EP36: Policy Lessons from COVID with Lieke van Heumen, PhD & Samantha Koehler, MSW, MPH

<p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Policy Lessons from COVID</span></em></p> <p><strong><em>“Nursing home residents need access to technology to speak to their loved ones.”</em></strong><span style= "font-weight: 400;">— Lieke van Heumen, PhD</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">2019-2020 Health and Aging Policy Fellow</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Responding to COVID-10 required the Aging Services Network to become even more creative in responding to the constraints the pandemic put on service delivery.  They now feel much more prepared to deal with the challenges that a pandemic brings. Even if there are new lockdowns, they can use the experiences 2020 required to continue to serve seniors. In this week’s episode, we are joined by Lieke van Heumen and Samantha Koehler.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We'll learn about:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Challenges for the Aging Services Network</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Nutrition and Social Isolation</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Policy Solutions</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Lieke’s Next Steps in her Career after completing the Health and Aging Policy Fellowship</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>Part One of ‘Policy Lessons from COVID with Lieke van Heumen and Samantha Koehler’</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Aging Services Network consists of the agencies, programs, and activities supported by the</span> <a href= "https://acl.gov/about-acl/authorizing-statutes/older-americans-act"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Older Americans Act</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">that help older adults who live in the community be healthy and have the social engagement they need. Some states only have a state unit on aging; they don't have an Area Agency on Aging in each county. If you are unsure if your county has an Area Agenc