Orange County NC Website
In addition, the dementia problem has been increasing with the population getting older, <br />The National Alzheimer's Association reports almost 50 percent of the 85+ population has <br />dementia or Alzheimer's disease. <br />The issues of the impaired older adults become even mare demanding with the recent <br />projection for Orange County's 65+ population to increase by 219 percent between 2000 <br />and 2020. <br />Maintaining the independence of impaired alder persons and their ability to live at home as long <br />as possible is an important County responsibility that the Department on Aging attempts to carry <br />out, <br />To address this M.A.P, goal with additional supportive services, the Department on Aging <br />sought and has received additional federal/state funds from the National Caregiver Support <br />Program. The Department of Aging has used these funds over the past two years to hire a <br />temporary eldercare social worker and most recently for a time limited appointment to help the <br />permanent Eldercare staff with service delivery. Annually, this eldercare social worker has <br />served over 70+ frail elderly clients and their caregivers, providing social work assessments of <br />clients for all Department on Aging services. The eldercare social worker has created, <br />implemented, and followed upon care plans; managed the eldercare information line one day <br />per week; coordinated client care with contract home health agencies and maintained records <br />and reports for in-home service delivery and federal/state reimbursements, <br />This additional eldercare social worker staff support has proven its benefit to the overall <br />success of the Eldercare Division, Attached is a mare specific list of the impacts of having this <br />additional staff. Board of Commissioners' action to authorize the permanent staffing request <br />will result in maintaining an additional qualified professional social worker to serve the elderly. <br />Offsetting Funding For the Position <br />The projected annual cost of the permanent part time Eldercare Manager position is $38.802 <br />(salary and benefits), There are offsetting grant funds of 26 374. The net additional annual <br />County cost is $12,428. <br />OPT Driver Position <br />Realigning the OPT Driver position to serve as Eldercare Manager would not have a negative <br />impact on the Orange Public Transportation (OPT) program. In 2003-04 OPT was not able to <br />renew its contract with the Head Start program for transportation of children. Head Start <br />decided instead to provide the funds to individual families rather than using local transit <br />services. With the loss of this contract, OPT had not filled the OPT Driver position, waiting for <br />new or additional contracts to increase ridership and cover the cost of Driver position. <br />The 2004-05 budget was prepared with the knowledge that the Head Start contract would not <br />be reinstated and that there were no additional contracts requiring that the OPT Driver position <br />be filled, Meanwhile, using the position in Eldercare Services would provide many positive <br />outcomes for the elderly citizens in the County. <br />FINANCIAL. IMPACT: Based on the proposed start date of October 1, 2004, the Manager's <br />Recommended Budget requested a net amount of $9,322 to fund the position for 2004-2005. <br />