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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-19-1996 - X-A 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Action Agenda Item No x-A ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: March 19, 1996 SUBJECT: Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee Annual Report -------------------------------- ------------------------------- DEPARTMENT Aging PUBLIC HEARING YES NO X_ BUDGET AMENDMENT YES NO X -------------------------------- ------------------------------- ATTACHMENT(S) : INFORMATION CONTACT Randy Brantley, Committee Chair Annual Report Jerry M. Passmore, Director TELEPHONE NUbIDER Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Mebane 227-2031 Durham 688-7331 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: To receive the Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee' s annual report for calendar year 1995. BACKGROUND: The Commissioner-appointed Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee (formerly known as the Domiciliary Home Committee) is required by state statute to prepare and distribute an annual report of its activities to the County Commissioners, the County Department of Social Services, the Regional Ombudsman and the State Division of Aging. Committee Chair Randy Brantley will make a brief statement and be available for questions. The Triangle J Regional Ombudsman will also be available for questions. RECOMMENDATION: The Manager recommends that the Board receive the Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee annual report as information. FN: AB60319.DOC 2 ANNUAL REPORT ADULT CARE HOME COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE County: Orange Reporting Year: 1995 Officers: Randy Brantley, Chair Cherie Rosemond, Vice-Chair Members: Susan Davisdon Polly Johnson Lori Shapiro Florence Soltys SUMMARY Members: Current Number - 6 Vacancies - 2 Number of LTC Mandated Facilities Types #of Beds Visits 3 DDA Homes 17 3 Annual 12 Family Care 68 12 Annual 4 Homes for the 175 16 Quarterly Aged 1 � 3 t 1995 ANNUAL REPORT Orange County Adult Care Community Advisory Committee 1 . Were all homes in the county served by the committee? The members of the Committee are devoted and committed in their willingness to serve all residents in adult care homes in Orange County. The members made official visits to rest homes ( 15 ) , and family care homes ( 11 ) . The group homes (d.d.a. ) received visits during training of new members ( 2 unofficial visits. ) In addition, the members made 4 follow up or friendly visits to various homes. The members donated over 450 volunteer hours and traveled over 1458 miles. The Committee has worked under the circumstance of two continual vacancies in 1995 . 2 . Describe educational efforts by the Committee. The Committee was involved in several educational efforts regarding a variety of issues concerning residents in long term care. The work of the Committee was both on a local as well as a state level . The Committee sponsored an educational workshop for county adult care administrators and staff which explored the use of restraints. The workshop was lead by members Cherie Rosemond (UNC Physical Therapy) and Florence Soltys ( UNC School of Social Work) . (Regional Ombudsmen Wendy Sause and Adult Home Specialist Sandy Davis also helped with the workshop) . The workshop specifically addressed understanding how a restraint feels, current restraint use law and alternative uses to restraints. The restraint use workshop had representation by an administrator or staff from 15 out 16 adult care homes ( rest homes and family care homes) . The Committee continued its work in making positive changes for domiciliary care throughout the state. The Chair and member Polly Johnson (NC Board of Nursing) serve on the Department of Human Resources Task Force on Domiciliary Care. The labor of the task force has lead the state to adopt rules for training of staff who work in adult care facilities. (This change could be compared to the nurse aid training and competency program that exist for nursing homes) . The training program is a new and substantial beginning point in providing quality care for residents. (Please note that member Polly Johnson has been intensively involved in the rule making process for the new training program) . 4 The Committee was the author of ratified legislation, House Bill 756 - Rest Home Changes. The bill prevents any rest home operator who had a license revoked from operating another home for at least a year. The legislation also clarifies public access to public documents in local Department of Social Services in NC. (A special thanks goes to Rep. Anne Barnes for her work on behalf of this bill ) . The Chair was asked to make presentations concerning advocacy work to different groups in the area. Also, the Chair was interviewed by local radio, newspaper and television stations concerning long term care issues . 3 . Describe community involvement by the Committee The Committee has been working with the UNC School of Medicine, Program on Aging, in establishing a model/teaching adult care home project in orange and surrounding counties. The Program on Aging will be submitting a grant to the Kate B. Reynolds Foundation for funding assistance of the demonstration project. The project will be designed to help homes identify and address problems, utilizirrg support from a variety of community resources as well as UNC health professions and students. The goal of this project is to develop and refine a process to improve the quality of care provided to adult care residents, and subsequently to disseminate the program throughout North Carolina. 4. Describe problems encountered by the Committee. A family care home was on probation for a majority of the year. The home has had some serious problems and the Division of Facility Services made a recommendation for the revocation of license for this home. The facility was successful in negotiating with the state in regards to correcting violations and has been allowed to stay open. The Committee encourages community support for the residents of this home as well as continual close monitoring by local appropriate agencies. In previous reports, the Committee made reference to the tension between the local DSS and the advisory board. The members are pleased to say that we have experienced cooperation and understanding from local DSS. We are encouraged by the positive growth in our working relationship with DSS during 1995 . 5 5 . Was the Committee involved in a grievance revolution during the year? No. 6 . Summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the facilities in the county. A majority of the homes are operated by caring administrators and staff . The administrators seem to have a genuine concern for the care of their residents . A weakness that the members have in observed in some facilities include: high staff turnover and how this effects the quality of care for residents; lack of meaningful activities; quality of food; smoking issues ( smokers versus nonsmokers ) and the need for more community involvement with the residents. Other Comments. The Regional J Ombudsman Program and Governor and Mrs . Hunt gave a volunteer recognition reception at the Governor' s Mansion in June. The Committee was recognized for their members commitment and caring service on behalf of long term care residents in Orange County. The Chair received special recognition for outstanding advocacy efforts for his work on behalf of all North Carolina Domiciliary Home Residents.