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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-18-1995 - X-B 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Action Agenda Item No. ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: April 18 , 1995 SUBJECT: Domiciliary Home Community Advisory Committee's Annual Report ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT: County Commissioners PUBLIC BEARING YES: NO: X ------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ATTACHMENT(S) : INFORMATION CONTACT: Randy Brantley, Committee Chair Annual Report TELEPHONE NUMBER- Hillsborough - 732-8181 Chapel Hill - 968-4501 Mebane - 227-2031 Durham - 688-7331 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: To receive the Domiciliary Home Community Advisory Committee's annual report for calendar year 1994. BACKGROUND: The Commissioner-appointed Domiciliary Home Community Advisory Committee (DHCAC) 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. Randy Brantley, DHCAC Chair will make a brief statement and be available for questions. The TJCOG Regional Ombudsman will also be available for questions. RECOMMENDATION(S) : The Manager recommends that the Board receive the Domiciliary, Home Community Advisory Committee annual report as information. FN:ABS95#12 .Doc f 2 1994 ANNUAL REPORT Orange County Domiciliary Home Community Advisory Committee 1. Were all homes in the county served by the committee? The members of the Committee are dedicated in serving and are available to help all domiciliary home residents in Orange County. The Committee made a total of 15 official visits to rest homes and 11 visits to family care homes. The developmentally disabled adult homes (3) did not receive an official visit but the homes did receive a visit as part of the new members training. The members also made approximately 7 friendly visits to some of the rest and family care homes during the year. (a total of 36 visits by a six member committee) . 2. Describe educational efforts by the committee. The Committee has been sensitive to the changes that are occurring in long term care. There has been a continuous effort by the members to keep public policy officials and members of the community informed about issues concerning residents in long term care. The Advisory Committee and the Family Care and Rest Home Operators in Orange County sponsored a legislative delegation and county commissioner tour of some of the domiciliary homes in Orange County during the fall of 1994. Additional non- elected public policy officials were also a part of the tour. The tour and reception was co-sponsored by the Department On Aging, Department of Social Services and the Regional Ombudsman Office. The tour and reception was designed to educate officials about issues that are of concern to residents, operators/administrators, advocates and agencies. The tour allowed a number of people to have dialogue with elected officials and others concerning current and proposed policy changes concerning long term care. The legislative sub-team of the DHCAC met with Rep. Anne Barnes in November to discuss some specific long term care issues that could be addressed in the 1995 Legislative Page 1 3 Session. Those issues included: ( 1) changing the language in existing statutes that would encourage district attorneys to investigate and prosecute cases involving elder abuse; (2) preventing a domiciliary home operator from receiving a license once a license has been revoked. (There needs to be a statute that would not allow an operator to obtain a license for a certain number of years once the license has been revoked by the state) ; (c) accessibility to agency documents concerning domiciliary homes. 3. Describe community involvement by the Committee. The Advisory Committee in association with the UNC School of Medicine (Program On Aging) has been working on establishing a teaching/model domiciliary home in Orange County. The School of Medicine has been involved in recruiting a number of community participants in the demonstration project which currently includes: Administrators/Operators, Triangle J Council of Governments, Department On Aging, Regional Ombudsmen, School of Social Work, Community Colleges, Triangle J Region Domiciliary Home Advisory Committees, Department of Social Services and others. An important goal of the project is to demonstrate how excellent care can be provided in homes and how resources in the community can aid in providing good care. We plan to develop a training package and an evaluation component (tool) that will be utilized by domiciliary home operators and staff throughout the state. The Chair was asked by the Family Care Operators to set up meetings with elected and state agency officials to pursue their concerns in regards to long term care. The Committee has also been involved in providing information and referral to operators, residents and citizens in Orange County at an increased rate during the past year. 4. Describe problems encountered by the committee. The Committee's relationship with the county Department of Social Services has sometimes been strained. The Committee perceives the strain to be related to DSS's failure to understand the role of the Committee. Page 2 4 The tension between the Department and the Committee may be attributed to the complexion of the Committee. There are members who are professionals in areas that allow them to have a sharper eye on a variety of issues involving medical and social needs. Also, there has been a shift in how the members see their role and there has been an increase in commitment by all members in their work as advocates for residents in long term care. WI ,le the Committee understands its role is in an advisory cajacity, there have been issues, situations and opinions that member felt should be addressed. The Committee has been more forward in expectations and responsibilities of DSS. We feel the shift and growth of the Committee has been an adjustment for DSS. We have worked to keep the lines of communication open with DSS (as well as other agencies and individuals) and we anticipate the period of adjustment to stabilize. The members of the Committee and DSS will continue to work together. 5. Was the committee involved in a grievance resolution during the year? No 6. Summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the facilities in the county. The majority of the homes in Orange County are operated by competent and caring operators and staff. Most of the operators' intentions are well in providing care for residents. Staff at the facilities are generally empathetic and compassionate. The operators and staff understand the availability of community resources and use these resources appropriately (such as home health or transportation services) . The weakness of Orange County domiciliary homes include some of the following: lack of cleanliness in some facilities; food preparation (residents sometimes complain about the quality of food as well as monotony of their menus) ; the lack of meaningful activities; restraint policies (there has been an incr€: a of restraint use observations during 1994 by the Committe is well as related concerns) ; smoking policies Page 3 5 (nonsmokers may be at the mercy of smokers) and training for staff (or the absence of a requirement for training as well as the lack of programs and resources to provide training) . 7 . Other comments. During 1994 the members contributed over 400 hours of volunteer service and traveled over 1500 miles in their work as advocates for residents in long term care in Orange County. The Committee has worked under the circumstance of two continual vacancies throughout 1994. We appreciate the stipend from the county which has helped us do our job (as well as help each of us as we have taken on additional work due to the vacancies) . Page 4