SeniorNavigator Center Awards

The following SeniorNavigator Centers have been recognized throughout the years for their innovation, collaborative spirit, and dedication in serving seniors and caregivers in their community. All of these winners of the Compass Rose Beacon of Light Awards received a $500 cash award for their outstanding contribution to SeniorNavigator’s mission.

2004 Award Winners

Creativity:
Matoaca United Methodist Church was the first faith-based organization to become a SeniorNavigator Center. Because the church does not have a computer at its offices, but wanted to assist congregants in finding health and aging information, the church encouraged folks to leave a message on the answering machine stating what information they needed. A representative from the church will search SeniorNavigator and will print off necessary documents and mail it to the individual. This creative solution for providing access to information allows access to SeniorNavigator without a computer at the SeniorNavigator Center's physical locality.
Integration:
Mountain Empire Older Citizens has actively integrated SeniorNavigator into community events, grant applications, newsletter articles and working collaboratively to establish the Southwest Virginia Advisory Committee. The committee is a collaboration of non-profit and for-profit service providers, as well as government agencies whose mission is to increase awareness of SeniorNavigator and the many benefits the website offers to residents in Southwest Virginia.

The Rappahannock Area Agency on aging has been an advocate of SeniorNavigator since launch in 2001. They are an organization that collaborates with others in their community to help seniors and caregivers identify health and aging resources. They have promoted their facility as a SeniorNavigator Center in marketing materials and on their website. Additionally, this Area Agency on Aging worked actively with SeniorNavigator to establish the Rappahannock Area Advisory Committee to help address the needs of the seniors and caregivers in their community.

Outreach:
Throughout 2002, all 10 Chesterfield Branch Libraries each became SeniorNavigator Centers. Chesterfield County is making it very easy for its residents to have access to the health and aging information found on SeniorNavigator. The County wants to empower its resident to make their own decisions to remain independent for as long as possible. This library system has served as a model for other library systems throughout Virginia.
Caregiver Support:
A SeniorNavigator Center since the fall of 2002, the Caregivers Community Network uses SeniorNavigator's website regularly to assist caregivers in need of assistance with elder care. They use the website to help caregivers locate support groups, healthy aging tips and programs and services designed to assist their loved one for whom they are caring. Through their hard work and dedication, the Caregivers Community Network is making the journey easier for both caregivers and professionals in the Harrisonburg area.

2005 Award Winners

Creativity:
In collaboration with the Rappahannock Area Agency on Aging and SeniorNavigator, Senior Care Services of Mary Washington Hospital has helped to create the Senior Advisory Council whose mission is to spread the word about senior resources in their community, including SeniorNavigator. As a result of their hard work and diligence, patients and their families are well-informed of the services available to assist with disease management.
Integration:
Fairfax County appointed an 18-person interagency team of county staff to work in collaboration with SeniorNavigator to provide easy access to long term care information and ensure that county residents are able to find the assistance and services they need. Together Fairfax County and SeniorNavigator expanded database information, created a web-link and customized co-branded webpage, trained over 150 county staff members, established new SeniorNavigator Centers, and developed an educational campaign for Fairfax County residents which reached nearly 40,000 residents and county staff members.
Outreach:
Martha Jefferson Hospital sponsors a senior membership program entitled 'HealthWise' which has nearly 9,000 members making it the largest hospital- based senior membership program in their region. In cooperation with the medical librarians from Martha Jefferson Hospital and SeniorNavigator, 'HealthWise' presented an educational outreach program which assisted members in learning about the community resources available.
Caregiver Support:
The Adult Care Center of Central Virginia works tirelessly to support elder- caregivers by reaching out to families served by not only their organization, but others in the community as well. Through pro-active efforts such as: the free Caregiver College, assistance with applying for and understanding the Virginia Caregiver Grant and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs, The Adult Care Center of Central Virginia nurtures family caregivers residing in
the area.

2006 Award Winners

Creativity:
The Collinsville Library worked in conjunction with Henry County Parks and Recreation Senior Services and SeniorNavigator to offer a SeniorNavigator training program for seniors in the community. As a way to publicize the program, the Library circulated flyers throughout the community, developed newspaper articles, and submitted a public service announcement to a local radio station. The program was held at the Collinsville Library where the local SeniorNavigator Community Specialist trained participants on how to use www.seniornavigator.org to find health and aging information.
Integration:
When discovering that out of the seven counties that they serve, five did not host a SeniorNavigator Center, the South Central Workforce Investment Board voted to establish at least one Center in each of those five remaining counties. Additionally, the Board hosted a community event designed to raise awareness of SeniorNavigator for both consumers and other Workforce partners. Additionally, informational articles about SeniorNavigator have been included in their monthly newsletter publication.
Outreach:
Senior Center, Inc.'s mission is to involve, enrich and empower seniors in the Charlottesville community; they feel that SeniorNavigator is valuable in helping fulfill their mission. To that end, Senior Center, Inc. includes SeniorNavigator materials in new member packets, places the materials in various locations throughout their building, hosts training workshops, includes E-Quicktips in their newsletter, and links from their website to the SeniorNavigator website. Because of these efforts, their members and visitors can easily learn about the SeniorNavigator program.
Caregiver Support:
For the past five years, The Crater Caregiver Coalition has been serving the residents of the tri-cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights and Hopewell, as well as the surrounding counties. The Coalition is comprised of a wide range of public and private service providers who are working to maintain a strong presence in the community by hosting events and speakers and working in close partnership with the local community college's nursing program.

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SeniorNavigator Center Awards