Agenda - 05-04-2006-7a - Laserfiche WebLink

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i~ for this care and it nntst be provided. Barry Jacobs said that they will ask them for an update in six months, NOTE: Barry Jacobs announced that he has asked the County Manager to buy a defibrillator out of the County Commissioners' contingency fund for the Southern Human Services Center based on the medical emergency that occurred today. Jetry Passmore made reference to bed occupancy rate and said that they are full in the northern part of the County but not full in the southern pazt of the County, .Jill Passmore mentioned that there is a waiting list at Brookshire and because of their reputation; some of their residents are from out of County, Florence Soltys said that one of the problems with UNC Hospital is that the management making the referral to nursing homes are just sending people to wherever there is an empty bed and not really communicating with the family, This is a major problem, Jan Busby-Whitehead said that you get people who need to leave the hospital but need rehabilitation so you get people going to facilities away from home. We need more quality facilities so the hospital can be assured that the people they send will receive the care intended. She seriously thinks that something has to be done about long-tenn facilities that are grossly incompetent.. Maybe to solve this problem, the County and Utuversity need to form a partnership of some kind, In answer to a question from Ann Johnson, Florence Soltys said that the Department of Social Work was cut way back and now there is what is called care management that discharge people and sends them to where they have an open bed. Carol Gunther-Mohr said that they do have a social worker in the Acute Unit who meets with them on a daily basis to,jointly decide where to send people for rehabilitation. They should have a social worker for the aging unit. 3. Approve with a~ chances tl-e Subcommittees' Priori Issues All of flee reports were accepted as presented. 4. Consider Approval of the Senior Friendly Community Initiative A. Wlrat planning process/structure would help develop a more senior friendly community for 2006-10? .Deny Passmore said that this is basically saying that a plan needs to be developed to deal with the issue of Senior Friendly Communities. Carol Gunther-Mohr said that the real question is how we can engage all of the departments in County Government to determine if they are addressing the needs of the senior population. How can a mechanism be developed so that all the departments can look at creative ways to make our commmrities senior friendly. It is a leadership issue in part -looking 5-10 years ahead - in making system changes including infrastructure changes to make housing safe for al] ages, etc. She is not sure of the appropriate mechanism, Ann Johnson said that this effort needs to include businesses as well as all of County Government. Since this is a Master Aging Plan, she urged that one of the recommendations be that a special committee address ways in which Orange County cur achieve better Senior Friendly Communities. Jack Chestnut said that you can build Senior Friendly Commrmities, but there are already communities that can be made senior friendly. It may be the homeowners association that does it, It does not have to be just govenmlent, It could be churches, other organizations, etc. malting a conununity senior friendly. Yoco said that at the state level, they expanded the tens Senior Friendly Communities by adding the word "livable". It came out in committee meetings that in order for seniors to live well in a Page6of8