Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Presentations by the subcommittees were given on their priority issues and accepted. The <br />top five issues are as follows: (Attachment-Complete priority listing) <br />Well-Fit Older Adult Subcommittee: <br />1. Home-based Community Services <br />2. Community Assessments/Outcome Evaluation <br />3. Driver Safety (education/road conditions) <br />4. Access and Affordable Healthcare (including oral health) <br />5. Greater Budget Appropriations for a growing Aging Population <br />Disabled/Moderately Impaired Older Adult Subcommittee: <br />1, Lack of Mental Health Treatment (depression, etc,) <br />2. Isolation and Loneliness (25% of older adults live alone) <br />3. Lack of Case Management Services <br />4. Lack of Collaboration with Faith communities <br />5. Dementia (Increasing as the population becomes older) <br />Severely Impaired/Institutionalized Older Adult Subcommittee: <br />1, Quality of Life and Care Issues <br />2, Caregiver Support/ Work Force Issues <br />3. Education /Outreach <br />4. Person-directed Care <br />The Steering Committee also heard and approved a special Senior Friendly Community <br />Initiative to be part of the updated M.A,P, (Attachment) However, after discussion the <br />approved recommendation was broadened as follows: <br />Senior Friendly Community: Engage all departments of Orange County Government as <br />well as the broader community (Towns, Chambers, developers, etc.) in the process of <br />improving the infrastructure and services to meet the needs of moderately-impaired older <br />residents. <br />Due to a medical emergency of a participant requiring 911 first responders, the March 23rd <br />meeting was cut short and the agenda was not completed, However, the Steering Committee <br />held a special meeting on April 20, 2006 to complete the review of the four key areas (Housing, <br />Transportation, Information/Access, Community Transitional Care) that were identified as most <br />important that affect all alder adults and were not covered by the subcommittees, (Attachment) <br />As indicated in the special meeting minutes, some of the priority issues in these four areas <br />are: <br />Housing: <br />1. Need for affordable housing for seniors in central and north Orange <br />2, Property tax breaks or deferments for elderly to age in place <br />3. Need for support services in newly-planned senior communities, <br />4, Need for education/forums on how to "age in place" <br />5. Change regulations, covenants, zoning that prevent seniors to age in place <br />6. Need for community volunteers to help with home repairs and accommodate increased <br />disabled older persons, <br />