assist businesses in determine the eldercare needs of their employees. Provide an Annual Stato of the Elderly Raport for the use of funding sources rafazer.ce. It will include a demographic analysis, nooće uvennament results. idst of priority services in ranked order indicating gapa and a consolidated services funding profile. 2. Craftsmanship. Prepare and submi: direct proposals to potential funding sources for unmet neudo. We will cross-endorse and support proposals and allocation plans prepared by other sources consistent with identified needs and priority services. 3. Hold fundraising events. 4. Provide murvice management as appropriate. Arrange for service providers and monitor the service provisior.. 5. Provide technical assistance and support to businemmin. Annint business in addressing oldercare needs of their employees and retirees. Specifics will be determined by the survey of the businmun vursunity. Design an informational self-screening tool to empower employee to determine their eldercare neudu. Membership is open to the Westchester business community. Membership eligibility, rights and benefits will be determined by surveying the business community. Domonstration Piujert A demonstration project has been operatiuualized as of April 1 as part of this grant. Its purpose is to demonstrate the impact of private corporate resources when used in partnership with the public and voluntary sectors tu address identified service delivery gaps. The demonstration project addresson the needs of older adults living in Northern Westchester County for in-home, asr.-medical services. It is a gnographically widespread, often rura: area. a key problem is the genoral lack of mavy transportation to allow persuasi care aiden to reach older adults ir zeed of essential nonmedical services auct. as personal care, light housekeeping, personai laundry, Eva: preparation and shopping assistance. Generally low salarios, in addition to the lack of available publie transpullation has made it virtually impossible for agencies to respond to the growing need in this geographic area. Another problem is that many workers will not go to a client for only four hours a day if they cannot Arvu another client in the immediate acum. Limited availability of bus service makes travel between clients difficult. An innovative solution to this problem is a collaborative effort betwewn 1BM, WCOFA, and Family Service of Wantchooter, a private nonprofit social Carvice agency. The project creates a mobile outreach team comprised of tour sideo and a driver who in addition to driving will be nunilable for grocery shopping and Assistance with basic home maintenance tasks. There is a social worker who uran the case manager as well as superviany of the sides and driver. A cluster approach: 20 used to allow each aide cu respond to the needs of at Jeant tluce clients per day in close proximity. WCOPA has obtained technical assistance from integrated Consulting Ltd., a management and gerontologica: consulting firm to evaluate the demonstration project. Initial Steps Accomplished wc have developed an Advienry Development Committee as a procurvur ko an Advisory Board. Twenty-five persons accepted membership in the Adviauly Development Committee: 11 corpurate representatives, six planning and coordinating representatives and eight consumers and volunteers. Ar. inaugural meeting was held on March 28. Presentations regarding general orientation of project and planned activities were made. A bylawe questionnaire was distributed and respɔases will help to define bylaw concerning board membership, board of directors, and other provisions. We have made application and received from the New York State Department of State the official filing receipt indicating that the Westchester Public/Private ramborship Fund is a legally established not for-profit corporation. The 501(c)(3) application for tax exempt status will be filed after review by the Advisory Board. We have started to develop mechanisms to attract prospective fund members, and have completed a fact shoot and slide presunta:ion. Commento The Westchooler County office for the Aying has for some time beer. interested in starting a public/private partnership in Westchester. It wi felt that corporate support would enhance mur capability to provido parvico to all older persons, and in particular to target slderly with the greatest ancial and economic nood. The AMA du du an excellent ponitior. to monitor Ilselt and subcontractors to prevent two-tiered services and maintain targeting. An Area Agency on Aging that is able to establish a public/private partnershly if thuda local conditions permit, can onbanco service to all oldar purus and their caregivers in the area. Thus, the We have planned ways to prevent two-tiered services and assure that the Secondly, if a corporatius mulielparen high demand for a particular service, they will have to pay for the services of an additional staft person, who will also be survicing noncorporate clients in time not utilized by corporate employees. Cuipulations will not be able to pay on a unit cost basis. This muthud will prevent it being more attractive to subcontractor to prefer corporate omplɔyees as clients. We will communicate to providury that they must build in assurances that their availability will not be affected by munprofli, or privato atakus. The Area Agency on Aging is the agency best qualified in determine duplication, gaps, and priorities, tell what survices aie nunilable, and which agencies can provide the boot aging service. We car. prioritize needs for service and then seek to fill these needs. By submitting direct proposals to potential fund muuices for unmet needs, the outreach. targeting and delivery of servicwy can be exapanded. Boting ATRAB of duplication, we can eliminate waste, and allow both public arki pilvale funds to go further. The Office for the Aging is an Ottice of Westchester County in uddjiinn zo an Area Agency on Aging. The County Executive de onthuristic about pr project, and invited the potential participants to join our Advisory Development Board. Certain of our legal papers, such me the contract with Integrated Consulting Ltd., and the application. for a certificate of incorporation has had the benefit of review by the County Law Office. We also have had the services of a pro bons attorney for the purposes of incorporating as a 501(c)(3) non pzufit corporation. The 501(c)(9) process. although time consuming, is necessary for us. because some corporate foundations will fund only 501(c)(3) and not government entities. The 667 Arwa Agencies on Aging constitute a network which can instre tbul servicas are delivered to corporate employees who are older or caregivers uf older:y, whether the services are needed locally or for a relative in another agen. The AAA expertise and efficiency cannot be matched. STATEMENT OF DAVID BRADLEY, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL COMMUNITY ACTION FOUNDATION, WASHINGTON DC Mr. BRADLEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Congresswoman Lowey. I would like to thank you for the opportunity to testify today and I guess I should start off by congratulating and thanking the subcommittee for your commitment to the Older Americans Act and your strong leadership that you showed in urging, and successfully, urging the House Budget Committee to reject the administration policies in attempts to cut back senior citizen programs and continue to make those a priority in the House of Representatives. I'm sure that your continuing leadership, those policies and priorities, will be carried on in conference with the senate. Joining me today is Mr. Winston Ross, who is the local executive director of the Westchester Community Opportunity program, WESCOP, and Winston has been a director for a number of years and very familiar with the type of programs that we're discussing today. I'm here on behalf of the National Community Action Foundation which represents 900 community action agencies across the country serving approximately 98 percent of all the counties, including here in New York and I think there are more than 52 agencies throughout New York State. Community action agencies have a long history of providing comprehensive services to low income senior citizens and are an integral part of the Older Americans Act and particularly their service delivery network. CAA's involvement in the Older Americans Act includes operating senior centers, providing home delivered and congregate meals, transportation, outreach, referral and counseling, and in some cases serving dually as the Area Agency on Aging. Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act is clearly one of the most important pieces of legislation your subcommittee, your committee or any committee in Congress will reauthorize this year. We strongly support its reauthorization and we have a few suggestions that we would like to discuss with you for improving the linkages between Area Agencies on Aging and community action agencies so those low income seniors will have greater access to a wider variety of services. The five suggestions that I would like to discuss with you just very briefly are as follows: One, specific language encouraging coordination of planning, needs assessment, outreach in services between Area Agencies on Aging and community action agencies. There seems to be general agreement throughout the country and clearly in all the areas of the members of the subcommittee, that more of our attention needs to be directed toward increasing the participation of low income and low income minority seniors in community nutrition and other service programs. The community action agency's mission is to serve the poor places these agencies in a position to assist with the planning and needs assessment as well as targeted outreach and coordination of services. To encourage stronger linkages with the community action agencies will strengthen AAA connections to and awareness of low-income populations and their needs. Second, allow multi-purpose senior centers or community action agencies to be designated as service focal points in the community. In many communities, especially in rural areas, CAA's are only the focal point for service delivery to the poor including seniors. On the other hand, senior citizen centers in many areas, particularly rural communities, are simply not accessible to the low income seniors. According to the Joann Cromer, the executive director in Gering Nebraska, for instance, she indicated that many senior centers in rural areas become clubhouses for middle or higher income seniors. As a result, the low income seniors, particularly in her area, minority seniors, do not feel welcome. To cite an example of an elderly native American, who indicated that she would really like to go to the senior center but she knows that it's not a place for her indicating that she would not feel comfortable or perhaps they would not feel comfortable with her attending there. Allowing community action agencies to serve as a designated focal point will allow greater flexibility at the lower level and make the Older Americans Act and other supportive services accessible to lower income individuals in a place where they feel wel come. Three, establish an outreach provision for community action agencies. Outreach to low income seniors is the critical need. Lack of transportation, language barriers, physical handicap, social isolation and lack of exposure to available resources prevent seniors with the greatest need of receiving needed services. Meals being provided to low income seniors, social contact provided by a home visit, or the recruitment and placement of a volunteer working with an elderly person can well result in that person being able to reside in his or her home rather than be placed in an expensive care facility. Outreach facilities are one of the greatest strengths of CAA's. CAA's already know many of the seniors in their community through visiting and in-take from other programs such as weatherization, fuel assistance, transportation, commodity distribution and are therefore ideally positioned to expand their outreach efforts for the Older Americans Act Program. However, in many areas the number of seniors eligible for services is increasing while the number of outreach workers has dropped. Panhandled community services in Nebraska, as I said earlier, used to have 20 outreach workers 15 years ago. Now there are just three part-time positions. CAA's are already supplementing the Older Americans Act resources with Community Services Block Grant and other funds. An effective outreach effort will require additional funds. We suggest $25 to $35 million. Winston indicated the same situation exists here in Westchester. So what we would suggest is that additional funding be provided for outreach services at the minimal level knowing how tight things are in Washington, but clearly look at $25 to $30 million program. |