2008 n4a Aging Innovations and Achievement Awards – Call for Submissions

Sponsored by Critical Signal Technologies

About the Awards

The 2008 n4a Aging Innovations and Aging Achievement Awards will once again showcase groundbreaking and successful Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and Title VI Native American aging programs that are innovative, demonstrate sound management practices and can be replicated by the Aging Network. We are pleased that Critical Signal Technologies (CST) will again sponsor this important program. And, for the first time a cash award of $1,000, $1,500, and $2,500 will be given to the top three winners of Aging Innovations Awards.

This is your chance to let your light shine and let others see the terrific work your agency is doing. Not only can you gain recognition for your agency’s innovative programs, but you help share great ideas with other aging network programs. It’s a win-win program, so please start preparing your application today!

Launched in 2005, the annual Aging Innovations and Aging Achievement Awards honor and recognize programs in 18 categories, including caregiving, collaboration/partnership, ethnic and cultural diversity, healthy aging, home and community-based care, intergenerational programs, prescription drug assistance and volunteerism.

The application process is described below. Nominations are due on Friday, May 16, 2008. The award selections will be announced in June.

Those programs that meet all of the award eligibility criteria receive Aging Achievement Awards. Aging Innovations Awards are presented to honor the highest-ranking programs as determined by a panel of reviewers representing n4a’s Board of Directors.

Recognition

Certificates will be provided to those organizations that receive the Aging Achievement Awards. Recipients of the Aging Innovations Awards will receive engraved awards. While there may be multiple Aging Achievement Award recipients in any single program category, only those agencies that are the most innovative and cutting-edge will be presented with the Aging Innovations Award.

Awards and certificates will be presented at the n4a Annual Conference, which will be held July 20-July 23, 2008, in Nashville, TN. All agencies that receive Aging Innovations Awards and selected representatives from agencies receiving Aging Achievement Awards will be invited to participate in an Aging Innovations Showcase at the conference. If a representative from the AAA or Title VI Native American aging program is unable to attend the n4a Annual Conference, the awards and certificates will be mailed to the agency following the conference. All award winners will receive a draft press release that can be customized for distribution to local media.

The award-winning programs will be profiled in a 2008 n4a Aging Innovations and Achievement Awards guide. The publication will be disseminated widely to n4a members, national aging organizations, select Members of Congress and others to provide insights into the quality programs that AAAs and Title VI Native American aging programs have developed to improve services for their clients – older adults and their caregivers. Program recipients of the 2008 awards will also be featured in the Best Practices Clearinghouse on the n4a website.

Eligibility

Agency Eligibility

Only AAAs and Title VI Native American aging programs that are currently n4a members are eligible to submit applications, but agencies should limit their submissions to one per category. (Note: The awards recognize agencies, not individuals.)

Program Eligibility

To qualify, programs must meet all of the following criteria:

1. The program must have been operational for a minimum of one year.
2. The agency must have played a substantial role in developing and implementing the program with only limited assistance from outside technical experts and/or consultants.
3. The program must address one or more of the following features:
   • Offers a new service, significantly improves an existing service, fills gaps in the availability of existing services or taps new revenue streams;
   • Enhances the cost-effectiveness of an existing service;
   • Enhances public understanding of and/or participation in the program;
   • Engages older adults and caregivers in public policymaking and advocacy; and/or
   • Promotes intergovernmental, public-private or community-based collaboration to address key issues facing the community.
4. If the program was created in response to a federal or state law, regulation or order, it must go beyond mere compliance and demonstrate a creative approach to meeting those requirements.
5. The program must have produced measurable results, e.g., cost savings, improved client service, and/or enhanced staff productivity.
6. The program must be innovative and not rely on practices and approaches that are common in most AAAs and Native American aging programs.

Applications may not be submitted for programs that:

• rely solely on certification or accreditation criteria;
• are adopted, whole or in part, from another public or private entity; or
• involve a single event or activity relating to the agency’s general operations, e.g., purchase/utilization of new technology/equipment, construction of a building, hosting of a conference, formation of a task force or committee, privatization/contracting out a function, or the application of targeted federal or state funds.

Application Process

Please complete the online application form and address all six of the above program elements. Incomplete application forms will be disqualified.

Program Categories: Please choose one category below for each application submitted and note it on the application form. The selection of a program category should be determined by the program’s substance, not by the department that submits the application. For example, an intergenerational, school-based computer literacy program should be placed in the “Intergenerational Program” category rather than in the “Information Technology” category.

Program Categories:

Note that the “You Name It!” category is for those programs that do not seem to fit into any other categories. Feel free to name your own category if your program does not fit neatly into the other designations.

1. Caregiving
2. Collaboration/Partnership
3. Community Planning
4. Emergency Preparedness
5. Ethnic and Cultural Diversity
6. Healthy Aging
7. Home/Community-Based Care
8. Housing
9. Information & Referral
10. Information Technology

11. Intergenerational Programs
12. Meal Services
13. Medicaid Waiver
14. Medicare Prescription Drug
15. Senior Employment
16. Transportation
17. Volunteerism/Civic Engagement
18. You Name It! (create your own category)

Program Summary

The program summary must:

• Be limited to no more than five double-spaced, one-sided printed pages, using a font size of 11 or 12.
• Be clear and concise so that the objectives and merits of the program are easily understood.
• Include the agency and program names at the top of each numbered page.

Your Contact Information

The person named on the application form should be the primary program contact. All n4a communication will be directed to this individual. It is therefore critical that this staff member be knowledgeable about the program should questions arise about the application.

These individuals will be notified in June regarding the reviewers’ decision on the application. If a nominated program is selected for either an Aging Innovations Award or Aging Achievement Award, the agency director will also be notified.

Application Submission

One copy of the application form and program summary must be submitted for each nominated program. Please keep a copy of your application materials since they will not be returned.

Online: www.n4a.org/agingawards

Email: AgingAwards@n4a.org

Mail: Download application
Helen Eltzeroth/Aging Awards
n4a
1730 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W., Suite 1200
Washington, D.C. 20036

Deadline

Applications must be received by n4a by Friday, May 16, 2008, to be eligible for consideration.

Questions??

Contact Helen Eltzeroth at 202-872-0888 or heltzeroth@n4a.org