HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-02-17-HSC-min.pdf Senior Health Monitor Subcommittee Minutes
February 17, 1988
Present Ruth Butler, Linda Vine , Renee Cochin and Steve Baran
Ruth Butler suggested the body of knowledge aptlicable for adequate Senior
Health Monitor project planning These include
A demographic data base of the elderly Lexington population, the impaired
elderly population and the population receiving services and at risk
of beconing frail
A database of available resources categorized in terms of preventive
services, clinical and rehabilitation services , sanitation, housing,
legal and other services
The aging process and how people change
taf£ development mechanisms were seen as a means of making such knowledge
available to the end of perpetuating a model of services which would be an
alternative to the medical model Any such model should emphasize what are
the best possible outcomes as opposed to the current state of affairs
While it might not be feasible to immediately collate all of these data
elerents, it was agreed that they were all relevant for ongoing planning
Renee reviewed the rationale for undertaking the Senior Health Monitor program
It was felt by the Human Services Committee that monit ring was good but
not good enough,that the frail elderly population was growing and that it
was necessary to investigate need even while instituting services Ruth
added to this her sense that the potential of the local community and family
for "promotional" care had yet to be assessed
For the next meeting Linda and Steve will provide data rewarding unit costs
and number of visits rer year while in the near future aggregated data would
be sought on the demograshics of those currently being served and the array
of home care services received (or in need of being received) including
homema-er and home health services and other specialized services It will
also be necessary to learn how many of those being monitored are terminal and
receiving (or are- eligible to receive) hosrice services "Demographics"
were understood to include functional capacity so that an attempt could be
made to match functioning with the services being received Since Jayne
Tapia, Director of Visiting Nurse and Community Health, Inc ,had reported
that the Mass Home Care Program Client Needs Assessment was used for everyone
in the Senior Health Monitor Program, it should be possible to obtain the
desired data
Respectfully Submitted,
� ,- Stephen Baran,
Human Services Coordinator