VANTAGE Aging
Promoting a Positive Perspective on Aging
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
VANTAGE Aging is seeking to address the challenges faced by an ever growing older population wishing to remain independent and successfully age-in-place. With an integrated approach to care, we help the most marginalized population, low-income older adults, and their families, who are seeking services to help them age with dignity. Our largest program is Workforce Solutions, which operates the Senior Community Service Employment Program in 38 Ohio Counties. The program provides paid, on-the-job training to adults age 55 and older so they may eventually obtain unsubsidized employment. Our fastest growing programs are those address the health and wellness of older adults in Summit County. Our Meals on Wheels and Home Wellness Solutions programs provides in-home care to the aging and disabled who are homebound. With the increasing use of opiate use disorders, our Behavioral Health Solutions treats adults 50 and older. RSVP provides older adults with volunteer opportunities.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Behavioral Health Solutions
Behavioral Health Solutions provides an integrated addiction, treatment, and prevention service to adults age 50+ that face the challenges of mental health, alcohol, and other drug problems. Our team of licensed helping professionals focuses on providing integrated services to provide a continuum of care, addressing physical, mental, and socio-economic aspects on an individual's health.
Meals on Wheels of Northeast Ohio
Supporting the nutritional needs of older adults, the homebound and disabled, our program offers the opportunity for people to select their own meals for home delivery and a wellness check. The program is designed to be part of our integrated care continuum and provides access to other programs offered by VANTAGE Aging.
Workforce Solutions
Employment and Training Solutions provides employment counseling, job training, and job placement services in 38 counties in Ohio. Operating the Senior Community Service Employment Program, we promote the economic self-sufficiency of older adults age 55 and older by providing paid, part-time job training in community service assignments.
Home Wellness Solutions
Home health aides provide non-medical, hands-on care for frail and elderly people. Homecare provides help to older adults by performing tasks such as housekeeping, personal care, meal prep, laundry, shopping and heavy cleaning tasks. Additional assistance in wellness programming, including fall-risk assessment and prevention training is also provided to promote healthier independence amongst seniors.
RSVP of Summit and Medina Counties
The RSVP Volunteer program of Summit & Medina counties connects volunteers age 55 and over with more than 60 agencies and organizations.
Where we work
Awards
Mature Services, Inc. and RSVP's Inese Alvarez honored at Akron Public Schools Volunteer Banquet 2011
Akrol Public Schools
ADM Board honor former Homecare Director Suzanee Rymer at the Appreciation Luncheon 2010
County of Summit ADM Board
Senior Employment Center honored during Goodwill's "Celebration of Champions" 2010
Goodwill
Kathleen McLauglin & Don Zirkle in recogntion for their participation and assistance in staging the Ohio National Guard's first Returning Heroes Job Fair 2009
1-145th Armor Regiment, Stow, Ohio
Department of Labor's Frontline Champions Award 2011
Department of Labor
Affiliations & memberships
United Way Member Agency 1980
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of employment placements defined as part-time (less than 35 hours per week)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors
Related Program
Workforce Solutions
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of trainees in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) provided paid experience at non-profit and government agencies.
Number of groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors
Related Program
Behavioral Health Solutions
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The number of older adults receiving professional evaluations of prescription medications via our Brown Bag Program. Helps to support people's ability to be self-managed and independent while aging.
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors
Related Program
RSVP of Summit and Medina Counties
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Studies show that there are positive health benefits linked to volunteerism, including a reduction in mortality, increases in physical function, muscular strength, and levels of self-rated health.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors
Related Program
Meals on Wheels of Northeast Ohio
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of homebound and/or disabled clients receiving nutritional support with home delivered meals.
Number of people aged 65+ receiving home care
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors
Related Program
Home Wellness Solutions
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Older adults received over 24,719 hours of cleaning and chore assistance, enabling them to remain in their own environment longer.
Number of older adults and/or hours provided of behavioral health services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors
Related Program
Behavioral Health Solutions
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Provided addiction services for alcohol and substance abuse in our treatment and prevention programs.*2015 is number of clients, remainder is number of hours of individual treatment provided.
Number of older adults participating in the Farmer's Market Voucher Program
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors
Related Program
Meals on Wheels of Northeast Ohio
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Providing access to fresh produce during the summer months, giving a boost to the local farming economy and improving the chances that older adults will eat the food provided to them.
Number of non-profits benefitting from RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Seniors
Related Program
RSVP of Summit and Medina Counties
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The RSVP program provides services to nonprofit host agencies in Summit and Medina Counties. The primary goal was to assist with obesity programs in children and hunger-based issues.
Number of home-delivered meals being delivered to older adults each year
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors
Related Program
Meals on Wheels of Northeast Ohio
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Nutritionally balanced meals were delivered to home bound older adults. Meal provision helps to reduce hospital and nursing home admissions due to health issues relating to poor diet.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The aging population is growing both in numbers and in the complexity of their needs and expectations. Our longstanding reputation as experts in the field of assisting older adults to maintain independence and our success in adapting to change enables our strategy to serve the needs of the whole older population.
Our goal at VANTAGE Aging is to provide older adults with solutions to help them age at home with the greatest degree of dignity, independence, and health possible. By providing Medicaid Diversion programs and resources, we offer clients the opportunity to obtain employment, volunteer in the community to stay active, receive nutritious meals, obtain assistance with mental health and substance abuse challenges, and in-home assistance, including personal care and chore services. By providing so many options, we provide not only direct support to clients, but also serve as a resource to caregivers and families.
Additional goals as stated in our strategic plan include:
-Provide excellent service to achieve positive outcomes for more people.
-Diversify funding to ensure we maintain the best staff and administer the best programs.
-Practice continuous improvement in the best interest of our employees and the people we serve.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
VANTAGE Aging will fulfill its mission to provide high-quality programs to empower the economic, social, physical, and mental well-being of adults as they age by acting as an umbrella organization. We will serve the holistic needs of older adults through:
-Workforce Solutions: assessing, training, and assisting in securing employment to maintain financial independence
-Addiction treatment, prevention, recovery support and mental health counseling through Behavioral Health Solutions.
-Home Wellness Solutions: Home care and support services to help people stay independent in their own homes
-Meals on Wheels: To meet individual's needs both in the home and through congregate meal sites access to an emergency food supply.
-Volunteer opportunities through the nationally recognized RSVP to connect older adults with opportunities to stay active and make a difference in their communities.
We will also continue to identify social enterprise models to help build our financial sustainability to increase services provided to the increasing number of older adults aging in the communities we serve.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
VANTAGE Aging maintains key abilities to manage its resources, meet the growing need for services to assist older adults in remaining independent in their own homes, and differentiate ourselves by offering services unique to the audience we serve and collaborating with community stakeholders when feasible.
We are guided in our work by our values, the people we serve, our partners, funders, and the community-at-large. We are responsible stewards of our resources, seeking to carefully achieve our mission while developing capacity and self-reliance for long-term sustainability through the development of social-enterprise models to diversify funding.
We are accountable for fulfilling regulations, commitments, and obligations. VANTAGE Aging holds itself to the highest standards of client confidentiality, operational transparency, and sound fiscal management. We respect each other and the people we serve by speaking and acting in ways that build trust and uphold the dignity and well-being of others.
VANTAGE Aging stays on top of changing trends and regularly assesses the needs in our field and the community and people we serve. We are open to innovation, learning, and change to stay relevant and resilient.
We are compassionate and empathetic to the needs of others. Regardless of difficulties or challenges, we see the person first and then determine the best way to help them.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
VANTAGE Aging managed its community impact for 2016 as follows:
Behavioral Health Solutions provided 4,378 hours of group therapy and 770 hours of individual treament to support older adult's ability to be self-managed and independent longer. Our program promotes personal control over daily life and delays or eliminates relocation to institutional environments.
Home Wellness Solutions provided 15,162 hours of home health aide services and 4,751 hours of home maker services were provided for 573 customers. 583 hours of case managemetn services were provided and 305 nurse visits focused on self-sufficiency and wellness, including fall prevention, working to make home environments safe and reduce hospital visits as a result of falling.
Meals on Wheels delivered 264,878 meals to 7,753 homebound clients. Our congregate dining site served 31,182 meals. We distributed Farmer's Market Vouchers to 682 residents in Summit County, 276 in Stark, and 110 in Wayne for the SNAP Farmer's Market. This provided older adults with access to fresh, locally grown produce. By providing proper nutrition, older adults will reduce hospital and nursing home admissions due to health issues relating to poor diet and preventing an increase in costs to Medicare and Medicaid. By offering choice to clients via our custom menus and Choice Pantry, clients are more likely to eat the food provided to them to improve personal health.
Through RSVP, 158 volunteers provided 18,690 hours of volunteerism to 16 non-profits in Summit and Medina Counties. Positive health benefits linked to volunteerism include a reduction in mortality, increases in physical function, muscular strength, and levels of self-rated health. Volunteering also reduces symptoms of depression and an increase in life-expectancy which improves health outcomes and cost savings. By providing volunteer efforts to local non-profits, social outreach was expanded at a lower cost and higher rate of effectiveness.
In 2017, the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) connected 185 people to permanent employment while another 13,432 people utilized various resource rooms across our service area. An additonal 1,097 older workers received 17,588 hours of work training, providing nonprofit partners with 639,767 hours of services.
We are working to identify new ways to measure our success and opportunities to improve upon the services provided. We are increasing the number of collaborations we have among community stakeholders and seeking to diversify our funding to reduce grant dependency. Opportunities to expand our social enterprise models still exist.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
VANTAGE Aging
Board of directorsas of 08/06/2021
Mr. Melinda Smith Yeargin
Attorney at Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLC
Term: 2018 - 2020
Leann Schaeffer, MA, RD, LD, LNHA
University of Akron
Term: 2018 - 2020
Harvey Sterns
The University of Akron
Lee Walko
Brennan, Manna & Diamond LLC
Cynthia P Bayer
Summa Health System
Kimberly Ray
PNC Bank
Amy Marsteller
Akron Metropolitan Housing
Niki Walker
Summit County Probate Court
David Ionno
PNC Investments
Alexis Winter
AMW Consulting
LaToya Wells
Community Advocate
Lisa King
Summit Metro Parks
Mary Brackle
Cleveland Clinic Akron General
Sharon Ennis
KPMG
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes