Aging Board minutes 030910 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Chair announced that the Board of County Commissioners received the Master Aging Plan (MAP) update at its March 2 meeting. The BOCC also approved the naming of the Adult Day Health Program in honor of Florence Soltys. A formal BOCC resolution stating this action will be presented at a future Commissioner meeting (possibly April 6) and the Soltys family will be invited to attend. Mary Frazier asked that the UNC School of Social Work be notified when the resolution is presented. Heather Altman added that Senior Care, Inc. will most probably hold a reception as part of the dedication. Returning to the Master Aging Plan, Jerry Passmore reported that Commissioner Jacobs asked for a report on services delivered by the two senior centers in the future. The Commissioners wanted for information about the Homestead Exemption Act and the marriage penalty. Commissioner Yuhasz reported that the Board of County Commissioners is continuing its review of all advisory boards. The Commissioners are considering no longer serving on advisory boards. Instead, reports will be made to the Commissioners periodically on each advisory boards’ activity. He added that advisory boards will be asked to review their role and function and invited the Aging Board members to submit comments. The Commissioner speculated that the entire review process may take a year to complete. The Chair reviewed the Advisory Board on Aging subcommittees that are currently being suggested for establishment: Legislation/Advocacy and Planning/Coordination. Heather Altman asked if some committees would function year-round while others would be short-term (task force). The Chair asked Jerry Passmore to further define the workload of the Legislation/Advocacy Subcommittee. Discussion followed on this subcommittee’s efforts during the past year and the focus for the future. Joan Pellettier suggested that subcommittees could include membership from outside the Advisory Board. The Chair asked if the Advisory Board should review its overall charge prior to considering the new subcommittee structure. Leo Allison questioned the time commitment involved in membership on the subcommittees. Mr. Passmore offered to provide the members copies of the ordinance and by-laws and resume the discussion at the next meeting. The Chair asked him to summarize the function of the Planning/Coordination Subcommittee. He noted that the Aging and Disabilities Resource Council initiative will have a major impact on the role of the Department on Aging in the future. By consensus, the discussion on subcommittees was tabled until the next meeting. Heather Altman reported on her recent attendance at a National Aging and Disability Resource Center Conference in Washington, D.C. She noted that North Carolina has chosen the ‘no wrong door’ model, referred to as Community Resource Connections and Orange/Chatham has received funding for person-centered hospital discharge planning funding. The complexity of merging aging and disability resources and services is a national issue. Fred Schroeder asked who initiated this effort to merge aging, disability, Medicaid and mental health services. Ms. Altman stated that this is a federal initiative. The Orange/Chatham CRC has established a website and meets monthly to develop protocols for sharing information and streamlining the referral process. The Chair asked Page 2 of 3