Making Person-Centered Planning the Center of Community Development Action for Older Adults

1. Making Person-Centered Planning the Center of Community Development Action for Older Adults Britt Bassoni Minnesota DHS – Aging and Adult Services Division

2. The Problems Home and Community-Based Service Development: Frequently doesn’t involve consumers of services Often fails to recognize the individuals are unique and aren’t defined by their age or diagnosis Usually is lineal and boundary-defined Always struggles with issues of funding, sustainability, regulation, and liability May not always share the same priorities as consumers of services Left with retrofitting what currently already exists or is already there.

3. The Goals New thinking and person-centered approaches can: Better involve consumers of services Help us see consumers as dynamic contributors and participants in their communities Assist us in recognizing the complexities and challenges of planning for a lifetime Allows us to better utilize and allocate scarce and valuable resources Foster clear and frank discussions about vision and priorities, and the way to get to where we want to go

4. The Challenges How can we: Engage older adults and a more diverse cross-section of our community in person-centered planning and planning for a lifetime? Translate and execute what we hear into meaningful and purpose-driven development activities? Build the abilities and possibilities of change and growth into the partnerships and models we develop?

5. The Results Stronger, more vibrant, and more inclusive communities Better and broader-based services and supports Greater consumer satisfaction and quality of life More efficient use of scarce funds - - private and public Improved communication between and utilization of existing community services and resources

6. The Questions What can you do in a personal or professional capacity to make person-centered planning and development a part of how you think, how you help problem-solve with clients, and how you develop programs and services?

7. The Questions Relationship mapping is used in person-centered planning, to articulate personal networks and develop care plans, but can the same technique be used to articulate community networks and how they might work together in service of individuals within that community? What would your relationship map look like?

8. The Questions In your agency, business, or community how can you engage relevant participants and partners in individualized person-centered planning, and then on a community level, in person-centered planning and development? How would you “sell” your ideas, and how would your message differ as you engaged a barber shop, local law enforcement, and then a home delivered meals program?

9. The Questions Think about all of the businesses and services you access currently in your life. Now project into the future to a point in time where you would need to access many of those same businesses and services and what you would tell them about how you expected to be accommodated and treated? Would your expectations then be any different than they are today?

10. The Questions In your own life, or in your own agency or larger community, who gets left out - - or opts out - - of planning and services development, and why? What does their absence cost you, your organization, or community?

11. Summary Person-centered, inclusive, and participant-driven community services development won’t happen if you and those you both know and don’t know can’t or chose not to be a part of the process. Knowing it is difficult doesn’t earn anyone a pass, and wishing it to be so, won’t make it happen on its own. It will take real work.