Area Agency on Aging updates
The Area Agency on Aging Pasco Pinellas (AAAPP) has given these recent operational updates, in an April 6 press release.
- All AAAPP offices are closed and staff is working remotely. All critical services will continue to be available by phone.
- The Helpline and Intake/Screening/Medicaid teams remain open during normal business hours. For out-of-area callers, dial (800) 963-5337 or (727) 217-8111.
- Nutrition providers remain available. Home meal deliveries are being completed with 6 feet of distance to protect the elderly. Congregate dining has transitioned into drive-thru dining services. Drive-thru meal options are available for any adult age 60 and older. To sign up, Pasco residents can call (727) 834-3340. In Pinellas, call (727) 573-9444.
- The SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) and the Senior Victim Advocacy/Elder Abuse teams are available for support and assistance by telephone only, through the numbers listed above.
- Case management teams are continuing to coordinate and provide services wherever possible to individuals, using extra precautions to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
- Adult day care, senior center programming and other community sites are largely suspended. Check with the direct provider or municipality for updates on site closures.
For more information, visit AgingCareFl.org/covid-19-updates-and-information/.
Telehealth service launched
In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Premier Community HealthCare has launched its telehealth service for established adult patients seeking care.
The software is user-friendly, accessible, and seamlessly integrates with Premier’s electronic health record system, according to a news release.
Additional telehealth services for pediatrics, behavioral health, women’s health, and dental services are also in the process of being developed.
All Premier offices (except the Brooksville Dental Center) will remain open for emergency services, five days a week.
Currently, Premier’s waiting room capacity is limited to five patients, with the option for patients to wait in their car.
“Our clinics are forced to evolve in ways much faster than we are financially ready for, but this is what community health is about. We will keep moving forward and adapt in innovative ways to care for our community,” said Delisa Heron, Premier Community HealthCare’s chief medical officer, in the release.
For information, visit PremierHC.org.
Keep kids safe from traffickers
In Our Backyard links arms across Oregon and America to fight human trafficking through education, mobilization and partnership.
The organization offers these tips for parents to protect their kids online from traffickers.
- Educate your kids about human trafficking: That it exists, what it looks like, and to talk to you or another responsible adult if they think they have been approached by someone online.
- Children should not accept friend requests or chat with someone online (gaming systems, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) that they have not met in person. Even if it is a friend of a friend.
- Make sure your children do not post personal information about where they go to school, or any contact information (phone number, email or home address) or pictures with geo tags of places they hang out.
- Set up parental controls so it’s harder for children to get access to something they shouldn’t see.
- Know your kid’s passwords. Your child’s privacy is important, but so is their safety.
- Set time limits for device usage.
- Make a rule that devices can only be used in common areas of your home.
- Communicate with your kids and let them talk to you without judgment. They need to know they are safer with you than anywhere else.
For more information, visit InOurBackyard.org.
Pasco Kids First recognized
Pasco Kids First has been awarded re-accreditation by the National Children’s Alliance, following an extensive application and site review process.
Pasco Kids First was established in 1989 with the mission to assist in the protection of children from the devastating effects of child abuse and neglect, providing services for 30 years to children and families.
The Children’s Alliance awards various levels of accreditation and membership to centers responding to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient, and put the needs of child victims of abuse first.
Accreditation is the highest level of membership with the National Children’s Alliance and denotes excellence in service provision.
Accredited children’s advocacy centers must undergo a re-accreditation process every five years to ensure that best practices are continually being applied.
With standards being updated in 2017, Pasco Kids First’s re-accreditation reflects its commitment to providing evidence-based methods practice.
Tobacco-free policy encouraged
The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County’s Tobacco Prevention Program has worked closely with local worksites to encourage them to adopt a Tobacco Free Grounds Policy.
It is estimated that smoking costs Florida billions of dollars a year in workplace productivity losses, premature deaths and direct health care expenditures. Tobacco use is a leading contributor to lost productive work time.
Tobacco Free Florida recommends that employers implement a worksite model, which includes these three principles:
- Provide employees with access to proven successful tobacco cessation medications and counseling
- Create a supportive workplace environment that makes it easier for your employees to quit tobacco
- Evaluate your progress and success, and adapt your plan accordingly
The Tobacco Prevention Program recently acknowledged Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point in its efforts to maintain a Smoke Free Campus policy, in which the hospital’s staff is leading by example.
Tobacco Free’s Quit Your Way program offers free Phone Quit, Group Quit and Web Quit services, in addition to individual tools like text support, a Quit Guide and helpful emails.
Free nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gum or lozenges) also are available to tobacco users age 18 and older, if medically appropriate.
For information, visit TobaccoFreeFlorida.com/quityourway.
