Title: Growing
1Growing Sustaining a Local Caregiver Coalition
- South Central Town Hall Caregiver Coalition
- Jinx Hackler Hastings Respite Care
-
- Nichole Bryant Midland Area Agency on Aging
- Hastings, Nebraska
2Who We Are
- Informal Group of Agencies and Caregivers working
toward an adopted mission with - Enthusiastic and persevering leadership (cause
without it nothing happens!) - We provide
- Educational Opportunities
- Awareness Activities
- Caregiver Support
- Information and Referral Services
3What We Do
- Meet Monthly
- Plan at least 1 yearly event
- Not a formal 501C3
- No bank accounts!
- Fundraising based on events
4Our Mission
- Mission
- The South Central Town Hall Caregiver Coalition
promotes and supports issues important to
caregivers through coordination, education,
public policy, and awareness. - Coalition Goals
- Goal 1 Caregivers will experience less stress by
having access to the services and resources they
need. - Objective 1 Increase public awareness of the
stresses that caregivers face and need for
increased resources and access to those
resources. - Objective 2 Increase awareness and access to
services and support groups. - Goal 2 Caregivers will receive information and
education through our annual Day of Caring for
Those Who Care. - Goal 3 Caregivers will have greater balance
between work and caregiving.
5How we came to be.
- Creation of State Level Coalition
- AARP and US Administration on Aging Grant given
to State Unit on Aging and Nebraska AARP. - Grant to assist in creating and sustaining
coalitions - Focused on state and local level
6Caregiver Town Hall Meeting
- First State Coalition project
- Thou Shalt Honor Telecast and Town Hall
Meeting, September 2004 in Kearney - Wiland-Bell production by PBS
- Nationally Televised Forum
- Enlightening, empowering, and encouraging
caregiver activism.
7Town Hall Meeting.
- Town Hall Meeting Vision
- Gain greater knowledge of services and resources
- Create awareness of quality of care and quality
of life issues - Promote enthusiasm for change
- Increase community involvement
- Improve awareness of caregiver challenges
8Caregiver Issues from Town Hall
- Top 5 Issues identified by Caregivers across the
state at Town Hall meetings - Caregiver Stress
- Balancing a Job with Caregiver Responsibilities
- One-Stop-Shop (statewide phone line)
- Caregiver Training
- Financial Issues Related to Caregiving
9Local Town Hall Meeting
- Resulting Local Town Hall Meeting
- Local agencies challenge to repeat Town Hall
locally - Hosted by Midland Area Agency on Aging, Hastings
Respite Care, etc - 30 caregivers, 25 professionals attended
10Local Town Hall Meeting
- Result of Local Town Hall Meeting
- Identified issues important to caregivers
- Recruited coalition agencies and leader
- Raised Awareness of Caregiver Issues
- Local media coverage
- Promoted agency networking
- Attendees invited to join local coalition
11Steps to Forming Your Own Caregiver Coalition
- Planning
- Implementing
- Recruiting
- Fundraising
- Events
- Evaluation and Sustainability
12Planning Your Local Coalition
- Gather information on caregiver needs
- Hold your own Town Hall Meeting
- Conduct needs assessment survey
- Determine Coalition Purpose
- i.e. education, awareness, support, advocacy,
sharing resources, etc.
13Mission and Vision
- Vision Where you want to be in the Grand
Optimistic Future! - To empower and educate caregivers of all ages,
creating a caregiver utopia! - Mission Where you are going now, why you exist
coalition purpose - To educate caregivers on issues important to them
through awareness activities.
14Goals and Objectives
- Prioritize actions by coalition
- Determine capabilities of coalition
- Steering principles of all planned activities
- Goal 1 Caregivers will experience less stress by
having access to the services and resources they
need. Objective 1 Increase public awareness of
the stresses that caregivers face and need for
increased resources and access to those
resources. - Objective 2 Increase awareness and access to
services and support groups.
15Operations
- Consider
- Leadership hierarchy, voted in leaders?
- Staffing (or volunteers) treasurer, PR
- Location of meetings
- Communication Methods
- Decision Making
- Anonymous ballots
- Raising of Hands
- General Consensus
16Operations continued
- Adopt a regular meeting schedule
- Adopt a regular form of communication
- i.e. email, mailing, telephone
- Dealing with conflict
- Methods talking, voting, defer to leader
- Conflicting interests of members
- Agree to disagree yet work together toward MISSION
17Recruiting Coalition Members
- Identifying possible members
- Look for local people with personal experience
and connections - Caregivers
- Human Service Agencies
- Long term care professionals
- Hospitals
- Respite Organizations
- Clergy
- Media
- Community and Senior Centers
- Any organizations connected to families with
special needs
18Recruiting Tip!
- Find an organization (i.e. 501C3) to provide
- Backing and support to coalition
- Meeting space
- Mailing address and contact phone number
- Financial stability to manage fundraising
- Staff time and office supplies
19Recruiting Tips
- Put Yourself Out There!
- Believe in what you are selling
- Personal Contact mailings wont work
- Buy-in is essential
- People accept what the effort is and are willing
to work towards it.
20Recruiting
21Fundraising Can Be Fun!
- Believe in What Youre Selling
- Tug at their Heart Strings!
- Use your recruiting tips!
- Explore what works in your Community
- Community focus and showcase
- Family friendly
- Eco-Friendly
- Community working together
- Tourism
- How do caregivers fit within the community focus
22Fundraising Who to Ask
- Ongoing keep asking!
- Local service clubs
- Kiwanis, Optimist, Elks, Rotary
- Area business utilize locally owned
- Grocery, floral, gift shops, banks, printing
companies, clothing, - Big Businesses
- Wal-Mart, Kinkos, Pepsi/Coke,
23Fundraising Tips
- Service Organizations
- Hospitals, Retirement Facilities, Medical Service
Offices - Utilize personal connections of coalition members
- Individuals
- Just ASK!!! The worst they can say is Nothis
time! - Just asking is a promotion for events and can
recruit a new coalition member in the deal
24Selling the Funding
- What do they get in return for donation?
- PR Coverage
- Name association with worthwhile cause
- Good Vibes in the community
- Return on investment in increased sales
- Physical benefits
- Business name on event materials
- Name in event advertising
25Keeping repeat funders
- Thank-you notes
- Thank-you ad in newspaper
- Personal Thank-you phone call or visit
- Shared comments from event participants visiting
their business - Ask for multi-year commitment
26Other Funding Possibilities
- Grants (local and national)
- Community Foundations
- Private businesses
- Philanthropic organizations
- Local schools and education programs
- Hospitals and medical parks
- Utilize personal relationships between coalition
members and those awarding grants.
27Plan a Coming-Out Event
- Helps promote awareness of coalition
- Provides chance for funding of other projects
- Gives coalition members tangible purpose,
results, and rewards - Feel Good Time promotes continued participation
of coalition members
28Evaluation
- Ongoing
- Measure whether goals and objectives are being
met - Members learn what works and what doesnt
- Keep track of coalition activities
- Help improve ongoing programs
- Results guide new projects
29Sustainability
- Continued commitment of all members
- Participation will wane and expand with events
- People want something to plan!
- Continue refining goals and objectives
- Continue to gather input from caregivers and
families served - Ongoing events and projects
30Sustainability
- Ongoing recruitment
- Keep the mission statement the focus
- Gain community support
- PR, Fundraising, Event benefits
- Give recognition
- Coalition Members, Funding Sources, Partnering
Agencies and Businesses
31Sustainability
- Celebrate Your Successes!
- We use cheesecake
32Holding A Town Hall Meeting
- What Does the Community Want?
33Holding Your Own Town Hall Meeting
- Find a non-competitive location
- i.e. community center, police station, city
auditorium, chamber office, library - Brainstorm regarding who to invite
- Use local directories, (i.e. human resource
guides, United Way mailing list, Chamber of
Commerce directories, phone book agencies lists,
etc.) - Invite Community Leaders (Senators, Mayor City
Council - Invite Family Professional Caregivers
- Physicians
34Recruiting Host Agencies
- Find an agency(s) willing to..
- Donate staff minimal time
- Monies for expenses
- (i.e. postage, mailings, meeting notice,
snacks, etc) - Meeting location conference room
35Getting the Word Out
- Prepare press releases for local media
(television, radio, newspaper) - Prepare distribute posters (i.e. library,
banks, grocery stores, community centers) - Provide short presentations to interested parties
(Church groups, Kiwanis, Support Groups, etc)
36Suggested Topics at Town Hall
- The need for respite care
- Financial burden of care giving
- No one-stop shop for services
- Difficulty balancing work and care giving
- Caregiver training
- End of life issues
- No respect from physicians and other health care
professionals - Family conflict and caregiver stress
37Sample Agenda
- Opening and Introductions
- Director Midland Area Agency on Aging
- Video Clips Caregiver Topics
- Provided by PBS Thou Shalt Honor
- Clips on Top 5 Caregiver Topics
- Caregiver Stress
- Balancing Work and Caregiving
- Caregiver Resources
- Caregiver Training
- Financial Burden
- Small Group Exercise
- Discussed questions on handout
38Feed them and they will come!
- Find local business willing to donate
- refreshments.
39First Coalition Meeting
40Recruiting Host Agency for First Coalition Meeting
- Find agency committed to hosting for at least one
year - Willing to donate minimal staff time
- Willing to provide money for miscellaneous
expenses, - i.e. postage, paper, snacks,
- Ability to host large group
- Conference Room
41Who to Invite to First Coalition Meeting
- Everybody!
- Use list of attendees from Town Hall meeting
- Use brainstorm list from Town Hall invitations
- Invite participants from needs assessment surveys
42How To Ensure Attendance
- Hold it within 2 weeks after your Town Hall
meeting - At the end of the Town Hall meeting
- announce the 1st Coalition meeting
- (time, date, place).
- Follow-up with personal invitation by phone
43Sample Agenda of First Meeting
- Introduction by host agency
- Introduction of attendees
- Capabilities Assessment (handout)
- Discuss results of Town Hall Meeting or Needs
Assessment - Open discussion of Mission and Vision
- Discuss possible goals and events
- Set date and time for next meeting
44Hosting Your First Coalition Event
- A Day of Caring for Those Who Care
45Planning Your Event
Also known as Keeping Coalition Members
Interested, Active, and Excited!
- Brainstorm ideas on format of event
- i.e. Resource Fair, Respite Day, Lunch and Learn,
Informational Seminar, etc. - Use issues identified at Town Hall to develop
activities - Format can dictate sponsors, speakers and
materials needed - Develop a budget
- May depend on your enthusiasm for fundraising!
46Funding Tips
- Use your Funding Can Be Fun Tips
- Use local donations
- Food, Decorations, Door Prizes, Speakers
- Find and utilize a coalition member who has
access to a space! - i.e. Coalition member Eric from Parks and
Recreation ensures we have the City Auditorium at
no charge - Update Budget as Needed
- Dont spend it before you get it!
47Event Tips
- Use a theme
- i.e. Luau, Garden Party, Jazz Fest, Patriotic
- Recruit Enthusiastic Volunteers
- We are not above preparing the food ourselves,
and we do the clean up, too!
48Happy Volunteers Fun!
49Event Tips
- Provide Lots of Food!
- Local cafés and restaurants donated food
- Grocery store donated food to prepare
- Local restaurant donated part of meal
- Beverages provided by Assisted Living members of
the coalition
50Coalition Members Participation
- Each member makes contributions
- Dollars
- Donations of Food and Decorations
- Door Prizes
- Equipment
- Respite
- Time, Lots and Lots of Time!
51Caregiver Members are Greeters!
52Evaluation
- Day of Caring eval. sample (handout)
- Determine what worked and what didnt
- Gather ideas for next event from participants
- Recruit new coalition members
- Provide positive feedback to coalition
- Feels Good to Know they Enjoyed It!
- Measure effectiveness of goals
53Event Follow Up
- Hold follow-up meeting soon after
- Celebrate Your SUCCESS!!!
- Send thank-you notes ASAP
- Review expenses, reconcile budget
- Jump Right in for Next Event
54Other events by SCTH
- November Family Caregiver Awareness Month Event
- Luncheon and Caregiver Tree Ceremony
- City Of Hastings Proclamation
- On-going lunch and learn program for area
employers - Caring for Your Parents Film Showing
- Developed Brochure for IR and events
- Participation in National Education Events
- Washington D.C. National Caregiving Coalition
Conference - ARCH Conference
- Participate in national teleconferences and
webcasts
55Questions?
56Thank-You!