Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/15
Outputs
Target Audience:For the duration of this project, Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (MDH2E) worked in collaboration with three long term care (LTC) facilities: Hammonds Lane Center of Genesis HealthCare (Genesis), Jenkins Senior Living Community of Catholic Charities (Jenkins), and Fayette Health and Rehabilitation Center (Fayette). Hammonds Lane Center, a member of Genesis HealthCare The Hammonds Lane Center, a subsidiary of Genesis Healthcare, has 20 nursing homes/rehabilitation facilitiesin Maryland. This facility is located in Brooklyn Park, Maryland in Northern Anne Arundel County in a low-income African American community.The median household income for the surrounding community is $29,878. Jenkins Senior Living Community, a member of Catholic Charities - Baltimore The Neighborhoods at St. Elizabeth community includes: Caritas House Assisted Living, DePaul & St. Joachim Independent Living, Pastoral Care, and St. Ann Adult Day Services. Located in Southwest Baltimore City, this facility is Maryland's first senior community to offer options to low and moderate income individuals for independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, and medical day care. Situated on 25 beautiful acres adjacent to St. Agnes hospital, Jenkins Senior Living Community is home to more than 400 seniors. The goal of this facility is to allow residents to comfortably age in place by offering a range of services. The population of Southwest Baltimore is predominately white/Caucasian (non-Hispanic) with majority of people ages 25-64 and a median household income of $44,000. Fayette Health and Rehabilitation Center, a member of CommuniCare Health Services This multi-service facility serves 198 residents and offers an array of support and programs; including skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and senior care services. Located in the Hollins Market neighborhood, one of Baltimore's lowest-income communities representing just over 5,000 people, of which 83% are African American and the median household income for the surrounding community, is $19,277. Target audience- The target audience for this project is low-income seniors residing at three senior living facilities in Maryland. MDH2E recognizes that health care organizations function as a cohesive team with many areas of expertise. As a result, MDH2E encouraged a broad level of participation by engaging every department at each facility including: administration, team leaders, coordinators, food service management, chefs, facilities and environmental services, purchasing managers, activities coordinators, nursing and support staff, dietitians, and social workers. Secondary audiences- The secondary target audiences for this project are the many hardworking teams whose efforts support the seniors and this project directly and indirectly, including: visitors and family members of seniors, farmers and producers in the State of Maryland, community members and key stakeholders. Overall Efforts- The overall efforts for this project were to support three low-income nursing and rehabilitation facilities to build raised garden beds and launch two new famers markets. The main focus for the project was to develop relationships and connect the facilities with the plethora of tools, resources, and organizations that are available in Maryland to support gardens and farmers markets. In the three years of this project, a total of 17 raised gardens were built to serve seniors and staff at three facilities; along with two farmers markets at facilities served residents and community members. Extensive community partnerships were established between the facilities and urban horticulture resources that will persist to support these programs beyond the life of this project. Changes/Problems:A major challenge of this project was the consistent staff turnover which is commonplace in senior care. The majority of health care professionals who work in long term care facilities tend to be less skilled and possess less education overall than those working in acute care. Furthermore, compensation for long term care workers, on average, tends to be lower than for those in acute care. A major finding of this project was that caring for seniors is a labor of love for many of the employees. The reason this project was successful was a direct result of the relationships developed over the course of this project. Identifying a champion to lead the project from the inside of the organization is crucial to success. Future organizations who are interested in supporting seniors and long term care facilities to access healthier foods would benefit greatly from finding dedicated staff time to cover the duties and responsibilities of undertaking a project such as this. Staff turnover lead to significant delays with building the gardens at the Jenkins and the Fayette facilities, but in the end they were built and added beauty and fresh food to the menu. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Senior care organizations and administrators were offered continuing education training at the Center for Integrative Medicine's Health and Wellness conference held during the third year of this project. In addition, relationships were established between the facilities and the senior care organizations in Maryland, specifically the LifeSpan Network and the Beacon Institute who provide professional education and supportive resources. All of the participants in this project were trained in the skills necessary to garden. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The video of the farmers market has been distributed to the broader community through circulation to senior care organizations, networks, listservs, and online newsletters. The cost of marketing the farmers markets has been incorporated into the budgets for each facility to perpetuate the markets in the future. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Under the goals of this project, all outcomes were acheived through the following accomplishments: Robust food production gardens at three low-income long term care facilities. One new farmers market and one farm stand now accepting Senior Farmers Market Nutrition program benefits. Increased fruit and vegetable intake for seniors through gardens and farmers markets. Increased physical activity for seniors engaged in the gardens. Education for 50 school aged children about gardening and good nutrition. Increased market share for Maryland producers by connecting with senior care facilities. Improved health of seniors and food quality at the institutional kitchens by incorporating food from the garden. Building raised garden beds dramatically altered the landscape for the facilities and had a positive visual, emotional, mental, and physical impact on the seniors who reside there. Many seniors increased their intake of fruits and vegetables as a result of having fresh food in closer proximity to their place of residence. Moreover, a sense of community developed for the residents who were intimately involved in planting and maintaining the garden. Friendships blossomed between staff and residents. Many residents improved their physical activity levels by walking to the gardens or walking to the farmers market. The facility administrators felt an increased sense of morale and pride in their job as a direct result of participating in the project. Many administrators shared that the garden or farmers market was a bright spot in the otherwise difficult task of caring for the elderly.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/14 to 08/31/15
Outputs
Target Audience:During project year three, Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (MDH2E) worked in collaboration with all three long term care (LTC) facilities: Hammonds Lane Center of Genesis HealthCare (Genesis), Jenkins Senior Living Community of Catholic Charities (Jenkins), and Fayette Health and Rehabilitation Center (Fayette). Hammonds Lane Center, a member of Genesis HealthCare The Hammonds Lane Center, a subsidiary of Genesis Healthcare, has 20 nursing homes/rehabilitation facilitiesin Maryland. This facility is located in Brooklyn Park, Maryland in Northern Anne Arundel County in a low-income African American community.The median household income for the surrounding community is $29,878. Jenkins Senior Living Community, a member of Catholic Charities The Neighborhoods at St. Elizabeth community includes: Caritas House Assisted Living, DePaul & St. Joachim Independent Living, Pastoral Care, and St. Ann Adult Day Services. Located in Southwest Baltimore City, this facility is Maryland's first senior community to offer options to low and moderate income individuals for independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, and medical day care. Situated on 25 beautiful acres adjacent to St. Agnes hospital, Jenkins Senior Living Community is home to more than 400 seniors. The goal of this facility is to allow residents to comfortably age in place. The population of Southwest Baltimore is predominately white/Caucasian (non-Hispanic) with majority of people ages 25-64 and a median household income of $44,000. Fayette Health and Rehabilitation Center, a member of CommuniCare Health Services This community is a combined nursing home, assisted living facility and drug rehabilitation center serving 198 residents in Hollins Market neighborhood, one of Baltimore's lowest-income communities. The population is just over 5,000 people, of which 83% are African American and the median household income for the surrounding community is $19,277. Target audience- The target audience for this project is low-income seniors residing at three senior living facilities in Maryland. MDH2E recognizes that health care organizations function as a cohesive team with many areas of expertise; as a result of this, MDH2E encouraged a broad level of participation by engaging every department at each facility. These departments include: administration, team leaders, coordinators, food service management, chefs, facilities and environmental services, purchasing managers, activities coordinators, nursing and support staff, dietitians, and social workers. Secondary audiences- The secondary target audiences for this project are the many hardworking people whose efforts support the seniors and this project both directly and indirectly, including: visitors and family members of seniors, farmers and producers in the State of Maryland, community members and key stakeholders. Overall Efforts- Year three efforts to engage each facility continued steadily to achieve the goals of the project. Monthly site visits were scheduled for each facility in order to assess progress and address issues. The consultants also stayed in regular contact with the Co-PD to assess progress and address issues. A major focus of the third year was sustainability through established garden plans and dissemination to the broader community through a conference entitled - 'Spring into Sustainability; an introduction to environmental sustainability practices for Senior Care organizations in Maryland'. By year three, visitors and family members to the facilities were familiar with the farmers markets at both Genesis and Jenkins. They eagerly anticipated the start of the season and have incorporated these markets into their shopping habits. The staff at both Genesis and Jenkins promotes the markets through a consistent marketing campaign of signs, flyers, and newspaper advertisements. Many farmers who started with the project were consistently engaged. An increasing numbers of producers have learned about this project through word of mouth. Efforts at Genesis - Year three efforts at Genesis were to sustain support and maintain open communication with the AR. The Co-PD connected the AR with the process to obtain Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) coupons if requested by the seniors. Efforts at Jenkins - Year three efforts at Jenkins were to maintain operation of the farmers market. A new AR was established and focused on building relationships with producers and increasing visibility of the market. One producer was steady and committed and provided a wide variety of food throughout the season. In addition, four raised garden beds were built to increase avenues for improving fruit and vegetable intake. Efforts at Fayette - The raised beds built in project year two required repair, relocation, and landscaping of the area to accommodate bed supports and maintain wheelchair accessibility of the patio. The Master Gardener engaged the maintenance department and the activities coordinator to create a garden team and plan activities. The Director of dining services adapted the menu to utilize herbs and vegetables from the garden in meals. Efforts to plan the 'Spring into Sustainability' conference - A major focus for year three was to develop, host, and engage community members and stakeholders to attend a conference. The following sessions were planned: Opening remarks by Professor of Family and Community Medicine, and Founder/Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Introduction to Sustainability presented by LifeBridge Health System, Panelist speakers: Director of Facilities, Sinai Hospital and Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital. Media Relations Coordinator for Strategic Marketing and Communications at LifeBridge Health. Assistant Director of Patient Services Aramark. Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital. President of Reduction in Motion, a sustainability waste reduction company. Increasing motion and movement for seniors; an introduction to Qigong. This interactive session will introduce integrative medicine techniques for pain and movement to improve overall resident health. Speaker: Associate Professor, Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Food as medicine in Long-Term Care. An introduction to the USDA Community Food Project. This session will provide resources for how to start a garden, connecting seniors to farmers markets, and improving food access. Speakers: USDA CFP Co-PD at MDH2E; Administrator, Hammonds Lane Center of Genesis HealthCare; Culinary Director, Fayette Health and Rehabilitation Facility; Service Care Coordinator, Jenkins Senior Living Community. Panel Discussion- How to get started with sustainability at your facility. The panel will discuss how to access healthy food in Baltimore and gain access to transportation and federal assistance for seniors. Moderator- Executive Chef Consultant Lord Chase Herndon and former Chef de Cuisine at Erickson Living. Panel members: Baltimore Department of Aging; Action in Maturity; Maryland Hunger Solutions/Meals on Wheels; Baltimore City Health Department, Virtual Supermarket Program; Executive Director of Maryland Farmer's Market Association. Changes/Problems:Event Disruption: A significant deviation was the unexpected civil unrest which erupted in Baltimore on April 28, 2015. As a result of the unrest, the Governor declared a 'state of emergency' and implemented a curfew for all residents. Unfortunately, the civil unrest occurred on the same day and in the same neighborhood where the Spring into Sustainability conference was planned. MDH2E was forced to cancel the conference, and due to the limitations of the grant period, were not able to reschedule. A Health and Wellness conference held by the Center for Integrative Medicine, the parent organization of MDH2E, was held in May 2015 and was offered to attendees as an alternative for obtaining Continuing Education Credits and provided a platform for the Co-PD to disseminate results of this project. Facility staff changes: A major change was the unfortunate and unexpected passing of the Urban gardener; she was an asset to this project and we are all grateful for her participation. There was staff turn-over at the Jenkins facility for the third year in a row. The AR for the third year left in August 2015 which left management of the project to an assistant coordinator who has been very successful in keeping the project in motion. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The maintenance team at Fayette were trained on proper installation and maintenance of the garden beds and the irrigation system, and as a result has an increased knowledge and ability to garden. Professional development was offered in the form of Continuing Education credits for attendees of the Health and Wellness conference, specifically for Nursing Home Administrators, Assisted Living Managers and Social Workers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A conference was planned to bring together key stakeholders to disseminate the results to the broader Baltimore and Maryland Senior Care organization community. The results of the project have been communicated to the upper management of each health care organization that governs these facilities. The Co-PD and the AR from each facility have worked with upper management to encourage financial support of the gardens and markets in the future. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This was the last year of the project and thus no plans are in place to continue the work. However, as a result of this project, a close relationship has developed between the Co-PD's, The University of Maryland, and the three long term care facilities. The relationships will continue to leverage resources and connect with our robust network to expand this work.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Accomplishments for Outcomes 1 & 2: During project year three, a major accomplishment was the transformation of the landscape at the Fayette health rehabilitation and long term care facility. The raised garden planters were installed at the only outdoor space in high traffic area which dramatically increased the curb appeal and became a focus for conversation for all who visited the site. Family members, staff, and seniors all felt an increased sense of community and pride by participating in the garden activities. As a result of this project, the patio was transformed from a drab, smoking area to a useable space with a productive garden which produced tomatoes, herbs, leafy greens, and peppers. A major accomplishment of building the raised-bed gardens at all three facilities brought a sense of increased morale and happiness to many seniors who are former farmers and gardeners. Accomplishments for Outcomes 3 & 4: A major accomplishment of building gardens at all three facilities was the ability to improve the healthy food access for the residents and bring attention to the quality of food being offered. A key result of this project was garnering the attention of the Senior Administration who are supportive of the work and are seeking out resources to continue the activities in the future. Accomplishments for Outcomes 5 & 6: The Master Gardener created and tailored custom planting guides for each facility that provided step-by-step instructions for the AR. In addition, the Gardner connected the AR with free online, pre-existing tools that provide education and resources to train current and future staff. A robust relationship with the Jenkins' school community has fully incorporated the famers market into their summer camp and curriculum rotation. The children learn about farming, gardening, cooking and healthy foods through a trip to the farmers market. Accomplishment for Outcome 7: A Health and Wellness conference in place of the Spring into Sustainability conference. The Wellness conference provided continuing education to key stakeholders and informed the broader community about this project.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/14
Outputs
Target Audience:During project year two, Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (MDH2E) expanded the number of facilities engaged to three: Hammonds Lane Center of Genesis HealthCare (Genesis), Jenkins Senior Living Community of Catholic Charities (Jenkins), and Fayette Health and Rehabilitation Center (Fayette). Hammonds Lane Center, a member of Genesis HealthCare The Hammonds Lane Center, a subsidiary of Genesis Healthcare, has 20 nursing homes/rehabilitation facilitiesin Maryland. This facility is located in Brooklyn Park, Maryland in Northern Anne Arundel County in a low-income African American community.The median household income for the surrounding community is $29,878. Jenkins Senior Living Community, a member of Catholic Charities The Neighborhoods at St. Elizabeth community includes: Caritas House Assisted Living, DePaul & St. Joachim Independent Living, Pastoral Care, and St. Ann Adult Day Services. Located in Southwest Baltimore City, this facility is Maryland's first senior community to offer options to low and moderate income individuals for independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, and medical day care. Situated on 25 beautiful acres adjacent to St. Agnes hospital, Jenkins Senior Living Community is home to more than 400 seniors. The goal of this facility is to allow residents to comfortably age in place. The population of Southwest Baltimore is predominately white/Caucasian (non-Hispanic) with majority of people ages 25-64 and a median household income of $44,000. Fayette Health and Rehabilitation Center, a member of CommuniCare Health Services This community is a combined nursing home, assisted living facility and drug rehabilitation center serving 198 residents in Hollins Market neighborhood, one of Baltimore's lowest-income communities. The population is just over 5,000 people, of which 83% are African American and the median household income for the surrounding community is $19,277. Target audience- The target audience for this project is low-income seniors residing at three senior living facilities in Maryland. MDH2E recognizes that health care organizations function as a cohesive team with many areas of expertise. As a result, MDH2E encouraged a broad level of participation by engaging every department at each facility including: administration, team leaders, coordinators, food service management, chefs, facilities and environmental services, purchasing managers, activities coordinators, nursing and support staff, dietitians, and social workers. Secondary audiences- The secondary target audiences for this project are the many hardworking people whose efforts support the seniors and this project both directly and indirectly, including: visitors and family members of seniors, farmers and producers in the State of Maryland, community members and key stakeholders. Overall Efforts Efforts to engage the facilities grew exponentially in project year two as a result of the relationships established and lessons learned during project year one. Year two efforts focused primarily on building the raised garden beds and continuing to grow the farmers markets at three facilities. A targeted marketing campaign was developed by the Co-PD to attract producers to join the project. This campaign connected this project to the regional listserv of farmers in the State of Maryland. Whenever possible, the Co-PD encouraged direct relationship building between the facilities and the producer. In year two, the Co-PD facilitated the building of partnerships with many community stakeholders. A key partnership was established with the Maryland Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program to provide technical expertise and support to the gardens at each facility. Additional partnerships include: Symbiosis Design/Build as irrigation experts, The Baltimore City Department of Aging, The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), The Maryland Farmers Market Association, and local schools. The Co-PD engaged MDA to identify regulations associated with the launch of new farmers markets. The City organizations were engaged to delineate the process for obtaining the Senior FMNP coupons. In addition, local schools were engaged with the project and brought students, teachers and parents to attend the farmers market at Jenkins. The students were taught about farmers markets, farming, and purchased food from the market. The farmers market was included in the science and cooking curriculums at the school to teach students about preparing and eating food from the farmers market. Efforts at Genesis Genesis was the first facility to build and plant raised garden beds. A planting day was held with the seniors, family members, employees, the project team, and the community. The Executive Chef, the Activities Coordinator, and the AR created a list of vegetables and herbs to grow that coincided with menus for seniors. Innovative engagement efforts were designed for those seniors with limited faculties to participate in the garden. For example, herbs were used to make infused waters, to stimulate smell, taste and other senses, and to beautify the rooms of seniors. The AR at Genesis was a champion of this project. She developed relationships with many of the farmers to establish trust, learn about their produce availability, and keep a steady stream of high quality produce at affordable prices available during the season. In project year two, the Co-PD and the AR collectively decided a farm stand would be more appropriate for the size of the facility, the capacity of the producers, and the demand from the seniors. The farm stand at Genesis has been well received as an attractive asset by the seniors, family members, and the employees. Efforts at Jenkins During project year two, educational sessions were held to teach seniors about the health benefits of eating fresh food. At Jenkins, seniors live in independent apartments and purchase and prepare food in their homes. Flyers and recipes were distributed on the availability of seasonal produce, and were also made available for staff members who regularly visited and purchased food from the market. In year two, it was paramount to address two major barriers to the success of the farmers market: seniors are on a fixed income and majority low-income; and most do not drive or access public transportation. The lack of transportation was a key reason why this project emphasized bringing local food to their place of residence. This project addressed the low-income barrier by equipping the markets to accept Federal Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) coupons. In Baltimore City, SFMNP are distributed through local senior centers; however, the closest senior center to the Jenkins campus closed years prior. A local, non-profit organization called Action in Maturity partnered with Jenkins through relationship building and collaboration resulting in SFMNP coupons distributed to over 40 residents in time for use at the Farmers Market. Efforts at Fayette Efforts to engage Fayette were more successful in year two with the addition of the Culinary Director as the new Authorized Representative (AR). Eight raised garden beds were ordered and built in time for a Fall 2014 planting of cold-weather crops. Fayette previously had a 're-heat only' style kitchen that was renovated in 2014 bringing a full commercial kitchen, thus allowing meal preparation from scratch and incorporation of food from the garden. Regular site visits and phone calls resulted in a budget plan, an identified a financial administrator and a seasonal planting plan aligned with the dietitian's menus. The outdoor space of the Fayette facility is limited to a small, fenced patio so the facility worked closely with the landscape architect to carefully design the garden to fit the useable space and accommodate wheelchair bound seniors. Changes/Problems:Producer challenges: A barrier to success of the farmers market has been maintaining consistent participation by producers. The Urban garden with a volunteer run community garden, who participated in project year, one was unable to participate in year two due to health problems and a lack of volunteers. Facility Staff Transitions: A major change was staff turn-over at the Jenkins facility. The AR from project year one left his position with the facility near the end of project year two. The AR who assumed responsibility of this project in year two retired from her position at the end of the year. At the Fayette facility, the project was also delayed due to staff turn-over. Essential planning steps and engagement efforts for Fayette were shifted to the beginning of year three as a result of these staffing issues. Seasonality challenges: Despite the administrative buy-in in the beginning of year two, garden building and planting was delayed due to seasonal restrictions of growing a garden. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The maintenance team at Genesis was trained on proper installation and maintenance of the garden beds, the stone pathway, the irrigation system, and as a result have an increased knowledge and ability to garden. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of project year 2 have been disseminated through relationship building with upper management at each of the facilities. Signage and flyers promote the farm stand to current and future residents, current and future employees, and businesses neighboring the facility including another senior living housing. The opportunity for farm stands at long term care facilities has been disseminated to the broader producer community through advertisements with the members of the Maryland Department of Agriculture, the Maryland Farmers Market Association, and the Annual Buyer-Grower Expo for Maryland Producers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In project year three, the top priorities are to: 1) continue to foster relationships between the facilities, producers, and community partnerships to ensure sustainability of the project; 2) continue to encourage active support by the AR at the Jenkins facility; and 3) host a conference for results dissemination.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Accomplishments for Outcome 1: During project year two, a major accomplishment was the transformation of the landscape at the Hammonds Lane Center, Genesis Health rehabilitation and long term care facility. The raised garden planters were installed at the entrance to the facility in a highly visible, high traffic area which dramatically increased the curb appeal and became a focus for conversation for all who visited the site. Family members, staff, and seniors all felt an increased sense of community and pride by participating in the garden activities. In particular, the maintenance team felt increased self-efficacy to provide a high quality experience for the residents that extended beyond their usual duties to repair and maintain the building in good working order. In addition to the garden planters in the front of the building, an internal courtyard was also transformed. The courtyard is accessible only by the staff and the residents. Many of the resident's rooms face the courtyard, but few visited the space because it generally lacked natural beauty. As a result of this project, the courtyard was transformed to a useable space that included the planting of two fig trees and a garden which produced tomatoes, sweet potatoes, herbs, leafy greens, and blueberries. Accomplishments for Outcomes 1-4: Another major accomplishment of this project was the relationship built between the senior care facilities and Maryland producers. As a result of this project, the producers increased their business and found a new market for their products. The farmers who did not have the capacity to attend the markets arranged a relationship with the administration to purchase and sell their products. A major accomplishment of this project was creating the pathway for seniors to access the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupons. Various administrators of the Jenkins facility had attempted to find a way to provide this benefit to the residents without success. As a result of this project, gaps in access created by Baltimore City policy have been addressed and circumvented. In addition, many seniors in Baltimore experience hunger or food insecurity regularly and this project provided an opportunity to bring healthy and affordable food to their homes. Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and herbs by seniors was a major accomplishment of this project. The size of the garden beds restircted the quantity of each vegetable planted. As a result, the Chefs and dietitians found it most useful to grow a large quantity of herbs and leafy greens which could easily be incorporated into soft foods and soups. A major accomplishment of this project was the increase of physical and mental health by the seniors served. In addition to improving access to healthy foods, garden beds and farmers markets provide an additional activity for seniors who experience high levels of boredom and are often isolated. This project provided a unique avenue to address overall health and well-being for seniors. A major accomplishment of this project was the relationship developed between the school and Jenkins facility. Students learned about healthy foods, cooking, farming, finance, and more through the opportunity to attend the market. Moreover, a relationship was generated between the seniors and the children that extended beyond the market. The children made gifts for the seniors, sang songs and visited during the holiday season.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience:During project year one,Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (MDH2E) worked in collaboration with two long term care (LTC) facilities in the project:Hammonds Lane Center of Genesis HealthCare (Genesis)and Jenkins Senior Living Community of Catholic Charities (Jenkins). Hammonds Lane Center, a member of Genesis HealthCare The Hammonds Lane Center, a subsidiary of Genesis Healthcare, has 20 nursing homes/rehabilitation facilitiesin Maryland. This facility is located in Brooklyn Park, Maryland in Northern Anne Arundel County is a low-income African American community.The median household income for the surrounding community is $29,878. Jenkins Senior Living Community, a member of Catholic Charities The Neighborhoods at St. Elizabeth community includes: Caritas House Assisted Living, DePaul & St. Joachim Independent Living, Pastoral Care, and St. Ann Adult Day Services. Located in Southwest Baltimore City, this facility is Maryland's first senior community to offer options to low and moderate income individuals for independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, and medical day care. Situated on 25 beautiful acres adjacent to St. Agnes hospital, Jenkins Senior Living Community is home to more than 400 seniors. The goal of this facility is to allow residents to comfortably age in place. The population of Southwest Baltimore is predominately white/Caucasian (non-Hispanic) with majority of people ages 25-64 and a median household income of $44,000. Primary Target audience- The primary target audience for this project is low-income seniors residing at three senior living facilities in Maryland. MDH2E recognizes that health care organizations function as a cohesive team with many areas of expertise; as a result of this, MDH2E encouraged a broad level of participation by engaging every department at each facility. These departments include: administration, team leaders, coordinators, food service management, chefs, facilities and environmental services, purchasing managers, activities coordinators, nursing and support staff, dietitians, and social workers. Secondary audiences- The secondary target audiences for this project are the many hardworking people whose efforts support the seniors and this project directly and indirectly, including: visitors and family members of seniors, farmers and producers in the State of Maryland, community members and key stakeholders. Overall Efforts- In year one, the Co-Project Director's (Co-PD) identified the Administrative Representative (AR) at each facility to support the project. MDH2E worked with the fiscal agent Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) to prepare contracts with each facility which clearly stated the roles and responsibilities expected by the AR during the project. Year one efforts focused primarily on establishing the requirements needed by each facility to establish a new farmers market. At the Genesis location, the AR purchased food from local producers to prepare the meals served to seniors and established a farm stand to sell additionalfood to the community and staff. At the Jenkins location, the AR established the farmers market equipment by purchasingtables for producers to use,signs to promote the market, andto purchase reusable farmers market grocery bags. The bags were given away to customers and residents of the facility. In September 2012, MDH2E staff members toured the garden of MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland which fostered learning and inspiration from the experiences of another health care facility in the region building a garden. At each facility, project directors convened meetings to introduce the USDA Community Food Project and the MDH2E organization in an open dialogue format to allow for a discussion about the goals and objectives of the project and to generate support. Visitors and family members were invited to all meetings related to this project. Co-Project Director's worked with the Farmers Market Coordinator of the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) to identify costs associated with the launch of the farmers markets and attended the Maryland Buyer-Grower Meeting in January 2013 hosted by MDA. The Co-PD's developed strategies for connectingfarmers and the AR at each facility including: flyers, spreadsheets of marketing efforts and ideas, phoned, emailed, visited farmers markets, and wrote letters to solicit producer participation. The Co-PD also acquired all necessary permits and registered the market with MDA. In order to increase access to healthy foods for low income seniors, participating producers were provided support on the process of obtaining an EBT machine, and becoming certified to accept Federal Nutrition Dollars i.e. Senior Famers Market Nutrition Program checks and SNAP/WIC checks. During this process however, the local Farmers Market Association launched a new program which meant Producers no longer had to purchase their own machine, but could use a central system to accept these vouchers. The project Co-PD developed a relationship with a LEED certified landscape architect with experience with building gardens for elderly, disabled, and for health care facilities. The landscape architect identified garden supplies and costs needed for the first phase of gardens and developed professional drawings of the proposed garden spaces. Community members at local schools were engaged through phone calls to increase awareness of the project and invite their participation. Specific efforts at Genesis: MDH2E established a relationship with a volunteer run, urban community garden to procure food to be served to seniors as well as to sell to the staff and community at each farm stand. Specific efforts at Jenkins: Advertisements were purchased in local papers to attract community members and promote the new market. Signage was also posted on the announcement screens at a nearby hospital, which is located adjacent to the Jenkins property. Changes/Problems:The major challenges to this project during year one are: Program Staff transitions: The Co-PD, Molly Englund, left her position with MDH2E in Spring 2013. The vacant Co-PD position was temporarily filled by one existing part-time staff member and a second, new part-time staff member to finalize confirmation of producers and address the various logistics for the launch of the farmers markets at Genesis and Jenkins. Facility Staff transitions: Efforts to communicate with Fayette were met with limited response. It was later discovered that the Director of Dining Services had left her position. Efforts to reach the new Director as well as other staff members at Fayette were successful near the end of year one and meetings were convened. It is expected that significant progress will be made with Fayette in year two. Major challenges were experienced by the urban gardener who had difficulty with her capacity to transport produce to the farm stand and with low staff availability due to the nature of a volunteer community garden. The Co-PD will make every effort to provide support to this urban gardener by identifying transportation options. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training has been provided through informational sessions offered by MDH2E experts to the administration of each facility about: The economic and health impacts of local sustainable food purchasing. The availability of local sustainable food producers in their area. The health benefits of increased fruit and vegetable consumption, especially for seniors. The USDA Dietary Guidelines for senior health and nutrition. Professional Development was offered to producers by supplying information and support on the process of obtaining an EBT machine, and becoming certified to accept Senior Famers Market Nutrition Program checks and SNAP/WIC checks. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This project relies on the relationships that are built and maintained throughout the project and beyond. This is accomplished through an open and consistent dialogue among all project team members as well as site visits. Communities of interest were included in the project by: Leveraging established pre-existing relationships with local schools, businesses, hospitals, and church and community groups in the neighborhoods surrounding the facilities. The farmers markets were promoted to the seniors, staff and community members via flyers, signage, email communications, newspaper advertisements, the MDH2E/University of Maryland produced video and listserv, and word of mouth. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In project year two, the top priorities are: 1. To actively engage with the administration at the Fayette facility to establish a relationship and begin to move the project forward at this third facility. 2. To recruit one additional full-time farmer to the farmers markets. 3. To accomplish Outcome 2 by building the raised bed gardens at Genesis and planning the raised bed gardens at Fayette and Jenkins.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Outcomes 1 & 3 were accomplished- During project year one, the major accomplishment was the establishment of two farmers markets at Jenkins and Genesis. These markets were the primary focus of the project during the first year. Low-income seniors, family members, visitors, facility employees and community members all purchased fresh fruits and vegetables as a result of this project. Outcome 5-This project accomplished engaging local producers and establishment of new partnerships between the long term care facilities and local producers; the markets succeeded in engaging the participation of four farmers and one urban gardener.
Publications
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