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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil on Aging-Disabilities 01-20-05 ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Clarence (Buck) Malick, Chairman St. Croix County Board FROM: Ralph Bader, Chairman COMMITTEE TITLE: Council on Aging DATE: Thursday, January 20, 2005 TIME: 8:30 a.m. LOCATION: County Board Room CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETING: Thursday, March 17" ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES INTRODUCTIONS UNFINISHED BUSINESS: NEW BUSINESS: Upcoming Events Introduction of new director AgeAdvantAge Report - Bob Kellerman AFCSP Funds Staff Reports Site /Center Updates ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order) SUBMITTED BY: Sandy Gehrmann DATE: Thursday, January 6, 2005 COPIES TO: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE COUNTY CLERK NEWS MEDIA /NOTICE BOARD COMMITTEE MEMBERS x COUNCIL ON AGING MEETING January 20, 2005 St. Croix County Government Center CALL TO ORDER Council Chairman Ralph Bader, called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. ROLL CALL Members present were: Gerald Peterson, Irene Burch, Ralph Bader, Richard (Buzz) Marzolf, John Mortensen, Alice Mullan, Carolyn Weisenburger, Richard Peterson and Jeanette O'Connell. Also present were: Sandy Gehrmann, Tracy Davis, Renea Aeschliman, Robert Kellerman, Gladys Ellefson, Sylvia Heller, Shirley Marlette, Julie Hillstead, Diana Fern, Bette Norman, and Bob Jacobson. Excused Esther Koosman. ADOPTION OF AGENDA A motion was made by John Mortensen and seconded by Jeannette O'Connell to adopt the agenda as printed; motion carried. DATE OF NEXT MEETING The next meeting will be held on Thursday, March 17, 2005. ACTION OF PREVIOUS MINUTES A motion was made by Richard Marzolf and seconded by John Mortensen to approve the minutes; motion carried. UNFINISHED BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS: Upcoming Events: The annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner will be held on Thursday, April 21 at The Valley House in North Hudson. Senior Celebration will be held on Thursday, May 19 at The Phipps Center for The Arts. The date conflicts with the May meeting which may need to be changed. Council on Aging Page 1 04/04/05 Robert Kellerman, Executive Director of AuAdvantAu: The Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups will be holding a rally in Madison in regards to Long Term Care programming in Wisconsin. Bob Kellerman stated that "The three year plan will need a one year extension only instead of forming a new three year plan." Mr. Kellerman discussed maintaining the integrity of Aging Units. He has been meeting with other counties in regards to merging of departments for example aging and human services. "We have very distinct ideas about that and I know that it tends to come up time to time in each county and I think we need to consider and be prepared for that discussion when it does come up. There is something in our world called an Aging Difference and we apply that term to aging programs in Wisconsin — we believe that they have a bit different way of operating. A different way that is user friendly for seniors, their families, caregivers and their relatives. We have been working for many years to make that part of aging programs and keep it part of aging programs. That difference starts with the fact that your program's policies and rules involved in the program is by seniors. It is very true in St. Croix County that seniors watch over the programs and the administration of the programs. The other difference is that the programs don't have a means test. Aging programs do not do means tests. Aging office staff stops and listens to the needs of older persons. They will talk to seniors, they will talk to their caregivers and relatives about what it is that they are experiencing and try to solve it with them in a problem solving fashion. I think that our caregiver program does that nicely here. The Benefit Specialist Program does that nicely here. You have a pretty good information program that does it nicely here. We want to maintain that type of difference and that integrity in these programs. It is up to the council, not Council on Aging Page 2 04/04/05 ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Clarence (Buck) Malick, Chairman St. Croix County Board FROM: Ralph Bader, Chairman COMMITTEE TITLE: Council on Aging DATE: Thursday, January 20, 2005 TIME: 8:30 a.m. LOCATION: County Board Room CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETING: Thursday, March 17" ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES INTRODUCTIONS UNFINISHED BUSINESS: NEW BUSINESS: Upcoming Events Introduction of new director AgeAdvantAge Report - Bob Kellerman AFCSP Funds Staff Reports Site /Center Updates ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order) SUBMITTED BY: Sandy Gehrmann DATE: Thursday, January 6, 2005 COPIES TO: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE COUNTY CLERK NEWS MEDIA /NOTICE BOARD COMMITTEE MEMBERS x COUNCIL ON AGING MEETING January 20, 2005 St. Croix County Government Center CALL TO ORDER Council Chairman Ralph Bader, called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. ROLL CALL Members present were: Gerald Peterson, Irene Burch, Ralph Bader, Richard (Buzz) Marzolf, John Mortensen, Alice Mullan, Carolyn Weisenburger, Richard Peterson and Jeanette O'Connell. Also present were: Sandy Gehrmann, Tracy Davis, Renea Aeschliman, Robert Kellerman, Gladys Ellefson, Sylvia Heller, Shirley Marlette, Julie Hillstead, Diana Fern, Bette Norman, and Bob Jacobson. Excused Esther Koosman. ADOPTION OF AGENDA A motion was made by John Mortensen and seconded by Jeannette O'Connell to adopt the agenda as printed; motion carried. DATE OF NEXT MEETING The next meeting will be held on Thursday, March 17, 2005. ACTION OF PREVIOUS MINUTES A motion was made by Richard Marzolf and seconded by John Mortensen to approve the minutes; motion carried. UNFINISHED BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS: Upcoming Events: The annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner will be held on Thursday, April 21 at The Valley House in North Hudson. Senior Celebration will be held on Thursday, May 19 at The Phipps Center for The Arts. The date conflicts with the May meeting which may need to be changed. Council on Aging Page 1 04/04/05 Robert Kellerman, Executive Director of AuAdvantAu: The Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups will be holding a rally in Madison in regards to Long Term Care programming in Wisconsin. Bob Kellerman stated that "The three year plan will need a one year extension only instead of forming a new three year plan." Mr. Kellerman discussed maintaining the integrity of Aging Units. He has been meeting with other counties in regards to merging of departments for example aging and human services. "We have very distinct ideas about that and I know that it tends to come up time to time in each county and I think we need to consider and be prepared for that discussion when it does come up. There is something in our world called an Aging Difference and we apply that term to aging programs in Wisconsin — we believe that they have a bit different way of operating. A different way that is user friendly for seniors, their families, caregivers and their relatives. We have been working for many years to make that part of aging programs and keep it part of aging programs. That difference starts with the fact that your program's policies and rules involved in the program is by seniors. It is very true in St. Croix County that seniors watch over the programs and the administration of the programs. The other difference is that the programs don't have a means test. Aging programs do not do means tests. Aging office staff stops and listens to the needs of older persons. They will talk to seniors, they will talk to their caregivers and relatives about what it is that they are experiencing and try to solve it with them in a problem solving fashion. I think that our caregiver program does that nicely here. The Benefit Specialist Program does that nicely here. You have a pretty good information program that does it nicely here. We want to maintain that type of difference and that integrity in these programs. It is up to the council, not Council on Aging Page 2 04/04/05 Sandy or her successor or the office staff. The council has more power to make sure that it continues to exist in the programs in St. Croix County. We must be sure that in the future if there is change that the Aging Difference is maintained. There is a law in Wisconsin — called the Wisconsin Elders Act. Every county needs to have an aging office. That aging office must have a full time aging director — a person in charge of aging programs in that county. Not a person that is in charge of aging programs and some other programs that might have to deal with another age group. There is a growing population in this county of seniors and that means there is going to be more and more attention that will need to be paid to the needs of seniors. That means there needs to be a dedication to that — it can not be split with something else. The other thing that the elder act calls for is adequate staff for that aging office. It calls for a Commission on Aging that has some authority of those aging programs. Those groups have to be composed of at least 51% of individuals over the age of 60. Remember there is a law out there, that law stands on your side to make sure that your programs are strong and operating on your input. We are embarking on a time now where we are talking about the development of resource centers. They were originally called Aging Resource Centers because the idea was invented in aging programs. Now it has expanded into Aging and Disability Resource Centers. A resource center is basically a single entry point, a one stop shop if you have questions regarding the period of life we call aging. There is a concept that you can think of as a set of concentric circles — 3 circles within another. The outer circle is where most people enter the aging or long term care system. Most people need just information and some assistance. Older persons are concerned about their health and the cost of health care and about transportation and access to services in the Council on Aging Page 3 04/04/05 community. Another thing people continually express — they do not need all of the services just information on services in the area. It is at the outer ring of the circle that most people enter. That is where aging programs just as the St. Croix County Aging office, stand and they are very good at providing that information and you must perfect that. More and more people are going to start entering the circle at that point. Most people probably don't go beyond that. However, there is a second circle a little bit further inside. You might need a little more than information. You might need some assistance to remain independent. When you count that outer ring and that second ring, you have by far the majority of your population. Those are the things that they will be seeking out and using. And once again those things are done well in an aging office these are the things that a resource center does. If you think about it, a resource center, is a souped up aging unit -- it is a well operating office on aging. The inner circle is where people use the formal long term support program. The services in this circle are very important services. There are an extremely small percentage of people that have to go that deep into the system." Mr. Kellerman concluded by saying "Much of what is used in your community for information and services are things that your aging office provides and is good at. We want to maintain that. We want to maintain the integrity of that; we want to maintain the visibility of your aging office. That is the law, the law says that in the elder's act that your office must be visible, it must be accessible, and that is the aging difference. There are some counties that are struggling with the idea of saving some money by putting the aging office into a bigger department to save money. By doing so you won't save much and it is not worth it. You have to ask yourself what is the best thing for older persons in St. Croix County and hold onto that. You never know when the subject may come up sometimes out of the blue Council on Aging Page 4 04/04/05