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V. Review of Input from Advisory BoardslCommissions <br />Adult Care Home Advisory Committee <br />Cherie Rosemond, Chair of the Adult Care Home Advisory Committee, introduced <br />members of the Advisory Committee that were in attendance. She said that the Committee's <br />charge is to protect the rights of residents in the facility, to advocate far improved care, and to do <br />community outreach and education. She explained that an adult care home is different today than <br />five years ago. Today, because of changes in the health care reimbursement system and because <br />of the growing number of older adults with chronic conditions, the residents in these facilities <br />resemble the residents of the nursing homes five years ago. There are three natural categories of <br />adult care homes. The first category is family care homes, which are homes with six or less <br />residents. The County has lost 50% of the family care homes during the last five years. There is a <br />moratorium at the state level for any additional adult care home beds. She asked the County <br />Commissioners to support efforts to increase the number of family care homes in the County. The <br />second category is small rest homes. The County has two smaller rest homes that are full with a <br />waiting list, and are struggling with minimal resources. She asked that the County Commissioners <br />find ways to support these smaller homes. The third category is the larger homes in the County. <br />County funds support residents who are on Medicaid. The Committee's concerns are the most <br />grave in the category of these larger homes. She explained some of the issues that the committee <br />has seen over the last year. She reviewed what the Committee was asking the Board to help with: <br />a waiver of the certificate of need for family care home beds, help with the smaller homes, and <br />sponsor the Committee to put together a round table group to get these issues out on the table. <br />Chair Carey asked the Adult Care Home Advisory Committee to make recommendations on <br />how the County Commissioners could support smaller family care homes. <br />Commissioner Brown serves as the liaison member on this committee. She asked about <br />the statewide moratorium and Cherie Rosemond distributed information about this moratorium. <br />She suggested giving a list of concerns for the smaller rest homes to the Manager. She asked <br />about the committee that was formed in the legislature to address these issues. <br />Cherie Rosemond said that an act to reform long-term care was passed last session. <br />These pieces of legislation went into affect in January 2000. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that this issue would fit in well with the subcommittees that <br />Commissioner Jacobs presented. He asked Commissioner Brown to pull together a subcommittee <br />to deal with some of these issues and move quickly. <br />Commissioner Brown mentioned three things that the Adult Care Home Advisory <br />Committee is implementing: 1) put the ratings of the homes on the Orange County web page; 2} <br />have meetings with the Board of Health to bring them up to speed on these issues and coordinate <br />inspections of these facilities; and 3) have meetings with the Social Services Board. <br />John Link volunteered to work with the Adult Care Home Advisory Committee. He feels <br />that maybe the County needs to take back some responsibility in this area. <br />Cherie Rosemond said that the Committee is in need of administrative help in getting <br />information on the web and taking meeting minutes. <br />Commissioner Brown suggested making the adult care homes a goal under human <br />services to monitor this item. <br />Becky Bradley, Co-chair of the Nursing Hame Advisory Committee, said that they would like <br />to form a roundtable including the Ombudsmen, a representative from the Department on Aging, <br />and all of the nursing home administrators. The Nursing Home Advisory Committee would also like <br />to involve one or two County Commissioners in the discussions. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that there is a certain amount of denial from everyone that <br />these horrible things are happening in adult care homes. She feels that it is important to overcome <br />this denial. <br />Advisory Board on Aginq <br />