Chairman MARTINEZ. Thank you, Ms. Bolotsky.
With that, we'll go to Dr. Shilkoff.

STATEMENT OF DR. MARILYN SHILKOFF, RESEARCH ANALYST, WESTCHESTER COUNTY OFFICE FOR AGING

Dr. SHILKOFF. Good morning, Chairman Martinez, Congresswoman Lowey, staff members and guests. My name is Marilyn Shilkoff and I am research analyst and director of public private initiatives at the Westchester County Office for the Aging.

The Westchester County Office for the Aging was established as an Area Agency on Aging and as an office of Westchester County in 1974. The problems facing our Nation's rapidly aging population require innovative approaches to secure the resources needed to address the special needs. Historically, public agencies such as Area Agency on Aging have had very limited success tapping into private sector funds. Corporations tend to fund not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizations rather than government entities, oftentimes because the corporate policy which would preclude such contributions. This contributes to duplication of services rather than fostering a coordinated comprehensive system of services for the entire elderly population residing in a geographical area.

Our office has for some time been interested in entering into a public-private partnership in Westchester. It was felt that corporate support would enhance our capabilities to provide service to all older persons and their caregivers in the area and, in particular, to target elderly with the greatest social and economic need. An Area Agency on Aging is in an excellent position to monitor itself and subcontractors to prevent two-tiered services and maintaining targeting.

In 1990, the Westchester County Office for the aging applied for and received a grant under the Administration on Aging's discretionary funds program to plan, develop and operationalize a publicprivate membership funds for aging in Westchester. The fund is to be incorporated as a nonprofit corporation with 501(c)(3) status. The 17-month project started September 29, 1990.

Its mission includes the following: To foster and promote a longterm partnership of public, private and voluntary community resources to address the needs of the county's elderly population;

Two, to expand the services available to the office of the aging to allocate to service providers in order to address the acute gaps in services to the county's elderly population and to serve as a conduit of funds;

Three, to fund the development and demonstration of innovative approaches for more effective delivery of services to the elderly;

Four, to assist the corporate community if requested in identifying their elder care needs and available services to address those needs. In the written testimony is a description of the funds planned activities.

In summary the activities include: One, providing research. We will survey the business community where requested to assist the business to determine the elder care needs of its employees. We will provide an Annual State of the Elderly Report for the use of funding sources as a reference that will include a list of priority

services in ranked order indicating gaps as well as a consolidated services funding profile.

Two, conducting grantmanship for unconducted needs.

Three, holding fundraising events as needed.

Four, providing service management as appropriate and and arrange for service providers, providing particular assistance and support to businesses, such as addressing elder care needs.

Membership is open to businesses in Westchester. Details of membership eligibility rights and benefits will be addressed after interested members of the business communities are surveyed.

There is a demonstration project attached to this grant. Its purpose is to demonstrate the impact of private corporate resources when used in partnership with the public and voluntary sectors to address identified service delivery gaps. The demonstration project addresses the needs of isolated older adults living in northern Westchester county for in-home, non-medical services.

Northern Westchester is a geographically widespread, often rural area and a key problem is the general lack of mass transportation to allow personal care aids to reach older adults in need of essential non-medical services. Details of this project are also in the written testimony. It will be evaluated by the fund's consultants, Integrated Consulting Ltd., a management consulting firm.

We have planned ways to prevent two-tiered services and assure that the mission of an area agency on aging is maintained.

Firstly, service priorities will be on a need basis and will cut across both public and private sectors. Thus, the most vulnerable elderly will receive a service first, regardless of the sector in which the need arises.

Secondly, we will build in a method to prevent it being more attractive to a subcontractor and to us to prefer corporate employees over noncorporate persons as clients. If a corporation anticipates high demand for a particular service, they will have to pay for the services of additional staff persons who will also be servicing noncorporate clients in the time not utilized by corporate employees. Corporations will not be able to pay on a unit cost basis. This method in addition to preventing preferential treatment to corporations will also expand funds available for service provision in the public sector. We will communicate to subcontractors that they must build in assurances that their availability will not be effected by nonprofit or private status.

In the county, the Area Agency on Aging is the agency business best qualified to determine service duplication, gaps and priorities, to know what services are available and which agencies can provide the best aging services. We are most able to prioritize needs for services and then seek to fill these needs.

By submitting direct proposals to potential funds sources for unmet needs, the outreach targeting and delivery of services can be expanded. By noting areas of duplication, we can eliminate waste and allow both public and private funds to go further.

As I mentioned, the Office for the Aging is an office of Westchester County in addition to being an Area Agency on Aging. The county executive is enthusiastic about our project and invited the potential participants to join our Advisory Development Board. Certain of our legal papers such as the contract with Integrated

Consulting and the application for a certification of incorporation have had the benefit of review by the county law office.

We have also sought and received the services of a pro bono attorney for the purposes of incorporating as a 501(c)(3) non profit corporation. The 501(c)(3) process, although time consuming, is necessary for us because some corporate foundations will fund only the 501(c)s and not government entities. The almost 700 area agencies on aging constitute a network which can insure that services are delivered to corporate employees who are either older or caregivers elderly. The AAA expertise and efficiency cannot be matched.

Thank you for this opportunity to testify.

[The prepared statement of Dr. Marilyn Shilkoff follows:]

Good morning. My name is Marilyn Ahilkoff, and I am Rovunich Analyst and Director of Public/Pi'vate Initiatives at the Went chester County Office for the Aging (WCOFA), an Area Agency on Aging. WCOPA was established as an Area Agency on Aging and as an Office of Westchester County in 1974.

Youtubusler Public/Private Membership Fund for Aging Services, Inc. In 1990, WCOFA applied tor and received a grant under the administrul (on on Aging's Discretionary Punde Program in the priority area Developing Public/Private Sector Partnerships to Enhance the Availability of Revources to Meet the Kendis uf Older People. The 17-month project started September 22. 1990.

The goal of our ADA-sponsored project is to plan, develop and operational4zw a Public/Private Membership Fund for Aging in Westchester. The Fund wil1 be incorporated as a nonprofit corporation with 501(c)(3) status for the following purposesi

1. Fostering and promoting a continual long-term partnership of puhlin. private and voluntary community resources to address the needs of the County's elderly population. This coordinated and comprehensive approach will identify the following: service needs of the elderly, all the public and voluntary resources currently allocated to services for the elderly, duplication and guys in services to the elderly.

2. Expanding revujicon available to WCOFA to allocate to service providury to fill the acute gaps in services to the County's elderly population and serving as a conduit of funds.

3. Developing and demonstrating innovative approaches for more affective delivery of services to the elderly. Mechanisms and Innovativa service modalities will be created to overcome traditional barriers to services such as isolation of the elderly.

4. Assisting the corporate community, i: requested, in identifying their elderly needs and available waivices to address those needs. Dusincos.c have taken the first steps by providing information and Referral to their employees. but this Fund seeks to insure the availability of concrete servicce at the othe end of the referral.

The proposed activities of the Woolchester Public/Private Membership Fund fur Aging Servicco, inc. include:

1. Research.

Develop and disseminate rumulla of a murvey of the busirenk community to