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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-01-2015 - 4a 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: September 1, 2015 Action Agenda Item No. 4-a SUBJECT: Orange County Long Term Care Quality Service Awards DEPARTMENT: Aging PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Janice Tyler, Director, 919-245-4255 PURPOSE: To recognize the winners of the 2015 Orange County Long Term Care Quality Service Awards. BACKGROUND: As part of the Orange County 2012-17 Master Aging Plan, the Department on Aging was asked to develop a mechanism to help increase the quality of care provided in Orange County's long-term care facilities and home care organizations. In 2013, the Advisory Board on Aging created the Orange County Long Term Care (LTC) Learning Collaborative to bring administrators and direct-care staff together to learn about and share successful approaches to quality care. This is the second year that the Orange County Advisory Board on Aging and the Long Term Care Learning Collaborative have offered to long term care organizations the opportunity to apply for a Long Term Care Quality Service Award. Each year the Advisory Board selects an evidence-based or promising quality program for long term care providers to learn about and implement within the year. This past year the focus was on implementation of the Music and Memory program which helps persons with dementia regain touch with music that they love, provide avenues for memory recall, and reduce some of the more negative behaviors associated with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Winners of the 2015 Long Term Care Quality Service Awards were able to successfully implement a Music in My Mind/Orange County program by working with families and volunteers to create a personalized list of songs for their residents and clients with dementia. The six winning organizations are committed to continuing and expanding these programs so that many more individuals with dementia living in Orange County will continue to experience the joy of music that reminds them of their past and to share that joy with others. 2 Winners of the 2015 Long Term Care Quality Service Award are: A Helping Hand Companion Agency Brookshire Nursing Center Carol Woods Retirement Community Livewell Assisted Living Right At Home Florence G. Soltys Adult Day Health Program FINANCIAL IMPACT: The cash awards of $200 per organization have been budgeted in the Department on Aging's Master Aging Plan budget. SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Social Justice Goal is applicable to this agenda item: • GOAL: Create a Safe Community The reduction of risks from vehicle/traffic accidents, childhood and senior injuries, gang activity, substance abuse and domestic violence. Efforts to implement better programming in long term care organizations will hopefully result in better quality of care for Orange County residents in long term care facilities and also reduce the risk of possible elder abuse. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board recognize these organizations as winners of the 2015 Orange County Long Term Care Quality Service Awards.