MAYOR DONEGAN PRESS RELEASE

City of

OLMSTED FALLS     

 Ohio

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Progressive Innovation abound in Olmsted Falls

Olmsted Falls, Ohio - Mayor Ann Marie Donegan announced that the City of Olmsted Falls and the Olmsted Falls Jenkins Place Senior Center has been awarded a $50,000 planning grant from the State of Ohio Local Government Innovation Fund. The purpose of this grant is to plan, document and begin implementation of a Community Paramedicine Program for Olmsted Falls and other regional seniors throughout the area. Olmsted Falls partners in the Community Paramedicine pilot project are; PHASTAR a 501-C3 whose mission is to improve the quality of public health, education and safety services in Northeast Ohio and the Eliza Jennings Senior Care Network.   “I’d like to thank the State of Ohio for sharing in our vision to ensure the safety of our city’s senior population.  As an RN as well as Mayor, I am always pushing the envelope to find new and innovative ways to improve our services, especially when it involves the health and well-being of my city,” Mayor Donegan said. “Community Paramedicine is a relatively new movement, however in five years or so, I hope that what we do in Olmsted Falls will become a paradigm that can be replicated and expanded to include other at-need populations in communities throughout the country.”

The grant award will enable the City of Olmsted Falls to do comprehensive planning to implement this project.  Working with collaborative partners, the city will organize, plan, and publish manuals to accompany the Community Paramedicine Model. This pilot project is seeking to provide seniors with state of the art interventions and personalized house calls to improve their quality of life and provide them the tools in which to experience positive health and wellness.

Falls are a specific concern within this community.  Falls in the senior population can derail even the most active and healthy individuals, causing functional decline, a diminished quality of life, isolation, and even lead to premature death. A severe fall can also be economically devastating to a senior on a fixed income, as non-reimbursable costs can exceed $20,000.

The 2014 US Census statistics indicate 26.2% of the Olmsted Falls population were aged 65 or older, or approximately 2,314 citizens. In the surrounding area, 2,377, or approximately 18% of the population were 65 and older. This number is going to increase dramatically as the baby boomers continue to age. Since the likelihood of falling and the severity of fall related injuries increase with age, fall prevention is a pressing issue. Falls have been identified as one of four problems that strongly predict an elderly person’s ability to live independently in their own home, rather than a skilled nursing facility.

For more information please call

Mayor Ann Marie Donegan

440-235-5550

Overview about the State of Ohio Local Government Innovation Fund

The Local Government Innovation Council is committed to facilitating innovative and inventive projects in local government that promote efficiency, shared services, coproduction, and mergers among local governments.   

The Local Government Innovation Program (LGIP) offers communities financial assistance for planning and implementing projects to create more efficient and effective service delivery. Projects are expected to facilitate improved business environments and promote community attraction with their plan for efficiency, collaboration, or shared services. Communities will be able to save money and provide more effective services to their constituents with assistance from this program.

 The council award 16 Local Government Innovation Fund Applications.

 

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