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Volume 8, Issue 11
November 2006
AACOG
8700 Tesoro, Suite 700
2006 Chairman
2006
Vice-Chairman
Executive Director
Deputy Executive Director
Deputy
Director
Serving the Counties
of: Texas Homeland Security Conference
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People should use AAAs as their first contact to find information on services for the elderly in their local communities. The new websites contain the Alamo Area Gold Pages, a searchable resource guide to services, support groups, and volunteer opportunities in the region. The websites provide information on services such as assistance locating, contacting and enrolling in senior services, information on Medicare, Medicaid, and other public benefits, information for caregivers, grandparents raising grandchildren, and Ombudsman services. Visitors will also find a number of other topics of interest to seniors.
The Swearing-In Ceremony is the prelude to the 18th Annual Christmas Along the Corridor celebration. Christmas Along the Corridor is a 150-mile celebration of history, heritage, and the holidays as 120 Pony Express Christmas Couriers carry proclamations to communities in the seven counties along the historic Alamo-La Bahia Corridor and El Camino Real de Los Tejas, with the San Antonio Grand Finale at Fort Sam Houston on December 2, 2006. For more information, please call Burma Hyde at (210) 362-5220 or click here.
AACOG hopes to have the new training available to cadets by November 14, when 2006 Alpha class begins their emergency medical block of instruction. Law Enforcement Officers often arrive first to the scene of a medical emergency. In the past, officers had few resources to assist cardiac arrest victims. The sooner a cardiac arrest victim receives electric shock, the greater the chance for survival. These AED units will help law enforcement save more lives. The Academy is happy to assist in bringing this technology to peace officers in the region. For more information on the defibrillator donation, contact Criminal Justice Director Stephen Ramirez. 
This November, National Family Caregiver (NFC) Month honors Americans who are the primary caregiver for an aging or disabled loved one. With over 50 million Americans caring for an aging parent and more than 50% of those caregivers reporting “burn-out,” NFC Month offers validation and support for the growing population of family caregivers. One key way that family caregivers can avoid burnout and practice self-care is through finding support and outside help. Professional non-medical home care offers assistance with caregiving duties and support and expert advice for the family caregiver. Respite or supplemental care reduces caregiver stress, helps restore balance and enhances the relationship between the caregiver and their loved one. To read this entire article, click here. The 2006 Ozone Season (April 1 to October 31 annually), the period when we expect to see higher levels of ozone, ended Tuesday, October 31. This year was the second of three important years of record for ozone numbers. In spring of 2008, the EPA will again judge our region for compliance with federal clean air law, and look at an average taken over 2005, 2006, and 2007. Currently, we have two strikes against the region. For the 2005 season, we had an eight-hour average ozone reading of 86 parts per billion, recorded on October 17, 2005--strike one. The eight-hour average ozone reading of record this season is 87 parts per billion, recorded on June 28, 2006--strike two. The three-year permissible average, however, must be below 85 parts per billion. This means we need to be under 82 parts-per-billion for the 2007 season. Just like baseball, three strikes and we're out. If we fail to clean our air by 2008, then state and federal air quality programs will be required in our region. The required programs include New Source Review and Transportation Conformity. New Source Review caps pollution created when businesses want to expand or establish themselves in the area. This program may slow economic development and growth in our region. Transportation Conformity requires transportation and air quality planning agencies to provide, before construction is permitted, that adding new roadway capacity for traffic will not create great pollution challenges. According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), exposure to ground-level ozone can cause: shortness of breath; coughing; headaches and nausea; and throat and lung irritation. Ground-level ozone’s effects are most profound on children, senior citizens, and those with respiratory conditions such as asthma or emphysema. For more information visit www.aacog.com/air. In many households across Bexar county, Grandparents and other senior relatives are primary caregivers for children whose biological parents are unable or unwilling to care for them. In response to the needs of these kinship caregivers, the Bexar Area Agency on Aging developed the Grandparent/Kinship program. The program seeks to strengthen families by supporting these 60+ senior caregivers who have responsibility of raising their grandchildren or other relatives under the age 18. Services include: information on services available to them, care coordination, legal, individual counseling, support groups, respite, and financial assistance to purchase clothing for children. Once a year various community agencies partner with the San Antonio Kinship Care Collaborative and the Bexar Area Agency on Aging to recognize the amazing contribution that Kinship Grandparents make to the quality of our national life by hosting a Kin Raising Kin Celebration. This year's event will be held November 11, 2006 at Mission County Park, Pavilion #2, 6030 Padre Drive, from 11 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. This free family event will include free food, music, games, face painting, a family wellness area, and an information booth that will provide resources available to kinship families. For more information, click here. ************************************************
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AACOG's Mission:
To enhance the lives of all residents of the Alamo Region by working in mutual respect and partnership with all levels of government, the business sector, and the community at large to meet regional challenges and to create regional strengths.
Last updated on September 15, 2008
