Title
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 2023-2024 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: State 31%, Federal 19%, Charges for Services 1%, Donations 6%, and General Fund 43%.
Body
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: nineteen 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, AAA 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 HHSA, Community Services Division, is designated by the Board of Supervisors to cover our local 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). 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.
The FY 2023-2024 update provides a description of significant accomplishments that occurred during FY 2022-2023 and provides FY 2023-2024 guidance for the ongoing provision of senior services in El Dorado County. Examples of FY 2022-2023 accomplishments are described in the attached Area Plan update and include but are not limited to:
AAA
1) Re-Opening of El Dorado Hills Senior Nutrition Site.
2) Re-Opening of the Clubs Older Adult Day Services in El Dorado Hills.
3) Bilingual Services are available through the Information & Assistance Program.
4) Implementation of the Fall Prevention Program, which provides free minor home modifications to support Adults over 60.
5) Implementation of a state-funded Robotic Pets program for eligible residents of long-term care facilities.
6) Addition of a new Limited Term Senior Legal Services attorney with the goal of reducing the current six month waiting for an appointment.
Commission on Aging (COA)
1) COA Liaison with Law Enforcement to increase outreach efforts and knowledge of the Older Adult Programs.
2) Election of New California Senior Legislature (CSL) Representatives who are actively engaged in the Rural Caucus and promoting legislation to benefit older adults.
3) Affordable/Age Friendly Housing Committee is actively engaged in monitoring and promoting the housing needs of older adults.
4) Participation on the Triple-A Councils of California (TACC), which provides a venue for information sharing between the Commission on Aging Advisory Councils throughout the state.
5) The Outreach Team is very visible in the community participating in events promoting and advocating for senior services.
Beyond the work of HHSA staff to develop, update, and maintain the Area Plan, the COA, the advisory council for the AAA, 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 (5) goals and thirty-one (31) objectives of the four-year plan have been updated with their 2023-2024 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) 05/17/22, 22-0797, HHSA Agency Area on Aging 2022-2023 Area Plan Update
2) 05/18/21, 21-0692, HHSA 2021-2022 Area Plan Update
3) 08/04/20, 20-0946, HHSA 2020-2024 Area Plan on Aging
4) 05/21/19, 19-0703, HHSA Area Plan Update for FY 2019-2020
5) 05/15/18, 18-0507, 2018-19 HHSA Area Plan Update
6) 05/09/17, 12-0544, HHSA 2017-18 Update to the Area Plan on Aging
7) 05/17/16, 12-0544, 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 to solicit feedback from the public on the FY 2023-2024 Area Plan update during their regular meeting on June 22, 2023.
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 one (1) original Transmittal Letters.
2) Clerk of the Board to return one (1) fully executed copy of the Transmittal Letter and one certified minute order to HHSA Contracts Unit at 3057 Briw Road.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Healthy communities
CONTACT
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Interim Director, Health and Human Services Agency