Ana Maria Mendieta, MD, selected to the
Area Agency on Aging District 7’s Board of Trustees

The Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. (AAA7) announces that Ana Maria Mendieta, MD, was elected to the AAA7 Board of Trustees. The AAA7 Board of Trustees is the 15-member governing body of the agency, which serves ten counties. The counties are Adams, Brown, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Scioto, and Vinton.

Dr. Mendieta earned her Medical Degree from Autonomous University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico. She completed her intern responsibilities at the Santisima Trinidad, Guadalajara, Mexico.

Dr. Mendieta was a Consultant Physician at the Instituto Mexicano De Seguaro Social in Guardalajara, Mexico. Dr. Mendieta has a strong background in many areas including medicine, research, sales, marketing, merchandising, new product introduction, order processing, report preparation, customer service and public relation. Presently she is pursuing a MBA/HCM from the University of Phoenix.

Over 40 million dollars flow through the Area Agency enabling southern Ohio’s older adults to “age-in-place” for as long as possible.

The Area Agency’s largest program by far is PASSPORT (Pre-Admission Screening System Providing Options and Resources Today). This popular program provides in-home services to older adults, age 60 and over, who medically qualify for nursing home placement and meet specific eligibility requirements. By arranging the most appropriate mix of services to add to the care provided by family members and friends, individuals are able to delay nursing home placement. AAA7 has a wide range of other services and program to complement the core mission of the agency, e.g., the National Family Caregiver Support Program which is designed to take care of those persons who care for others by helping them prepare to be a caregiver or offering information, referral, and assistance; AAA7’s Kinship Navigation Program established to work with grandparents raising grandchildren; and the Ryan White HIV/Aids Case Management Program which serves at-risk individuals with HIV/Aids in southern Ohio.

AAA7 offers a Service Coordination program in three sites around the district in which a staff person is assigned to apartment complexes to help older adult and disabled residents access the local resources and services they may need. Through AAA7’s Emergency Home Repair Program, actual home repair is provided through partnerships with the Ohio Department of Development and the office of USDA Rural Development to eligible older adults.

Pamela K. Matura, Executive Director for the Area Agency on Aging said, “The 21st century is bringing new challenges and opportunities. AAA7’s partner, the Ohio Department of Aging, has coined the motto, ‘Aging Is Everybody’s Business.’ The future is bright and we look forward to Dr. Mendieta’s contributions in our efforts to build on our strong foundations of partners as we work toward the Area Agency’s vision.”