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WELCOME TO CO-AGE

WELCOME TO CO-AGE. October 3, 2013. Kathy Keith , Georgia Council on Aging Chair. CALL TO ORDER. GOLDEN CUISINE. Representative Katie Dempsey , 2013 Legislative Award Winner. 2013 Annual GGS Conference. Patti Lyons , CO-AGE Chair. Welcome Remarks & Meeting Overview.

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WELCOME TO CO-AGE

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  1. WELCOME TO CO-AGE October 3, 2013

  2. Kathy Keith, Georgia Council on Aging Chair CALL TO ORDER

  3. GOLDEN CUISINE

  4. Representative Katie Dempsey, 2013 Legislative Award Winner 2013 Annual GGS Conference

  5. Patti Lyons, CO-AGE Chair Welcome Remarks & Meeting Overview

  6. Train Advocates on 2014 CO-AGE Priorities • Breakout Sessions • Education & Empowerment Purpose of Meeting

  7. 2nd Year of a Two Year Cycle • 1 New Legislative Priority + Department of Aging + Family Care Act • 1 New Budget Priority + 1 Perennial Budget Priority Legislative Cycle

  8. Department of Aging • Family Care Act • Increase Access to Oral Health Care for Seniors 2014 Legislative Priorities

  9. Funding for Home and Community Based Services • Funding for Adult Day Center Licensure 2014 Budget Priorities

  10. WELCOME LEGISLATORS

  11. 2014 CO-AGE PRIORITIES Presentations

  12. 7 Minutes Per Presentation • Questions: • Webcast Participants: send questions to Coage2012@gmail.com • Armstrong Center Participants: write questions on fluorescent index cards • Include your name & email with your question(s) Presentation Guidelines

  13. Department of Aging

  14. The Right Path to“ Aging Well in Georgia”

  15. AGING by the NUMBERS

  16. By 2030 one in four people in Georgia will be over the age of 55 • Georgia’s growth rate by 2030 will be the 9th highest increase in the US • Georgia coastal and northern mountain counties rank as top retirement choices by national publications A Snapshot of an Older Georgia

  17. Employment • Continuing Education • Healthcare • Transportation • Housing • Public Health How many ways will this growth impact state government?

  18. Where are Aging Services in our Government?

  19. DHS Organizational

  20. Aging needs to be an equal partner at the table in setting public policy that overlaps multiple departments • The fastest growing segment of the population deserves careful focus & commitment • A leaner, efficient, and more flexible department can better implement new ideas and best practices • DAS operates with a privatized management model, unlike Family & Children’s Services Why Aging Needs Its Own Department

  21. Alabama (Department of Senior Services) • Florida (Department of Elder Affairs) • Kentucky (Department for Aging) • Tennessee (Commission on Aging & Disability) • Texas (Department of Aging & Disability Services) • Virginia (Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services) • West Virginia (Bureau of Senior Services) Most southeastern states have already made this commitment to seniors

  22. The senior population in Georgia is growing • COAGE continues to make a Department of Aging a Priority Issue • The Georgia Council on Aging will continue to advocate for a Department of Aging with groups like the Senate Aging Study Committee and with the General Assembly • COAGE members will carry the message to their representatives for as long as it takes The need is now, the campaign continues…

  23. Family Care Act

  24. Increased Access to Oral Health Care for Seniors

  25. “You are not healthy without good oral health.” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop • Oral health is critical to wellbeing, appearance and relationships, and the ability to eat, speak, smile, sleep and function • Oral health is adversely affected by systemic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and medications commonly taken by seniors. • Unlike most chronic illness, oral diseases almost always can be prevented! Access to Oral Health Care Improves Health and Wellbeing

  26. “ Oral health naturally declines with age, and if routine care is not utilized, problems can quickly arise. Periodontal diseases are associated with chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, and oral cancer. The greatest dental need reported by older adults is routine oral hygiene.” America’s Health Rankings Senior Report (2013). Georgia 43rd among 50 States

  27. Community-living seniors: • Half have not seen a dentist in a year • 1 in 5 haven’t seen a dentist in 5 years • 1/3 have untreated decay • Seniors in nursing homes: • 2/3 have untreated decay • More than 20% of Georgia seniors have lost all their teeth extracted. Georgia Seniors Are Not Getting Oral Care

  28. Cost • Transportation • Decreased sensitivity to tooth decay • Anxiety/Depression • Dental provider distance – Georgia has fewer dentist per capita than any other state except one • Mobile dentistry availability Access to Care Barriers Severe for Seniors

  29. No dental insurance ▬►Paying out of pocket ▬►Obstacle to care • Medicare provides NO coverage for senior oral health care. • The Affordable Care Act provides NO relief for senior oral health care. • Georgia Medicaid covers only emergency extractions and NO preventive care. 98% of Retirees Lack Dental Insurance

  30. Seniors pay a higher percentage of income for dental expenses, a number that increases with age. • More than half of Georgia’s seniors struggle economically to pay basic necessities. Seniors Pay More out of Pocket for Oral Health Care but can Afford it Less

  31. Community-dwelling seniors have many barriers to access • Long term care facilities are routinely failing to meet to provide screenings, daily oral health care and regular preventive care. Regular Preventive Care is Key to Oral Health

  32. 44 states allow Dental Hygienists to practice under the general supervision of a dentist so the dentist does not have to be physically present when care is provided. • Georgia is one of only 6 states that continues to require “direct supervision.” • For more than 20 years, Georgia Dental Hygienists have provided high quality preventive care in Public Health Department settings without direct supervision. Georgia’s Outdated Laws Limit Access to Care

  33. “While restricting scope of practice is generally attributed to protecting consumers from unsafe or untrained professionals, data suggests that restrictive licensure laws in oral health are not tied to better health outcomes or supported by scientific evidence; in fact, stringent laws have been tied to increased consumer costs, which may restrict an individual’s ability to access care.” Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations, Institute of Medicine (July 2011).

  34. This is a bi-partisan issue that would benefit millions of Georgians. • Potential supporters include consumer health advocates, senior advocates, advocates for children, people with disabilities, low income families, minorities, rural residents, and others. In Summary:

  35. Funding for Home & Community Based ServicesCO-AGE Perennial Issue

  36. Launching A Five-Year COAGE Plan for Aging Services Funding $50,000,000 over Five Years

  37. Funding for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) • Funding for Elder Abuse Prevention and Investigation First Year Budget Initiative: $10 Million

  38. Booming senior population • HCBS Waiting List 20,500+ • Alzheimer’s and dementia increase risk for abuse • HB78 will increase elder abuse case loads • Nursing home admission and Medicaid expenses will skyrocket if we don’t Why ask now?

  39. HCBS allows for Aging-in-place • HCBS makes seniors less vulnerable to abuse • HCBS helps stretch family assets for a longer period of time HCBS is good for Seniors

  40. HCBS dollars are spent locally • HCBS means local jobs • Seniors remain part of their communities • HCBS relieves caregivers, allowing many to continue working HCBS is good for Communities

  41. HCBS costs average $1,884 - nursing home care averages $30,428. • HCBS is distributed statewide • Even a low-cost meal can make a huge difference • Without HCBS, Medicaid expenditures will rise much faster HCBS is good for Taxpayers

  42. What does the Request Include?

  43. Begin to Reduce the Waiting List Current Waiting List 20,558 • 11,153 unduplicated individuals • 82% of them are eligible for nursing home admission

  44. Improve Adult Protective Services investigation • Build a Long-term-care Ombudsman volunteer program to investigate complaints • Create new state protocol and emergency placement beds for abuse victims • Adequately fund the Georgia Senior Legal Hotline COAGE Elder Abuse Prevention and Investigation Proposal

  45. Fund increased costs, esp. travel • Fund technology needs for local programs • Fund a program to recruit, train, and certify volunteers 50 staff serve over 72,000 residents 193 new Personal Care Homes since 2003 adds 772 required site visits per year Support Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs

  46. Provide Emergency Placements in every Region of the State • Safe shelter after removal from an abusive or unsafe environment • Resident relocation when unlicensed personal care homes are closed • Emergency housing for persons with dementia who have wandered

  47. Improve Access to Legal Advice Georgia Senior Legal Hotline 10,000 calls & almost 4,000 cases Free of charge State wide through toll-free number Primary issues include: • financial exploitation • elder abuse • foreclosure and illegal evictions • loss of income and scams • lack of access to benefits

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