CAPABLE Program adds section for caregivers, expands to Hays, Williamson
The Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area, a CAPCOG division, will expand the service area of the evidence-based intervention program, CAPABLE, that partners nurses, occupational therapists, and home repair professionals with older adults to assist them with aging in place to two additional counties in 2023. AAACAP also will pilot the program’s newest addition that supports participating older adults’ caregivers. “AAACAP is proud to be one of three test sites selected by Johns Hopkins University to offer the CAPABLE Care Partners pilot program that allows caregiver to work with these practitioners to
learn about communicating with healthcare providers, resources and supports for older adults and caregivers, and managing a more mobile and safer home environment,” said Sherry Wright, CAPCOG social services project coordinator, noting the university created the program. “Our goal is for caregivers to feel more comfortable and knowledgeable about providing care while strengthening their own selfcare.” The program will serve residents in portions of Hays and Williamson counties this year after having helped about 50 residents in Bastrop and Caldwell counties since 2020. AAACAP will offer the Care Partners program to about 10 caregivers caring for a CAPABLE participant; the caregivers will have three sessions with a Care Partner Support
Specialist to discuss topics and concerns related to caregiving. The CAPABLE program will still be delivered to additional qualifying participants throughout the expanded service area. AAACAP plans to use lessons-learned from the limited implementation to seek funding for providing the program regionwide. Currently funded by a St. David’s Foundation grant, the program is participant lead over roughly four-months and works to increase the participant’s capacity to function at home and decrease the risk of hospitalization and nursing home stays by improving medication management, problem-solving ability, strength, balance, mobility, nutrition, and home safety while decreasing isolation, depression, and fall risk. It allows AAACAP and the participant to monitor their health improvements and adapt interventions around physical and social determinants of health, such as
transportation, finances, education, family support, health literacy and home environment. Contact Wright at swright@capcog.org for more information or about becoming a participant in the program.
Emergency Communications continues virtual trainingThe CAPCOG Emergency Communications Division is encouraging more emergency communications centers (ECCs) throughout the region to make use of a virtual training platform that allows emergency telecommunicators to take TCOLE certified courses while working from their EECs. “This tool is important as we want to offer every avenue for our emergency telecommunicators to receive quality training in a timely and efficient manner,” said Pamela Frisk, CAPCOG 9-1-1 senior training and public education specialist. “It is a great supplement to the in-person training we offer at CAPCOG and helps keep professional training fluid as telecommunicators are always working to improve their skills and knowledge.” Entering its third year, the service has proven beneficial with more than 100 emergency telecommunicators taking 144 courses last year. The platform offers a variety of courses from Call Handling for
Telecommunicators to De-escalation for Telecommunicators to Modern Fire Dispatch. Courses are updated regularly and include some TCOLE mandated courses such as Telecommunicator-CPR, which is a newly mandated. If ECC managers want to learn more about the platform or need help enrolling in it, they should contact Frisk at pfrisk@capcog.org. CAPCOG’s in-person training can be found at training.capcog.org.
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General Assembly to hear from TxDOT, elect 2023 boardCAPCOG General Assembly and the COG’s policy and advisory committee members will hear from Tucker Ferguson, TxDOT district engineer for the Austin District Office, about regional transportation infrastructure projects during the December 14 General Assembly meeting. Starting at noon, the meeting will be at the Hilton Austin Airport, 9515 Hotel Drive in Austin. During the meeting, the CAPCOG General Assembly will elect the 2023 Executive Committee from a slate of proposed General Assembly
representatives selected by the CAPCOG Nominating Committee. CAPCOG also will recognize the recipients of several awards including six air quality awards that will honor the 20th anniversary of the Clean Air Coalition and the Jack Griesenbeck Leadership in Regionalism Award. Named after a former Bastrop County Judge and CAPCOG’s first chairperson, the award acknowledges someone who consistently advocates a regional and multi-jurisdictional approach through their work with local governments, nonprofits and other organizations. CAPCOG also will announce its the Phill Parmer Volunteer Award which is named after a longtime Aging Advisory Council member who served into his 90s and recognizes the outstanding efforts of someone who supports CAPCOG activities. General Assembly representatives and committee members can RSVP to attend at training.capcog.org/class/view/general-assembly-meeting4. Contact Mason W. Canales at mcanales@capcog.org to receive a code to RSVP for a complimentary lunch.
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Air Quality Program manager earns Clean Air Force award
Clean Air Force of Central Texas recognized Anton Cox, CAPCOG’s Air Quality Program manager, in early November with its Clean Air Hero award for his contributions to significantly improving air quality. The Clean Air Force also recognized Austin ISD and Emerson Automation Solutions for their work during the year. CAPCOG is seeking nominations for its Air Central Texas Awards until Nov. 18, 2022. Learn about the nomination process at aircentraltexas.org/en/about/act-awards.
Air Quality Program to upgrade air pollution tracking CAPCOG’s Air Quality Program will enhance its monitoring of fine particulate matter (PM), a form of air pollution in which the region has some of the highest levels in the state for communities along the I-35 corridor, by purchasing more sophisticated equipment that measures particulates and their composition compared to just
detecting their presence. The equipment will let the region monitor fine PM with the same level of scrutiny as it has been doing with ground-level ozone increasing the regions’ ability to collect data and improve air quality planning to protect residents’ health. The EPA recently awarded CAPCOG $660,000 for two fine PM monitoring projects. The first project will place seven research-grade continuous fine PM monitoring stations strategically across the region, while the other will place one research-grade speciated fine PM monitor strategically in the region. Combined the monitors will help determine how PM moves
throughout the region, what particulates are in the air and how both change over time. Presently, CAPCOG is operating eight PM low-cost sensors, which are less reliable and accurate than research grade monitors. The state also operates four regulatory monitors whose sites are selected by the state, none of which are speciated. Knowing what type of particles are in the region’s air pollution, such as Saharan dust, construction dust, combustion particles or excessive pollen, and where they are coming from can help communities take more direct action to reduce their creation and limit their spread. Because of the
region’s high levels of fine PM, it is at risk of entering a nonattainment status of federal standards. The region is currently the largest in the nation to never exceed the federal limits. The grant funding also pays to train Huston-Tillotson University and St. Edwards University faculty and students to operate the monitors and analyze their data.
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Events & Training10 a.m. November 9
CAPCOG Executive Committee 10:30 a.m. November 9
Capital Area Emergency Communications District Board of Managers 11:30 a.m. November 9
Clean Air Coalition 8 a.m.-5 p.m. November 14-16
Law Enforcement Training: New Supervisor Course 9 a.m. November 17
Your Partner in Serving Older Adults, Persons with Disabilities & Caregivers 10 a.m. November 18
Capital Area Economic Development District November 24-25
Thanksgiving Holiday - CAPCOG Closed 10 a.m. November 30
Solid Waste Advisory Committee 9 a.m. December 1
Homeland Security Task Force 10 a.m. December 2
GIS Planning Council 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. December 5-8
Law Enforcement Training: Basic Instructor 8 a.m.-5 p.m. December 5-9
Emergency Telecommunicator Training: Center Manager Certificate 10 a.m. December 14
CAPCOG Executive Committee Noon December 14
General Assembly
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FY 2023 AmeriCorps State and National Rescue Plan, AmeriCorps
Deadline: Nov. 14, 2022
Rural Health Network Development Program, U.S. Depart. of Health and Human Services
Deadline: Nov. 22, 2022
Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grant Program. U.S. DOT
Deadline: Dec. 1, 2022
Historic Preservation Fund - Semiquincentennial Grants, National Parks Service
Deadline: Dec. 6, 2022
Small Surface Water and Groundwater Storage Projects, U.S. Depart. of Interior
Deadline: Dec. 9, 2022
Texas Emissions Reduction Plan, Rebate Grants Program, TCEQ
Deadline: Dec. 19, 2022
AmeriCorps State and National Grants, AmeriCorps
Deadline: Jan. 4, 2023
Rural Health Network Development Planning Program. U.S. Dept. Health and Human Services
Deadline: Jane 6, 2022
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