The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About1988-03-09-COA-min.pdf COUNCIL ON AGING BOARD MEETING MINUTES - March 9, 1988 Present Terry Gent, Wendell Benway, Ed Grant , Kevin Grimes, Louis Tropeano, Connie Foster, Susan Nordemo, George Doughty Absent Ruth Butler, Dorothy Boggia, Barbara Rubin, Jack Eddison Others Present Suzanne Hill, SHINE Program Counsellor Staff Present Linda Vine, Suanne Dillman, Evelyn Saulich, Rose Goralnick Chrm. Gent called the meeting to order at 4 33 P.M. SECRETARY'S REPORT The February 9, 1988 Board Meeting Minutes were accepted as written REPORTS Kevin Grimes reported on the progress of the Alzheimer's Alert Program. Kevin and Linda met with Lexington Police Chief, Paul Furdon, regarding police participation in the program. The Police Department is very willing to cooperate with the C O.A in implementing this program and they already carry out much of the program in an informal manner Kevin will continue to pursue this matter and will organize a training program to be presented by the Milford Police who are successfully using the program Terry Gent asked Kevin to report at the next Board Meeting a time frame for implementation and photographing potential clients Kevin has also met with the Muzzey Condo Trustee Association regarding the legal suits being filed by the Trustees 1 suit in connection with the exterior problems of the building and a 2nd suit involving the interior problems of the building The Town of Lexington is not mentioned in either suit Kevin further reported on a research program being conducted at McLean Hospital in collabor- ation with larger teaching hospitals in the Boston area and McNeil Pharmaceutical on the ( effects of depressant drugs They are looking for recruits to participate in the study He suggested the COA might want to try to interest health providers in becoming involved in this study if they have patients who qualify Kevin suggested that the C O.A might want to sponsor some evening meetings and invite physicians to attend to help bridge the gap between C O.A. programs and the needs of their patients He also suggested that the C 0 A. invite Dr Satlin from McLean Hospital to speak about "How to Manage and Treat Depressed Individuals" Linda stated that the C O.A is sponsoring an upcoming health lecture on depression in the elderly Terry added that the impact of the new Health Care Bill is another subject of great interest and that a speaker on this Bill should be seriously considered Wendell Benway returned to the topic of the clinical study of etoperidone and suggested that ` an article be put in the C O.A. Newsletter about the study Linda questioned the appropriate- ness of the C O.A. in publicizing the study The C O.A will not take an advocacy position SENIOR HEALTH MONITOR UPDATE Linda reported on the Senior Health Monitor Program which is moving along with the cooperation of the Human Services Committee A subcommittee of the Human Services Committee and a sub- committee of the C 0.A Board have been meeting every two weeks to discuss the SHMP The Committee is working to define 1) the financial characteristics of those entering the program 2) what services will be offered 3) the client; who will be eligible Plans are for the SHMP to be up and going in Sept 1988 Ruth Butler is working on a data base The Human Services Committee has allocated $33,000 to fund the program for the 1st year, and the Board of Health can be counted on for an additional $7,000 , if necessary In Linda's absence Steve Baran will be carrying the ball on moving the SHMP ahead. DIRECTOR'S REPORT Linda passed out materials on the following Article 45 of the 1988 Town Warrant - Residential Improvement Exemption, the monthly library report, the monthly Meals on Wheels report, a Massachusetts Legislativative Update - 1987 Session; The Innovator, a quarterly publication of the Social Day Care group; a C 0 A Staff Reorganization Chart, and job description all staff positions The Staff positions and responsibilities were gone into in detail 1) The Director's position is a 35 hr /week, full time position which is funded by the Town 2) The Administrative Assistant position, held by Suanne Dillman, is also 35 hrs /week and funded by the Town Suanne reported on her position and stated the biggest increase in her workload is in the financial record keeping 3) The Outreach Social Worker/SPANS Coordinator position currently is filled by Evelyn Saulich who also works a 35 hr week Evelyn is paid by the Town funds for 25 hrs/week of Outreah and by School Department funds for 10hrs /week of SPANS coordination. 4) The Senior Case Aide position is for 20 hrs/week and is filled by Lee DeGuglielmo and funded by Minuteman Home Care Corporation Lee does the ongoing monitoring of a specific case Presently her case load is 34 clients 5) The Social Day Care Coordinator, Connie Ruocco, works a 24 hr week as does her assistant, Carolyn Griffith They are paid from fees generated from the SDC program. 6) The Meals on Wheels Coordinator, Marcy Lucas, works a 20 hr week 15 hrs of the 20 are funded through program fees, and 5 hrs are funded by a D.E A Formula Grant 7) The Nutrition Coordinator, Betty Mangan, works 20 hrs /week and her salary is paid by Minuteman Home Care Corporation Evelyn Saulich imparted some very interesting information about the focuses of Outreach 1) Getting more people involved in the Center and its programs 2) Information and Referral 3) Crises Intervention Evy has an active case load of 10-15 people; 6-9 new referrals per month This coming Saturda' Evy will participate in a conference at Tufts University She will talk to college students who want to get involved in community service Linda then introduced Suzanne Hill, Coordinator of the SHINE , which is a volunteer program to assist Seniors over 65 years of age in filling out insurance reports, Social Security reports, Medicare and Medicaid and Medex Suzanne also advises Seniors about the benefits they are entitled to and how to apply for them. She sees 5-7 people per week The program is sponsored by the State of Massachusetts , Dept of Elder Affairs, and is strictly done by volunteers She attended a training program in Lowell to train her for this position. Recently, Suzanne assisted in placing 2 Seniors on Medicaid in 2 different nursing homes This is no small feat, since a 12 page report has to be filled out The Senior Center has 105 regular volunteers helping out weekly Terry Gent suggested that we send news releases to the churches/temples for their bulletins so that more people in the community will become aware of the many services, such as the S H.I .N E Program, offered here at the Center The C 0.A could highlight a different program each month and in so doing would bring various programs to people's attention LEXHAB Members of LEXHAB - Marshall Derby, Joan Wall (Sec ) , Don Wilson, Jean Gaudet, Bill Hays (chrm.) , Sherry Edmonds - joined the C 0.A for a housing discussion The C 0.A over the years has been asked to help Seniors in locating housing; most recently after Emerson Gardens was converted to condos The C 0 A was an interested party, but didn't have the K-/ expertise to do much else In the housing area, the C 0.A has focused on Accessory Apts The C 0.A is still asking where it fits in pertaining to housing due to its lack of skills -2- 4 in the housing area and its charge Terry passed out a copy of the housing needs assessment done by the C 0.A Bill Hays gave a history of LEXHAB LEXHAB has 10 apartments in Muzzey The Housing Authority — is thinking about converting a house to congregate, but LEXHAB has no plans in that direction LEXHAB would like the Munroe School to be converted to housing under its direction. LEXHAB is interested in pursuing the possibility of promoting more accessory apartments in Lexington to help fill the need of housing for the elderly The LEXHAB Board has had one meeting to discuss the subject and it plans to pursue the subject further, but Board members are not sure accessory apartments can be offered as affordable due to the high cost of conversion Don Wilson mentioned how MR BUILD will take aAllasf�owner completely through the conversion process Terry asked the question if the C O.A.�s"e`t itself up as a MR. BUILD? Terry plans on having the C 0.A Board Housing Subcommittee meet with LEXHAB and determining what kind of a partnership can be reached in the housing area The meeting adjourned at 6 45 P.M Respectfully submitted, Connie Foster, pro tem Secretary C J C