NOTES CAC Co-Pilot Communities Learning Session 6.29.17
Attendees:
1. Welcome, Round Robin : Please state your name, your organization and a word or two you think of when you think of this project and what a “Connected Community” means
· Barry (VEDC, Chamber): Unavailable broadband
· Bob (Manitowish Waters Town Board): Bike trails
· Elizabeth (Manitowish Waters Town): Opportunities for connections
· Mike : Online banking
· John (Manitowish Town Chair): Connectedness, establishing new relationships
· **computer froze here, missed a table**
· MaryAnn: What can I learn to pass on to others, scalability, replicability
· Beth: Flambeau hospital home health: pass
· Lori: What are the real needs of senior citizens, wishes
· Chris: Saving money, independence of patients served
· Chad: There is broadband available…adoption, economic development now the issues
2. Intent of the Day: goals, vision, advisory board
Overview: Where we’ve been, phase one into phase two. Funded by Bader Philanthropies, first phase researching what’s out there already, how to get seniors engaged (local: international). Many programs, but single faceted (use an iPad to get on FB, etc.), nothing holistic.
Phase 2: Identified pilot communities, did focus groups; #1 carrot: family and friends; healthcare but only when extenuating circumstance (i.e., have to be monitored); fear, lack of education, don’t know what we don’t know: some barriers.
Now, Park Falls & Manitowish Waters selected, core teams formed, local champions found. How do we create collaborative environment to connect all the dots (missed the dots: recreation, health, economic development…?) Each community has different goals; our goal to use community development approach to create the goals you want. What can we learn that we can teach other communities how to be successful? At the end of 2018, the goal is that your programs continue, strong base. See Kotter adapted road map for CAC project. Teams have been working in step 1 (create sense of urgency), 2 (building guiding coalition), starting to work on vision (3), communicate that vision (4-July), moving forward through map as the project continues.
Next handout: list of advisory committee.
3. Day in the life exercise (Maria leads, handout)
Poster one, poster two, poster two page two, poster 3
Open discussion around exercise: common themes: transportation, medication/healthcare lonliness/boredom.
What can be done to address the transportation issue? For profit, not for profit? State funded? Would love to see entrepreneurial model. Problem: insurance, licensing, ADA/accessibility, reliant on gov’t funding to capture costs. A lot of gov’t programs but not a lot of connectivity between them (Chris M). Helpful: tying common theme programs together. Park Falls has a BART bus. Public, entrepreneurial, and volunteers: example, Mary Ann Lippert’s nephew asking for assistance on local social network, i.e., ElderTree. Other obvious challenges (Tom): adoption/utilization (if you build it…). Change is hard, budgeting issues. Don’t know what you don’t know. Dad doesn’t need to know the medication dispenser is “stored in the cloud”, it just gives you medicine when you need it. Key: knowing what’s out there, education of what’s out there, misperceptions of what’s out there, security of what’s out there. Broadband doesn’t necessarily have to be in home for old persons’ use, could be for remote monitoring, i.e., smart appliances, cameras to check on senior.
Pilot communities introduction (Elizabeth, Tom)
Elizabeth, Manitowish Waters: Vision (now), greatest strength, obstacle, opportunity: 500 residents year round, remote, focusing on connection for entertainment. Trying to incorporate health but not focus. Creating relationship with school in town to focus on how to create intergenerational program. School is a big asset, trying to create online community to connect community, school assets. Opportunity: such a small town, any change has much bigger impact than smaller place. Hoping through intergenerational school, community groups, library assets and connecting into online community will engage seniors to connect with resources.
Q: what’s definition of elderly? Numbers? 65+ 30% of population 600-700 people now, so in hat age group, couple hundred people, 75 households? Trying to focus on sustainability by building out through CAIs
Tom, Park Falls: Price Co one of fastest aging in WI, but there are younger people who will be part; vision to connect aging community socially, through healthcare/issues. Focus: make it easy, seamless (think alarm clock…on phone). Do we have an infrastructure to support, do we have buy in from end users. Telehealth conference helped create sense of urgency—what does telehealth mean, though? i.e., stroke telehealth. Strengths: community. Honors students want to work on project to bring tech to seniors, etc. pieces to connect, small community, direct lines/links, and they want to work together. Spread of socioeconomics, spread of tech adoption/use. Cost issue: how to pay for internet to home? Opportunities: ideation—understanding what it can do and how it can happen… if we think of it probably someone else has, we just have to figure out how to do it. We need to “turn more lights on”, light bulbs. Introduce the idea so that we get past that barrier to how it makes things easy, seamless. Need buy in from both ends, if providers don’t use telehealth it won’t work. Doc shortage though they DO have concerns about being replaced by remote doc options. Once people see it, use it, understand trifecta: increase access, decrease cost, increase quality. Note, also mid-level providers, nursing staffs can function in their scope to provide support in telehealth, home health, save cost of FT doc. What makes a remote facility?
4. Insights into issues
- Chris Meyers: Powerpoint.
Difference telehealth, virtual health. Telehealth happens in Marshfield facility, connected with tech (you come to us). Virtual care, connects patients to providers wherever they might be. Both under umbrella of telemedicine. Metric: patient drive time saved, 6 month period (slide). Would you rather…? Is there liability for site (employer, library?) if remote health uses their service/device? Care My Way cash service—high deductible or no insurance… some cash outlay though if you have insurance coverage, and medicare won’t cover* (advocare covers). Positioning ahead of the curve: home care; en route care (i.e., ambulance); “Tweet Pee”/TytoCare; cost savings via remote monitoring; sick care (widgets) vs healthcare (quality maintenance);
Common denominator: high speed broadband
5. Insights into issues: broadband perspective ; elderly perspective
- Chad Young: Norvado (two handouts, video). Explanation of cost/ROI business model, including defined service territories, funding (customer, government—CAF, etc.) and how the small and larger players coincide. Anchor institutions are critical players—largest in community, then work backward to connect all. Overview CAFII, ACAM funds. There is money out there, some providers are getting some… not all, many have to take major loans. Broadband Expansion Grants overview. Increasing adoption thoughts: best way, word of mouth. Norvado sees same demographic, aging population: new products and services, PC and internet security offered, home security. Video (tv product); also do things in the communities: seminars (safety, security), “Norvado to go” community events (dinners, “tips & tricks”). Promotional campaigns online/offline (FB, yard sign combo=free month of service, often leads to adoption), sign up for service get a tablet campaign, Netflix cards, sponsor local festivals with wifi, local community meetings/groups (EDC, chambers, etc.), can go above and beyond to answer customer questions on internet because we can. Biggest issue in community-who do you ask, esp if you’re new to the internet.
Summary, what you need to ask your provider if you’re looking for internet access in community: Ask for provider current plans and their schedule for completion. Be aware there are distance limitations for provider ROI. Be specific with your request. Are you a Broadband Forward community? Look for opportunities to partner. Contact providers to ask if they can help (be specific!). Are solutions like fixed wireless better than waiting for example CenturyLink solution? At the end of the day it has to make sense to a company to do it: making the case, is there a CAI? Are there any grants, subsidies to help fund project? Community Area Networks: provider stance, go to provider to ask if you can subsidize them to do it versus starting your own. What always gets forgotten is the ongoing operation, which is where it usually falls apart. Tech changes / change of pace can exacerbate this. “We’re thinking of putting in $20M to a CAN, if we give you $10 can we…”, as a taxpayer and CEO, that’s my take. **Impact on local community: Iron River business (dental implants, replacement teeth), 10 years ago he couldn’t have done biz from location, broadband made it possible, bband makes it possible for other businesses to relocate / stay in rural areas. Telecommuters a huge portion too.
- Lori Collins, SonicNet: what’s the difference between what Norvado, Sonic, Jeff’s co. (Price Co. Telephon) provides. Fixed wireless, transmits radio frequencies on tower to fixed antenna radio on outside of house. Mobile wireless, move around with. Fixed, point to (multi) point. Not satellite, not mobile wireless, not cable/fiber, not DSL: not your dad’s fixed wireless. Hard to keep up. Lori’s role is strongly in the education camp for adoption. Fixed wireless is “very last mile” service. “We go where cable and wireless don’t”. Plans around where CenturyLink is NOT to approach customers. Build own towers. Work with landowners and provide free internet for tower sites. Erect/maintain own equipment. Biggest challenge recently is keeping up with capacity demand (bandwidth). Q: how is partnership defined for PSC grant? One of the best things for example a town can do is put a note for Sonic in the tax bills “are you aware broadband is available?” In all previous grants Sonic provides 50% match to keep control—not sure if there are multiple matches who controls towers? Match can be money, services, anything in between.
Fiber comes in to three NOCs (from 3 providers) to backbone for line of sight, non-line of site.
- Sam Wilson: AARP Wisconsin. Two handouts (Livable Communities, Great Places for all ages book, AARP annual report), PowerPoint and reference URL https://livabilityindex.aarp.org/
Technology an important piece, but only one piece, about creating livable communities for seniors and how to create communities that are livable for all ages. What is a livable community? Affordable and appropriate housing, supportive community services, adequate mobility options, which facilitate personal independence and the engagement of residents in civic and social list.
Majority of adults want to stay in home as long as possible, but design of houses often don’t allow.
Majority of adults want to live in community as long as possible. However, transportation, housing and retail mix often doesn’t allow.
Dramatic increase of 65+ populations nationally (2010-2020) is an opportunity: economic impact of 50+
8 Domains of Livability (Livability Index): creates a score for a community for livability of all ages: transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation & employment, communication & information *broadband fits here*, community support and health services, outdoor spaces and buildings.
Only one community (Shorewood) in WI has achieved age friendly designation.
Livabilityindex.aarp.org
Manitowish Waters 48, Park Falls 53, average scores but by category very interesting results. The question is, to improve, what’s the low hanging fruit?
Median US community has adopted only 6:20 policies tracked in the index.
Note about the tool: in some respects the tool has a bias to more urban areas but it does still have a value as a conversation starter/planning start about low hanging fruit
Comparing data on pilot communities, AARP members and internet engagement: age and income are big factors. What’s the income discrepancy in Manitowish? Retirement destination. (Note, Chris: consistent income between two areas about 60% between income spectrum ends)
Reviewing Pew statistics with regard to community data and <$15K info, how do you reach those people?
Age, income, education, physical education, confidence: affect broadband adoption/utilization
AARP.org/communitychallenge grants by July 15 for livability community project . Good grant request amount, $25K cap, generally speaking puts it in a competitive place. What kinds of projects: improving community’s built environment for all ages, abilities; volunteerism/education program; diverse communities—“tactical urbanism”. Projects done by Nov 1 2017.
6. Pilot community download: skipped for time--talk amongst yourselves J
7. Communications going forward (Jennifer) handout
CAC project has loan of Jennifer for marketing and communications for a limited amount of time over the project lifespan. In this capacity Jennifer has begun a 2 year communications plan which she will revise and share as projects finalize; she has launched a public facing web page to host media links and information, and a private web page for working groups / Advisory Board members to share working information. She has also researched terms involved with the project (do we say seniors? Boomers? Elderly? Silver surfers?), hashtags for social media use (primary: #ConnectedAgingCommunity with more to follow), and identified basic audience groups to follow on Twitter and Facebook if you’re so inclined. See handout for details and contact Jennifer if you’d like more information on any of the research behind what she is proposing for media engagement specifics.
8. Adjourn