From the Ground: Aging in Place   Aging in Place Program Coordinator Kayla Miller shares her vision for the program as Red Feather looks to support tribal elders living safely in their homes. Aging in Place is one of our newest programs, furthering Red Feather’s mission of meeting housing needs for people on the Hopi and Navajo Nations in the ways they define as most needed. After receiving seed funding from the Kendal Charitable Trust in 2018 to start providing more specific aging in place services, Red Feather’s elder-focused services have continually expanded. What has been the biggest success of the aging in place programs so far? The way we’ve been able to make the aging in place program work with our other, wide-reaching programs, like our APS weatherization program. Case-managers go to homes for weatherization audits which allows us to see what elders actually need. Not everyone needs all the aging in place items we offer. Some elders don’t have full showers so a shower chair might not work for them. Some desperately needs ramps while others are more affected by temperature extremes. Our case-management style of working with people, and going on audits to weatherize homes, allows us to actually meet people where they are and hear from them directly about what they need. Where would you like to see the program go? I would like to see more of in-home meeting with clients. With the new field positions based in Hopi and Navajo, we are hoping we will be able to increase the amount of people getting direct in-home audits. This allows us to just really see where elders are at on an individual level. I also want to see us advertising this program more, which is a work in progress. I think there are lots of elders out there that could benefit that we haven’t reached yet. I’ve heard from multiple people: “This is just what I needed, I didn’t even know you did this! Thank you so much!” So yes, we will be ramping up awareness of the program as we get more funding for aging in place kits. A lot of people are on disability or social security- so they go there first for resources, but these programs can’t always meet all their aging in place needs, and definitely can’t go into people’s homes like we do. Red Feather is a great resource for people so we just want to get the word out. What have you seen as far as the extent of the need for elder support and aging in place? How needed do you think these sorts of supports are? The need is definitely there. I hear things from clients like “I fell down the other day because I didn’t have anything to grip onto in my tub” or that they fell down their stairs because there wasn’t a railing. Elder falls is a high cause of admittance into a hospital, so we know that this is a huge need in the community. One client mentioned how something as simple as a toilet riser has made her life so much easier because her knees are really bad. These little things here and there make a big difference to people. She was so grateful for that and the other aging in place items we gave her. People are really, really grateful. What’s your favorite thing about working with people in this capacity? People on the reservation are really vocal about what they want and need. Which is great! Right now funding is limited so we can’t always give everyone who needs one a fully remodeled walk-in shower, but still, that meeting people one-on-one and getting to know them, that is what allows us to help make a home that works for them. One recipient had recently gone through hip surgery, and she had a really high bathtub – and the second I walked in the door she was right on it- showing me everything she needed and telling me what was going on with her. Her son helped her set up all the aging in place items we gave her. She was actually shocked that we provided her with all the items she needed. When I went back to see her she was just effusive and so grateful- and showed us everything set up in her home. I mean, that’s amazing to be able to see that change firsthand in someone’s life. Why does this work matter? With elders, especially Native American elders, they’re very home-based. For the most part the homes they are living in now are the homes they’ve always known. So if they aren’t able to move around or do things in their homes, they obviously get really down. Its demoralizing. With these kits for elders, we are able to help them age in place comfortably. They are in their own homes, they can do things for themselves. They are still a part of their communities. All our recipients so far have been so grateful. We can’t always honor all their requests, but we do the best we can. A lot of elders live alone. The peace of mind for the family knowing they are safer in their homes also matters a lot. The positive feedback shows how great this program is. These little things truly matter. What are your hopes and dreams for these initiatives? What would you love to provide for elders? Money for ADA accessible walk-in showers! These are expensive, but people need them. I have noticed a bigger interest in this along with wheelchairs and walkers too. These items are expensive. I would love to have funding for these bigger cost/bigger impact items. This would definitely provide a positive impact in the lives of our clients. Being able to create a healthy and safe home is our vision and we are hoping to expand our outreach. I can’t wait to see the program grow!  THE DONOR BILL OF RIGHTS
Red Feather Development Group values the support of our donors and respects the discretion and complexity of decisions regarding charitable giving. Our commitment is to provide donors with the options that best meet their charitable giving needs and abilities, as well as advance the mission of our organization. In accordance with the standards established by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Red Feather adheres strictly to the following Donor Bill of Rights, which states that a donor has the right: A) to be informed of Red Feather's mission, of the way the organization intends to use the donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes. B) to be informed of the identity of those serving on the Red Feather Development Group Board of Directors, and to expect the Board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities. C) to have access to Red Feather's most recent financial statements. D) to be assured their gifts will be used for the general purposes for which they were given. E) to receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition. F) to be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and, if requested, with confidentiality to the extent provided by law. G) to have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from Red Feather's mailing list. H) to feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.   "I want to share a story with everyone about the firewood program. We receive calls every day from people requesting firewood. Many are no less dire than this one: A woman called the office, desperately asking us to deliver firewood to her neighbor. He was burning his furniture because he was out of wood and would never ask for a hand-out.
He was elderly and physically unable to go out to gather, cut and split his own wood. The woman said she had reached out to other organizations for assistance with the situation but found that it was a problem finding any wood, even though many organizations had been trying to help with the firewood issue. This is not an uncommon story that we hear. I have heard of clients burning worse things than furniture. Some have burnt clothes, lumber, combustible debris or any other thing they can, just to stay warm for a few more hours. Of all the programs that are on my plate, it is this one that makes me take phone calls at any time of day, from 7:00 in the morning to 10:00 at night from clients and vendors. It is what makes me say, I will pay any price to get wood to people. It’s what makes me say, thank god that I am a part of this organization. It is the most tangibly good and direly needed program that this organization has asked me to participate in.” - Darleen Cortez Red Feather Program Coordinator  Eleanor is always smiling and has many stories to tell. She is quiet, reserved and prefers to speak in Navajo. While on home visits, she is very kind and doesn’t hesitate to teach Navajo words and phrases to our Red Feather Staff. Her home needed weatherization work and Aging in Place adaptations. Red Feather programs were able to install weather strips, seal gaps, caulk priority air leaks, install a heat pump, a smoke detector, a water saving faucet and 10 LED light bulbs as well as a mini-split for heat and AC. Prior to the mini split, she utilized a wood stove and had no AC. Thanks to the mini split, she can now turn on the AC or heat with the touch of a button. Eleanor also has mobility issues that make it hard for her to get around easily. Thanks to the Aging in Place program, she got a toilet riser, shower tub handrail, and a kit that includes an ice pack, night lights, non-slip rugs and a handheld shower head. These products aid elderly clients to comfortably get around their home. “I am very thankful for the work that has been done” Eleanor says. “The (minisplit) unit that was installed keeps my home nice and cool… I no longer get headaches from the heat, I feel a lot better”. Thank you to Red Feather Partner Cozyhome for their work on this project. “I am very thankful for the work that has been done” Eleanor says. “The (minisplit) unit that was installed keeps my home nice and cool… I no longer get headaches from the heat, I feel a lot better”.
It is important to recognize that Native communities were America’s first land stewards, holding a deeply interactive and impassioned connection to the natural world. Today, for a variety of reasons, we are now seeing unprecedented, large wildfires across the western United States as well as coordinated efforts to solve that problem. Thus, Red Feather’s collaborative effort to provide firewood to Native families in need is part of a holistic solution to reduce wildfire risks and restore some level of socio-ecological balance. As a housing organization, we could not stand idly by as families faced freezing to death, due to inadequate heating fuel. Recognizing that firewood alone is an imperfect solution to keeping families warm and healthy, we have continued to expand related aspects of our work, such as our retrofits and repairs of roofs, windows, and doors. We have also greatly expanded our heating system improvement program, which has included replacing older, inefficient potbelly-style stoves with modern EPA-certified, clean-burning devices. Additionally, we have installed more than 50 mini-split heat pumps, which produce zero emissions and have the added benefit of providing air conditioning--a growing necessity that few Native families have historically been able to enjoy. We are also installing solar heating furnaces as a supplemental heat source that improves air quality and reduces heating expenses. Our flexible, adaptive programming has allowed us to be quick and nimble during these unprecedented times. When the pandemic swept across Navajo and Hopi lands, we promptly responded by providing hand-washing stations to families without running water in hopes that improving access to hand hygiene would slow the spread of the virus. We have also been able to re-envision our educational classes by developing an on-line suite of videos and instruction materials. Now students can stream or watch DVDs that provide practical strategies for creating healthier living environments. To further advance this work, we are distributing customized, healthy home kits. These do-it-yourself kits can include items such as carbon monoxide and smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, chimney cleaning brushes, and aging-in-place items. The one constant in all these efforts is the generous trust that all of you place in us. Your continued support of our work allows Red Feather to keep evolving and supporting those in need. For that, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. With Gratitude,  Red Feather Executive Director Joe Seidenberg
July 2021 |
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WORKING WITH HOPI AND DINÉ
COMMUNITIES FOR HEALTHIER AND SAFER HOMES.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The Red Feather program office sits in an area that is sacred to over 14 local tribes, including the Diné, Hopi, Havasupai, Hualapai, Zuni, Pueblo, and Kaibab-Paiute peoples. Some of these nations are represented among the Red Feather staff, and some not. We humbly acknowledge this area’s Indigenous nations, original stewards and Native descendants who will forever know this place as home. We share a responsibility to recognize and acknowledge the people, cultures, and histories that make up our community. *Adapted from the Flagstaff City Council land acknowledgement developed by the Indigenous Commission
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