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Health and Human Services Agency recommending that the Board, acting as the Governing Board of the El Dorado County Area Agency on Aging:
1) Approve the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Area Plan Update to the 2020-2024 El Dorado County Area Plan for Senior Services; and
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign the Transmittal Letter for submission of said Area Plan Update to the California Department of Aging.
FUNDING: 21% Federal Funding, 31% County General Fund, and 48% Donations.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
The California Department of Aging (CDA) administers programs that serve older adults, adults with disabilities, family caregivers, and residents in long-term care facilities throughout the State. These services are provided locally by contracted agencies known as Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). The El Dorado County AAA is one of 33 in California: 19 agencies are part of a county structure, eight are created by joint power agreements when there is more than one county within a single service area, and the remaining six are non-profit agencies. Regardless of the structure, Area Agencies on Aging are required to submit an ‘Area Plan’ every four years that reflects future activities of the AAA to best serve the needs identified by older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers in their designated Planning and Service Area (PSA). In El Dorado County, the Department of Health and Human Services, Community Services Division, is designated by the Board of Supervisors to cover our local Planning and Services Area, PSA 29. As Such, the Community Services Division is in charge of planning, coordinating, administering, and monitoring AAA programs and services locally that are funded through the Older Americans Act.
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-2024 Area Plan was presented and approved at the Board of Supervisors meeting on August 4, 2020 (File ID 20-0946, Item 20). As a component of the ongoing maintenance of the approved Area Plan, the County is required to submit an annual update each year to CDA in accordance with California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Division 1.8., Chapter 3, Article, 3, Section 7304. The annual update must be approved by the Board of Supervisors, as the governing board of the El Dorado County Area Agency on Aging. Annual Plan updates track and reflect progress towards meeting Area Plan goals and allows for revision of objectives as necessary to reflect changing needs within the community. This Area Plan update being presented to your Board identifies upcoming changes in the plan, for example a change in the demographic data collection questions associated with programs. It also provides a description of significant accomplishments that occurred during the current fiscal year and provides guidance for next fiscal year for the ongoing provision of senior services in El Dorado County. Examples of some accomplishments during FY 2020-2021 that are described in the attached Area Plan update include but are not limited to:
Area Agency on Aging (AAA)
1) A drive-through Take-Out Meal program was created and implemented at six congregate sites as congregate sites were closed.
2) Comparing the same week in March 2020 to March 2021, Home Delivered Meals increased 32%.
3) A COVID-19 vaccine telephone line was created to provide one-on-one appointment assistance to qualified seniors.
Commission on Aging
1) All in-person meetings were cancelled as of March 2020 and replaced with the ZOOM meeting platform.
2) Four new committees were developed: Aging in Place/Caregiving, Communications, Housing for Seniors, and Lifelong Learning.
Beyond the work of HHSA staff to develop, update, and maintain the Area Plan, the Commission on Aging (COA), the advisory council for the Area Agency on Aging as well as the Board of Supervisors, is actively involved in all aspects of the Area Plan development and updates. The COA works closely with Community Services Division leadership and staff to help ensure that community interests and issues faced by seniors in El Dorado County are reflected in the Area Plan. They assist in the development of goals and objectives, soliciting information and feedback in the community, and supporting the development of strategies to help meet the needs and interests of older individuals throughout El Dorado County, including their caregivers. Through the implementation of this plan, the AAA seeks to provide far-reaching education and understanding of the choices and opportunities that exist to enhance the quality of life of El Dorado County’s older residents. The five goals and 31 objectives of the four-year plan have been updated with their current status.
ALTERNATIVES:
Disapproval of the Area Plan Update will leave the County out of compliance with the requirements of the funding source.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
1) 08-04-2020, File ID 20-0946, HHSA 2020-2024 Area Plan on Aging
2) 05-21-2019, File ID 19-0703, HHSA Area Plan Update for FY 2019-2020
3) 05-15-2018, File ID 18-0507, 05/15/18 2018 HHSA Area Plan Update
4) 05-09-2017, File ID 12-0544, 05/09/17 HHSA 17-18 Update to the Area Plan on Aging
5) 05-17-2016, File ID 12-0544, 05/17/16 HHSA 2016-2020 Area Plan on Aging
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
No other County Department or Agency was involved with this Agenda Item. The COA held the required Public Hearing on July 7, 2020 to solicit feedback from the public on the Area Plan update. The COA approved the FY 2021-2022 update at their regular meeting on April 15, 2021.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with this Agenda item.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) Clerk of the Board to obtain signature of Chair on three (3) Transmittal Letters.
2) Clerk of the Board to return two (2) originally signed Transmittal Letters and one certified minute order to HHSA Contracts Unit at 3057 Briw Road.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Don Semon, Director