November 13, 2025 Minutes

Weld Area Agency on Aging - Advisory Board Meeting Minutes

Meeting Location: Zoom Invite & Area Agency on Aging, 315 N 11th Ave., Bldg. C., Greeley, CO
Meeting: Thursday, November 13, 2025 (Thursday) 9:00 am – 11:00 am  

1. Roll Call:

   • Board Members:

     • Attended:
       • Kay Broderius, Susan Collins, DeAnn Cure, Chair-Nancy Haffner, Father Steve Karcher, Vice-Chair Dr. Alan Kress, Ruth Leitel, Valeria Ortiz, Aaron Sanchez, Anne Curry Sanchez, Joyce Smock, Lynn Young
     • Absent:
       • Commissioner Peppler, Linda Quade, Jami Shepherd, Gillian Smith, Diana Vasquez

   • AAA Staff:

     • Attended:
       • Tami Grant, Deputy Director Human Services
       • Jill Colavolpe, Home & Community Supports Division Deputy Director
       • Meredith Skoglund, Community Outreach Manager
       • Michelle Roper, Administrative Assistant

   • Guests:

     • Kristine Burrows, MPH – Senior Specialist on Aging with the Colorado Department of Human Services

2. Approval of Minutes:

   • Motion made by Chair Haffner to approve the minutes from October 9, 2025. Member Collins gave first approval and Member Cure made second approval.
   • All approved.

3. Program:

   • Colorado Multi-Sector Plan on Aging

     • Colorado is home to more than 1.3 million people over the age of 60, which is 15% of the state’s population. Within the next 25 years, more than a quarter of the state’s population will be over the age of 60. With this dramatic shift, there is a growing need for the intentional development of infrastructure that supports and empowers older Coloradans. To address the needs of older adults, the Colorado Department of Human Services created the Multi-Sector Plan on Aging. It’s a 10- year plan to support older people in our state.

   • The sectors include:

     • Age Friendly Communities
     • Ageism
     • Benefits Access
     • Caregiving
     • Economic Security
     • Funding
     • Healthcare
     • Housing
     • Social Isolation
     • Transportation

   • The five strategic goals:

     • Connected Communities
     • Healthcare Access
     • Long Term Services & Supports
     • Colorado’s Economy
     • Economic Security

   • Goal 1: Create connected communities that support all Coloradans through:

     • Civic Participation & Employment
     • Communication & Information
     • Community Support & Health Services
     • Housing
     • Outdoor Spaces & Buildings
     • Respect & Social Inclusion
     • Social Participation
     • Transportation

   • Goal 2: Build a Colorado that supports the healthcare needs of all older Coloradans through:

     • Health promotion & disease prevention
     • Health benefits satisfaction
     • Improve access to appropriate providers and care

   • Goal 3: Create a person-centered service delivery model through:

     • Alternative funding models
     • Data collection strategy refinement
     • Developing a blueprint to support family caregivers
     • Developing and stabilizing the direct care workforce
     • Increasing service provider capacity
     • Trust building amongst skeptical older adults

   • Goal 4: Understand the economic impact of Colorado’s growing older population through:

     • Analyze the fiscal and psychosocial impacts of concentrated retirement
     • Champion initiatives to encourage hiring and retention of older workers
     • Encourage volunteer and civic engagement opportunities for older adults
     • Engage private philanthropy to support the needs of older adults
     • Engagement of private sector
     • Examine technology/digital access implications

   • Goal 5: Prioritize the economic security of all older Coloradans through:

     • Create more housing options to support the changings needs of older adults
     • Develop a blueprint to improve income security for older Coloradans
     • Reduce food insecurity by developing innovative and culturally responsive solutions
     • Streamline public benefits access to reduce burden on users
   • Q: Member Sanchez – Housing is a huge problem in many states, with many on fixed incomes. What can Colorado do to help with those needs?
     • A: Guest Burrows – Looking at housing preservation models with home sharing being a great example. Looking for resources to help older adults live independently or find a roommate that can help with things around the house for reduced rent. Would need to look at the zoning laws to provide more housing.
   • Q: Member Leitel – Affordable assisted living is not attainable anymore. How do you provide less expensive care in a communal setting rather than in the home?
     • A: Guest Burrows – Looking at ways to support the NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities) System and how to make the money work with state cuts in budget.
   • Q: Member Sanchez – What percent of the population is over 60?
     • A: Guest Burrows – 17.6% of the population is over 60 in Colorado and growing. There will be 1.6 million over 60 in 2030.
   • Q: Member Curry-Sanchez – There is growing isolation in the past few decades? Is there a program that teaches older adults how to navigate participating online?
     • A: Guest Burrows – Senior planet is state-wide and provides a lot of classes and backed by AARP. Libraries are another great resource as well as Senior Centers.
   • Q: Member Leitel – Is there a site that gives best practices?
     • A: Guest Burrows – Not yet but that is part of the goal of the program.
   • Member Collins – There are several NORC communities in Greeley with walkable neighborhoods and patio homes? There should be more encouragement and support of these NORC types of communities without the red tape?
   • Member Father Steve – Our culture is focused on the individual and not the community. Government is the only tool that has the capacity to push back on the “I” “I” “I” mentality.
   • Healthcare – What are the things we can control at the Colorado level and start advocating at the federal level. There are currently 110 Geriatricians in the state of Colorado, most on the front range and many are retiring. There need to be incentives for new providers, clinical and non-clinical. What are ways to get new healthcare providers to get engaged with geriatrics and current providers to become more educated in geriatrics? There have been $63 billion in erroneous healthcare expenses due to ageism and lack of education.
     • Member Collins – Deep seeded ageism is a huge issue and how do we overcome it?
     • Member Leitel – Need to see the value of older adults can be mentors to younger generations.
     • Staff Member Colavolpe – In other cultures, older adults are highly respected and valued.
     • Member Leitel – It doesn’t help that the media and social networks keep telling the younger generation that the older adults broke everything.
   • Long Term Supports and Services – Working on data collection strategy. Who needs services and when. Transportation is a huge issue. Looking at alternative funding models to make it all work. Bringing in the private sector and making it a benefit to employers. Looking at cost avoidance analysis – getting preventative services in the home. It makes no sense for people to have to pay down their income to receive services.
     • Member Father Steve – Cultural message needs to change so that it’s acceptable for people to get the help they need.
     • Guest Burrows – There are great resources for new parents leaving the hospital but there are none for seniors leaving the hospital.
   • Economic Security – Colorado’s economy is incredibly reliant on older workers but also very discriminatory of older workers. Some initiatives from the July legislative session were unfunded so looking for other resources, private partnerships. Will publish new initiatives in March 2026 for July. What is Weld County doing that could be included? Attribution vs. Contribution. Giving credit where credit is due and selling it so that it’s meaningful for those that need the credit.
     • Member Collins – Need to bring back pensions to retain good workers. Intergenerational workplaces are ideal. Older workers have the knowledge, and younger workers can teach the older workers new technology.
     • Member Leitel – Attribution is great for non-profits. For the greater good needs to be more common than “Me” “Me” “Me”.
     • Guest Burrows – Will be launching a data dashboard on the Colorado State Multi-Sector Plan on Aging website at the end of November 2025.
     • Member Sanchez – Sponsoring a senior program is a great way to help seniors that are lonely.
     • Chair Haffner – College students were recruited to live at an independent living facility for reduced rent in exchange for interacting with seniors. The long-term benefits were amazing.
   • Q: Member Young – With the program being funded now, what happens in a few years when something new comes up, could this program be forgotten? Constantly hear that there is no money but then there are always new initiatives with high dollars attached.
   • Q: Member Leitel – Is it political enough, if things change, will it still move forward?
     • A: Guest Burrows – Working to gather enough data for when that time comes.
   • Q: Vice-Chair Kress – Is house sharing like Neighbor to Neighbor?
     • A: Guest Burrows – Sunshine home share and Silvernest (HomeShareOnline) are a few in Colorado but more corporate based.
   • Vice-Chair Kress – A lot of reimbursement rates through Medicaid/Medicare are almost destined to fail based on the model. More education is the key.
   • Guest Burrows – Need to look at training models and how to make better use of the time spent with a patient.

4. Committee Reports

   • Nutrition:

     • Staff Member Skoglund – Gearing up for the Thanksgiving holiday and prime rib meals. The sites that will be hosting the prime rib will have a maximum number of meals they can serve so make your reservation as soon as possible.

   • ADRC:

     • Member Leitel – Met at Envision for a presentation and looking at new laws.
     • Staff Member Skoglund – Many of the employees of Envision are now employees of Weld County.

   • Fraud Updates:

     • Staff Member Roper – As the holidays are coming up, please check the gift cards that you are purchasing to make sure they have not been tampered with. There are several credible online gift card shops that you can purchase from to get an actual card or an e-card.

   • Legislative & CCA:

     • Staff Member Skoglund – No updates currently. You can join the committees that were presented by Guest Burrows.
     • Vice-Chair Kress – Was not able to attend the special session but there is a presentation coming up on 10/27/25. Details will be sent out.

   • 50+ Art Show:

     • Chair Haffner – Met in October and reviewed the success of the event. Attendance was larger this year. Looking at ways of tracking attendance.
     • Member Sanchez – Looking at ways in which the judging took place.
     • Member Cure – Should be done by standards and not opinion.

   • Beyond 60

     • Staff Member Skoglund – Always in need of articles, recipes, etc. Recently had poems submitted by an acquaintance of Member Collins.

   • Monitoring, Oversight, Request for Proposal

     • Staff Member Skoglund – The State Unit on Aging (SUA) has requested information on Weld County AAA’s monitoring process of AAAs for FY 2025-26. All materials are due in January.

5. Board Participation Reports:

   • Vice-Chair Kress – Gone for Good is a great resource for junk removal. Dementia Together is hosting an event on 11/25/25. Neighbor to Neighbor is a great resource for finding home sharing opportunities for people 65 and older. Details to be sent to the Board.
6. General Agency Updates:
   • Staff Member Skoglund – Conducting final interviews for the Quality Assurance Specialist position.

   • Upcoming Events

     • Greeley/Weld Senior Foundation: TBA
     • 50+ Art Show: TBA
     • Senior Symposium: TBA
     • Project Connect: TBA
     • Caregiver Appreciation Day: TBA

7. Adjournment:

   • Motion to adjourn meeting.
   • All agreed.

8. Next meeting

   • Thursday, December 11, 2025, from 9am-11am