're making sure every single day that the people that we are serving, we are ensuring that they are not isolated, that they have the transportation, that they have the dying out south, that they have a place that they can go to every single day, that they have the blood pressure hubs to make sure we're focused on a present preventative care. Right? Every single day we get to show up, EBS and elder benefit specialists and disability benefit specialists every single day choosing to be the right door for the more than 200,000 older adults in our community that we are serving. So thank you. Thank you all for having this conversation so we can share with the community from our Asian and Disability Resource Center to our Adult Protective Services to our Area Agent Center Aging that we are working together to truly create a healthy community for older adults and also for everyone. Thank you all so much for joining us today. We appreciate you. Thank you.