Members/Partners

Member Profiles


Tom Silvestri

Name: Paulette Parker

Title: Grant Program Officer

Company/Organization: Williamsburg Community Health Foundation

ODP Member Since: February 15, 2009

ODP Committee Affiliation: Community Readiness, Health & Long-term Care, Shared Database Research

Summarize your professional background relevant to Age Wave preparedness.

My career has been in healthcare policy, doing impact analysis and program development. Following grad school, I worked as a self-employed health policy consultant and then for local government in community services. Projects have included aging-specific strategic planning grounded in community data analysis and best practices research, conducting focus groups and key informant interviews. Research and analysis projects have been in the interest of evaluating and designing services for seniors that are forward-looking community-based. The practical application of research findings has been to work with seniors and the community at-large to elevate the tangible benefits of living and aging in the Historic Triangle.

What expertise or other strengths do you bring to the Older Dominion Partnership?

  • Oversight of Williamsburg Community Health Foundation’s aging-related grants, and analysis of applications for programs serving seniors.
  • Working to promote coordination, networking and synergy among the various community providers of senior services.
  • Memberships and coalition activities include: Grantmakers in Aging, Senior Services Coalition and its Steering Committee, Williamsburg Area Long-Term Care Coalition, Caregivers Coalition of the VDA, Peninsula Task Force on Aging, administration of the WCHF grant for No Wrong Door, and assisting with the development of the Community Action Plan on Aging in conjunction with the Center for Excellence in Aging and Geriatric Health.
  • Co-authoring and presenting research including, “Multi-Layer Analysis of Older Adults in Greater Williamsburg.”

What do you believe are the most pressing issues in Age Wave-preparedness in Virginia today?

Age Wave-preparedness is more pressing in the Historic Triangle than in any other part of Virginia. The current 60+ population state-wide is 13%; by contrast, the Historic Triangle will be at 22% by next year, and at 29% by 2020. (Source: VEC, 2008; Historic Triangle is Williamsburg, James City County and York County.) The Williamsburg Community Health Foundation is a thought-leader, convener and funder of the healthcare safety net as it pertains to seniors. Specific issues we address include strengthening access to community-based healthcare services for low-income and frail seniors, and preventive healthcare that will promote healthy lifestyles and increase the capacity of seniors to remain healthy and in their own homes. In addition, we are currently funding Caregiver Support, the development of a Community Action Plan on Aging, Home-Based Services for Low-Income Seniors, and in conjunction with the Virginia Department for the Aging and the Virginia Department of Health, No Wrong Door, a senior health IT initiative.

What advice do you have for age wave planning in Virginia?

The time is now, as illustrated by the fact that healthcare for seniors is already the core business of healthcare. Nationally, individuals 65 and over account for 50% of hospital visits, 85% of long-term care residents, and 90% of homecare patients.(Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2007 HHS) The Williamsburg Community Health Foundation is working in concert with entities in the public and private sectors to address the cost, quality and accessibility of healthcare for seniors. I support the Older Dominion Partnership’s plans to pursue these common objectives. Two key contributions of the ODP are promoting creative collaboration and raising public awareness of the importance and urgency of age wave planning.