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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-02-2010 - 4fORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: March 2, 2010 Action Agenda Item No. ~-~ _SUBJECT: Recognition of Florence G. Soltys within the New Central Oran a Senior Center DEPARTMENT: Aging PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Aging Adv. Board Letter-February 9, 2010 Florence Soltys -Contributions to Orange County INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Passmore, 245-2020 Steve Lackey, Chair, Aging Adv. Board Jack Chestnut, Pres, Senior Care of Orange County, Inc. PURPOSE: To present a recommendation letter from the Orange County Advisory Board on Aging acknowledging the contribution of Florence G. Soltys by recognizing her in a prominent place in the adult day health program wing of the New Central Orange Senior Center at the Hillsborough SportsPlex campus. BACKGROUND: In accordance with the Orange County Property Naming Policy adopted by the Board on March 3, 2009, the Chair of the Orange County Advisory Board on Aging has presented a formal recommendation letter to the Board of County Commissioners to consider naming the adult day health program wing of the Central Orange Senior Center in honor of Florence G. Soltys. Florence Soltys was an outspoken advocate for over 30 years for the needs and rights of all older adults, especially frail elders both in the community and institutional settings, and gave countless hours of community service to improve the quality of life for Orange County's older residents. Until her. untimely death in 2007, she was the guiding force in the planning and the operation of the Central Orange Adult Day Health Program and was the President of Senior Care of Orange County, Inc., which has operated the adult day health program from 2004 to the present. The Board of Directors of Senior Care of Orange County, Inc. (in February 2008) and the Orange County Advisory Board on Aging (in March 2008 and again on February 9, 2010) voted unanimously to request that the new Adult Day Health Program which opened in January 2009 as awing of the Central Orange Senior Center be named in her honor. 2 FINANCIAL IMPACT: The only cost will be for permanent signage to the entrance to the Central Orange Adult Day Health Program which is located at the rear of the Central Orange Senior Center. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board: 1. Receive the Aging Advisory Board's recommendation letter acknowledging the contributions of Florence G. Soltys; and 2. State its intent to consider adopting a resolution designating the adult day health program wing of new Central Orange Senior Center as the Florence Gray Soltys Adult Day Health Program. 3 ORANGE COUNTY ADVISORY BOARD ON AGING STEVE LACKEY, CHAIR POST OFFICE BOX 8 1 8'1 FRED SCHROEDER, I~/CE-CHA/R '( 03 MEADOWLAND DRIVE /ERRY M. PASSMORE, SEC. HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27278 WWW..ORANGECOUNTY.NC.GOV/AGING To: Orange County Board of Commissioners From: Orange County Advisory Board on Aging, Steve Lackey, Chair CC: Frank Clifton, County Manager /'' ti Donna Baker, Clerk to BOCC L-~ Jerry Passmore, Dept. on Aging Director Date: February 9, 2010 Subject: Naming the Central Orange Adult Day Health Program in honor of Florence G. Soltys 6aantP al ~p ~q a l7 5Z ~<<4 6sca"°s The Advisory Board on Aging formally recommends to the BOCC that the Central Orange Adult Day Health Program be named the "Florence Gray Soltys Adult Day Health Program" in honor of the late Florence Soltys. On February 6, 2008, the board of Senior Care of Orange County, Inc., the non-profit organization that manages the adult day health program, also unanimously approved the above recommendation. While there are many ways to recognize Florence Soltys for all her work in aging, naming the adult day health program in her honor seemed the most appropriate to the Advisory Board on Aging. Florence Soltys' focus was on the needs of frail elderly both in the community and institutional settings. From the very beginning, She was instrumental in establishing the current adult day health program. After she and her MSW students researched the need for the adult day center, Dr. Soltys raised funds for its establishment and helped establish Senior Care, the non- profit agency that operates the Adult Day Health Program for the County. Florence served as the only President of Senior Care of Orange County up to the time of her death. She advocated for the new Adult Day Health Program to be adjacent to the New Central Orange Senior Center in order promote continuum of care by not isolating the frail from the well active seniors. Lastly, Florence was instrumental in both LTNC Hospitals and Carol Woods supporting the day health program, raising over $150,000 toward the construction of the new adult health center. If Florence Soltys were alive today, we know she would be humbled, yet proud of such an honor if the County Commissioners so approve. She certainly is deserving of recognition and this honor. Thank you for your consideration of this request. TELEPHONE (919) 245-2000 • FACSmniLE (919) 732-2239 • E-MAIL jpassmore@CO.orange.nc.us 4 Aging Advocate Florence Soltys 1935-2007 Contributions to Orange County Florence Gray. Soltys, a nationally recognized expert and advocate for the needs of older adults, died unexpectedly on Sept. 27, 2007. Florence Soltys was a tireless and fearless advocate for all older adults, including those in the long term care setting, as well as those residing in the community. According to Department on Aging Director, Jerry Passmore, who worked with Florence for over 25 years, "Few people in the field of aging have made things happen like Florence." She has had a major impact on aging services and policies of our state and Orange County, but more importantly improved the quality of life and quality of healthcare of the people she served. As a recently retired associate clinical professor at the UNC Schools of Social Work and Medicine, Florence Soltys exemplified how a university faculty member can share and apply her expertise at the local, state and national level, inspire and mentor her students to do likewise and make a remarkable difference in the lives of older adults. Many of her students had their field placement within the Orange County and eventually became county employees. Over the years, Florence has made countless contributions. Listed below are only a few that impacted Orange County's older residents. 1. Chair and long standing member of the Orange County Advisory Board on Aging. 2. Chair of the first County Master Aging Plan Task Force- 2001-2006 and co-chair of the MAP Update Task Force for 2007-2011 3. President of Senior Care of Orange County, Inc., 2004-2007. This non- profit agency was established by her in partnership with Orange County to assume the operation of the Central Orange Adult Day Health Program from Orange County which is the first and only day health program in the county. 4. Chair and long standing member of the Orange County Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee. This is the county's appointed grassroots ombudsmen to visits facilities and advocate for quality care and rights of residents. 5. Chair and long standing member of the Orange County Adult Home Community Advisory Committee. This is the county's appointed grassroots ombudsmen to visits facilities and advocate for quality care and rights of residents. 6. Representative for Orange County on the NC Coalition on Aging, the Area Agency on Aging Advisory Board and the N.C. Study Commission on Aging. 5 7. Board Member for the Triangle Hospices which serves Orange County. 8. Chair of the Coalition on Continuity of Care, a health care advocacy group of agencies, serving the older person in Orange and North Chatham counties, including the UNC-CH School of Medicine and University Hospitals Over the years, she has received numerous awards including: Orange County's "Pauli Murray Human Relations Award for 2007", "The Distinguished Teaching Award for Post Baccalaureate Instruction for the University of North Carolina"; "Trustee of the Year for the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging of the U.S. and North Carolina"; "Social Worker of the Year in N.C."; "The Ned Brooks Award for Community Service" and the "Hospice Services Award". She was the current President of the International Institute for Reminiscence and Life Review Society. Florence will be sorely missed, but her exceptional life and work will never be forgotten.