Council on Aging - Southern California
Helping Seniors Remain Health, Connected & Protected
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Aging Impacts Us All. The Council on Aging - Southern California was initially formed in 1973 as an independent 501(c)(3) to protect the lives of older adults who resided in long-term care facilities. Today, as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization we help seniors, disabled adults, and their caregivers who are trying to navigate the labyrinth of available public and private resources in a five county area of Southern California. For 49 years, our mission has been to promote the independence, health, and dignity of older adults through compassion, education, and advocacy. We utilize highly trained staff and over 400 volunteers to meet the increasing needs facing this vulnerable, under-served and growing minority population. On an annual basis we serve over 100,000 older adults and the family members who care for them.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Senior Protection Program/Financial Abuse Specialist Team (FAST)
The Financial Abuse Specialist Team (FAST) is part of our Senior Protection Program. FAST is a multi-disciplinary group of public and private professionals who meet on a monthly basis. They volunteer their time to advise Adult Protective Services (APS), the Ombudsmen, law enforcement and private attorneys on matters of adult financial abuse. The FAST also collaborates with legislative groups to create and strengthen laws to protect these at-risk adults. FAST also offers free community education on financial abuse as well as specialized training to any qualified group.
Financial elder abuse is a hidden and insidious crime. Public education and awareness is the key factor to bring this crime out into the open so predators can be convicted and punished.
ReConnect Socialization
The ReConnect program provides isolated adults and older adults opportunities to reintegrate into their community. We help participants incorporate healthy and meaningful activities into their regular lifestyles.ReConnect provides:A screening evaluation conducted by an intake specialist.Comprehensive in-home assessment administered by a case manager.Personalized socialization activities initiated by a case manager and trained volunteers.Involvement in support groups, educational trainings, skill development workshops, home visitations, and physical activities. The ReConnect program benefits isolated adults and older adults by:Providing good mental health.Offering a high degree of life satisfaction.Helping individuals live independently.Increasing involvement in the community.
HICAP
The Council on Aging’s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) offers unbiased individualized counseling, community outreach, and public education about Medicare and other related health insurance topics. HICAP counselors are state-registered staff and volunteers, trained to answer your health insurance questions free of charge.HICAP is part of the national network of State Health Insurance and Assistance Programs and funded in part by the California Department of Aging. This makes HICAP the most dependable source of unbiased, accurate, and up-to date Medicare-related information for Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Inyo and Mono County residents.
Long-Term Care Ombudsman
The Council on Aging's Ombudsman Program (Long-term Care Advocate) is a federally mandated program that ensures the rights of residents in long-term care facilities are respected.Ombudsmen empower and protect residents of skilled nursing homes, board and care homes, and assisted-living facilities. They provide the security of a caring advocate and assert the rights of a resident, particularly when a family member is not present.
Concierge Care Navigators
Aging Re-Imagined
Our Registered Nurse (RN) will meet with you and your loved one at home or on-site to conduct a comprehensive assessment. Our RN will create an online geriatric care plan, integrating medical record information and recommendations from physicians, family, and health care providers.
The geriatric care plan focuses on wellness, crisis prevention and keeping your loved one safely at home for as long as possible. The plan is HIPAA compliant and accessible online to all family members, facilitating well-being, independence, and peace of mind for all.
Creation of a comprehensive, online geriatric care plan, including medical and non-medical goals, based on recommendations from health care providers, family members, and our Registered Nurse.
SmileMakers Holiday Gift Program
SmileMakers Holiday Gift Program: Fulfilling Holiday Wishes for Older and Disabled Adults in Our Community
Our SmileMakers mobilize community support to provide holiday gifts to older and disabled adults in skilled nursing and residential care facilities every year.
Thousands of older adults are isolated and alone, having no family and friends with whom they can share special moments like the holidays.
Our SmileMakers coordinate with our Ombudsmen to provide individually wrapped gifts to thousands of long-term care residents who would otherwise be forgotten.
Where we work
Awards
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Average number of service recipients per month
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Economically disadvantaged people, Veterans, Retired people, Unemployed people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
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?
We are in the process of updating our 3-year Strategic Plan for FY 2020-2023 with our leadership team and Board of Directors. Our plan includes clear financial, marketing and programmatic goals to support future organizational growth and meet the needs of our burgeoning senior population.
We have identified 5 key goals in our 3-year Strategic Plan:
1. Expand Communications and Outreach to Build Market Awareness
2. Increase our Fundraising Results to Diversify Funding Sources
3. Expand Volunteer Recruitment to Support all Programs
4. Expand Board Development, Succession Planning and Leadership to Support Fundraising and Governance Needs
5. Enhance Financial Management Capability to Support Enlarged Service Area
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Communications and Outreach - Short Term: We launched our new website in May 2018 highlights our new brand as well as our complete program offerings, utilizing an ADA compliant format. It includes multi-cultural and multi-generational imagery and describes how we support multiple languages in our programs and services. It also enables users to access our multi-lingual program flyers that describe our services. The website is mobile-ready accommodate the needs all seniors, but particularly the low-income, under-served who utilize mobile phones for information and access.
Long Term: Our site is regularly updated to include our most current information, class schedules, fundraising events and volunteer opportunities as well as provide access to the current online version of our Answers Guide. We are also expanding our market awareness through expanded presence on social media platforms, leveraging engaging content and COASC website links that will be shared by viewers who visit our sites regularly.
Volunteer Recruitment - Short term: With our expansion into the Inland Empire (IE) beginning in July 2012 and again in September 2017, our need for IE volunteers is greater than ever before. Unfortunately, funding to support additional identification and training of new volunteers is very limited. Our challenge is to build awareness of the importance of our programs with local supporters in the IE to secure community and grant support as well as identify volunteers. In the mid to late 2017, we began to utilize Spanish language radio to build awareness of the benefits of our HICAP program as well as our need for volunteers. The investment drove enhanced participation in our Medicare annual enrollment clinics coupled with interested from many high-caliber volunteer candidates for our training class. Accordingly, we plan to test the effectiveness of Spanish language radio to recruit volunteers for our Ombudsman program as well.
Long term: Following the receipt of local funding for recruitment and training, we plan to expand our Ombudsman team comprised of 7 staff members and 14 volunteers with 3 additional staff members and 40 additional volunteers over a 3-year period. Within a 5-year period of increased staff and volunteers, we intend to improve the performance of Riverside Ombudsman Program to begin to mirror the performance of our well-respected program in OC.
Additionally, we will also expand our SmileMakers program in Riverside County to broaden awareness of the Ombudsman program and the plight of forgotten seniors in long-term care. We have been successful in leveraging the work of our SmileMakers and Ombudsman Programs in our annual fundraising event, “An Evening of Comedy." We would like to duplicate this model on a smaller scale as we begin to initiate fundraising efforts in Riverside County, with a specific emphasis on the Coachella Valley.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The results of our SWOT analysis underscored market awareness and fundraising as our two most urgent priorities in the next one to two years. These priorities function in tandem. As we build more awareness and impact more seniors, more community members will become engaged in our mission, providing financial and often, volunteer support for our work.
With the addition of our new Development and Community Outreach Director, we have created a new 3-year development plan that expands our donor base through mass-market events, targeted direct mail appeals and major donor cultivation. A key component of the plan is to recruit and expand our Board with 9 new members over the next 3 years. We intend to augment our diverse board with key leaders to ensure that our Board of Directors continues to reflect the multi-cultural communities that we serve, including women, who represent the majority of the older, frail and isolated adults in our service area.
As a volunteer driven organization, the recruitment and retention of long-term volunteers is critical. Yet with limited marketing budgets, our ability to recruit highly qualified volunteers willing to complete the training and state certification processes for our two largest programs is compromised. We are committed to finding new ways to continue our outreach efforts for volunteers via press coverage, fundraising events, health fairs and senior center communications, coupled with extensive use of social media, our website and other low-cost marketing efforts, including our Answers resource guide.
As our organization has grown, so has our need for ensuring our finance organization is staffed with individuals capable of managing the complexities of multiple government contracts and an array of funding sources. Accordingly, we need to assess if we are utilizing the best financial management tools and processes to ensure we are well positioned for today and the future. We have made significant strides in this area, yet it is critical we continually evaluate this area for opportunities for improvement.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2020/21, COASC served over 100,000 older adults and their caregivers with a broad array of free programs and services. We accomplish this on a budget of 7.4M. We operate cost effectively, and are proud that 88% of every dollar spent directly supports programs and services.
With the impact of COVID-19 we managed to pivot our operations in 3 days with our 85 staff members and over 400 volunteers. We made calls and virtual visits to 10,836 residents in long-term care facilities to check on the residents, investigate their complaints and ensure that their dignity was being maintained. In the process, we investigated 1,236 cases of abuse, ranging from verbal abuse to financial or physical abuse. Abuse cases are referred to APS or local law enforcement and the California State Department of Licensing is also notified. '
With the addition of the Riverside County Ombudsman Program in September 2017, we are now serving 15,000 more residents of long-term care facilities, bringing our total number of older adults served to 100,000 in our 5 county service area.
Due to COVID 19 during 2020/21 we virtually counseled 10,682 Medicare and/or Medi-Cal beneficiaries providing them with information and resources to help them maximize their benefits and minimize their costs. As a result, we generated a potential total savings of $3.3 million or an average savings of $305 per beneficiary. We also process 4,367 applications to help low-income seniors qualify for reduced healthcare premiums and prescription drug costs.
We provided 3,864 referrals to needed resources to low-income isolated older adults.
Our Friendly Visitor Volunteers supported local low-income isolated adults with 4,971 hours of virtual home visitation, phone calls and support.
We distributed free digital copies of our 119 page Answers resource guide to the community to help seniors and family caregivers more effectively navigate the aging process. Most of our readership, which averages over 75,000 annually, keep Answers all year long as a resource guide for information on healthcare, caregiving, financial and legal concerns, local resources, checklists and Medicare Comparison Charts.
We provided 4,687 seniors with information on how to protect themselves from the ravages of financial elder abuse.
We concluded the calendar year 2021 with our SmileMakers Holiday Gift Project. Thanks to the help of over 70 local companies and over 664 volunteers contributing 1,576 hours, we collected, wrapped and delivered 4,923 holiday gifts to low-income seniors who would otherwise have been forgotten at the holiday season. These gifts range from sweat suits to lap blankets and each one helps the senior remember they are still important members of our community.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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.
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.
Council on Aging - Southern California
Board of directorsas of 06/07/2023
Mr. Daryl YeeLitt
Retired
Term: 2016 -
Harry Barth
BarthCalderon, LLP
Ken Cornelison
Retired
Dan Holtz
Sovereign Lending Group, Inc.
Linda Hughes
President Hughes & Assoc. Vistage Chair
Kaaren Hall
uDirect Financial Services
Pamela Jung
Workforce Solutions Group
Madhu Vijay
Aviation Capital Group
Anthony Grigoriou
SDC Technologies
Phong Luu
Covington Capital Management
Daryl YeeLitt
Retired Aerospace Executive
Jason Amansec
Ceridian
Karen Clark
Community Volunteer
Fred Randall Jr.
Corporate Lawyer
Ramin Mousavi
CEO Cathworks
Michelle Jordan
Jordan LLC
Daron Amick
VP Sales
Howard Grrenbaum
Regional Mgr.
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
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 06/07/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.