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Recent News

Below are a number of headlines and pieces that our organization has been featured in. You may notice a number were published under our previous name Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa, Solano and Alameda. These pieces demonstrate our work and impact during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Empowered Aging takes on the most critical issues surrounding those who need our support. We never stop fighting to raise awareness, protect against abuse or neglect, and advocate for policy change that will make a difference. Inspired by World Elder Abuse Awareness Month, we’re proud to share with you the See Me. Hear Me.™ awareness campaign. Our goal is to protect those we serve while helping the community understand that aging, living in care facilities, and needing the help of others to survive does not mean you lose your identity, humanity, or right to be seen and heard. To learn more about joining us, please visit https://empoweredaging.org/seemehearme. #SeeMeHearMe #EmpoweredAging #ElderJustice

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We are proud to announce the graduation of the fourth cohort of Certified Nursing Assistant students from the Healthcare Career Pathway program – Empowered Aging’s partnership with Opportunity Junction and Concord’s Mt. Diablo Adult Education. The 12-week training course is twice the length required by the state, and because of the intensive training, 19 newly minted graduates are going directly into the workforce with the equivalent of one year of work experience. Our Executive Director, Susannah Meyer, who also holds office as Vice Mayor for the City of Brentwood, was invited to speak during the ceremony. After the graduation, she stated, “I appreciate the opportunity in my role as an elected official to commemorate such a special event and an inspirational group of students. I can’t wait to see all they do for those they go on to serve in our community.”

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All residents in long-term care have rights! We’re proud to share the Public Service Announcement highlighting residents’ rights and sharing more about how our ombudsman program advocates for our senior community in Alameda County. We want to thank our Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Coordinator in Alameda, Charmaine Brent, for collaborating with Alameda County Social Services Agency to share this important message.

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Thank you, to Pleasanton Weekly, for sharing the news of our new name! We appreciate your support for not only us but our elder community. You can read more on PleasantonWeekly.com

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We’re happy to share this issue of the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Magazine dedicated to lessons learned from the pandemic. This issue features our executive director Nicole Howell and other #seniorcare professionals responsible for advocating for #longtermcare residents and their families, sharing powerful stories and insights.

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Our vulnerable #longtermcare communities, there is still confusion about implementation and some obstacles to overcome in terms of distribution and managing impacts from side effects. Thank you to The New York Times for including our executive director in this coverage. We hope you take a moment to read more about this breaking news.

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EA News Archive »

See Our Latest Videos

We’re happy to share some of our top videos demonstrating our leadership and our organization prior to the reveal of our new name and identity of Empowered Aging.

Empowered Aging Live: See Me. Hear Me.

At the beginning of June, our team launched the See Me. Hear Me. campaign in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Month. Our goal was to bring attention to the critical issues of elder abuse and neglect by sharing stories from the people we serve and to highlight the work that we do as a resource for older adults and adults with disabilities, ensuring they stay connected, engaged, and supported with the resources they need to thrive. We’ve also been able to connect with many community members, elected officials, facility administrators and care providers, and state office officials from the aging and social service arenas. Nonprofit partner agencies have participated by sharing what it means to protect older adults and adults with disabilities to make sure that these vulnerable populations feel represented and not forgotten. In a new episode of Empowered Aging Live, our team is coming together to talk more about the campaign and share some of the stories and quotes that have moved us the most. To learn more about the See Me. Hear Me. campaign and how you can get involved, please visit https://EmpoweredAging.org/SeeMeHearMe.

Conversations with Mel McKay Featuring Susannah Meyer

Conversations is a monthly show hosted by local radio personality Mel McKay that discusses current events going on in the Tri-Valley community of Alameda County. In this month’s episode, Mel sits down with Empowered Aging Executive Director Susannah Meyer to discuss how our organization serves the vastly diverse community of older adults and adults with disabilities across the Bay Area. They will also be discussing Elder Abuse Awareness Month and the See Me. Hear Me. campaign, which is aimed at sharing the stories of the people behind the cases our organization takes on while preserving privacy and recognizing vulnerability. Our goal is to help the community. Our goal is to help the community better understand that aging, living in care facilities, and needing the help of others to survive does not mean you lose your identity, humanity, or right to be seen and heard. To learn more about the campaign, please visit https://EmpoweredAging.org/SeeMeHearMe. And to request a paddle, please send an email to michellehaman@empoweredaging.org.

See Me. Hear Me. Elder Abuse Awareness Campaign

nspired by World Elder Abuse Awareness Month in June, Empowered Aging has launched an awareness campaign – See Me. Hear Me.™ – to share stories of the people behind the cases we take on while preserving privacy and recognizing vulnerability. Our campaign aims to protect those we serve while helping the community understand that aging, living in care facilities, and needing the help of others to survive and thrive does not mean you lose your identity, your humanity, or your right to be seen and heard.

Empowered Aging Live: Recognizing the Humanity in Aging and Long-Term Care

Join us for a moving discussion on storytelling in the aging and long-term care journey. Together our team members will share insights from the field, shedding light on how often this vulnerable population is overlooked and how important they are to our communities.

Dishing with Debbie Featuring Empowered Aging Executive Director, Susannah Meyer

In this episode of Dishing with Debbie, Debbie sits down with Empowered Aging Executive Director Susannah Meyer for a discussion about Empowered Aging, how they serve the community and learn more about Susannah in her roles as Executive director and Vice Mayor.

Empowered Aging Live: Mental Health in the Elder Care Community

We hope you will join us for a meaningful discussion on mental health in the elder care community as Empowered Aging staff shares their insights personally and from the field.

The Power of Pets: Long-Term Care Ombudsman Robotic Pet Project

Thanks to a new program with our partners at the California Department of Aging State Long-Term Care Ombudsman office, we have distributed 12 robotic pets in Solano County and 50 in Alameda among three different types of facilities, skilled nursing, memory care, and assisted living, with the goal to combat loneliness and social isolation and to support those who are living with cognitive impairments.

Empowered Aging Innovation Award – Healthcare Career Pathway Program

Thank you to The SCAN Foundation for this recognition and honorable mention of the Healthcare Career Pathway Program as a part of the Innovation Award. We’re thrilled to be fighting alongside you for all older adults.