By Jolene Farley
The Southwest Area Agency on Aging hosted a meeting in Luverne Thursday, Nov. 29, to seek advice on ways to better serve seniors in Rock County and southwest Minnesota.
Seniors, their families and service providers were invited to offer suggestions on ways to fill gaps in service.
Though sparsely attended, organizers say the meeting accomplished its purpose.
"I think it went well," said Robin Weiss, Program Development Specialist with the Southwest Area Agency on Aging, "We identified many issues."
The most important issue is information and education, according to Weiss. Enhancing the volunteer network in Rock County is also a priority, as well as caregiver training and in-home respite, which provides caregivers a break from caring for an elderly or disabled loved one.
A 2001 legislative mandate designed to rebalance the long-term care system in Minnesota requires each county to submit a plan to improve services for seniors in their area by the end of 2001.
Rock County submitted a County Gaps Analysis on Oct. 15 to the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The service development plan, detailing how to fill gaps identified by the Analysis, is due on Dec. 31, 2001.
The reports shape policies and will be used to help state officials target $10 million in grants to improve services in the state, according to information from the Southwest Area Agency on Aging.
The Agency is under contract with Rock County and eight other southwest Minnesota counties to complete the required reports.
The objective is to help more seniors remain in their homes and to ease the return home for seniors now temporarily living in the nursing home.
"I would stress they (seniors) need to be informed," Weiss said. "Seniors tend not to call the Senior Linkage Line early enough." Weiss stresses there are options available. Seniors do not have to wait until they are in a "crisis mode" before they call.
"They come to us in a state of panic. For example, they wait until someone breaks a hip rather than hire home health care." The goal is to avoid situations like that, Weiss said.
Mary Jane Brown Administrator Linda Studer said she thought overall the meeting went well.
"I think they have a good plan for starting. There are so many things to be done, but they cannot all be done at once because of time commitments," she said.
"The plan will need to be completed over a period of time with things prioritized," Studer said.
She agrees educating seniors about services available is a definite priority in Rock County.
Rock County seniors can call the Senior Linkage Line (statewide) at 1-800-333-2433 for information regarding resources in Rock County or information about senior concerns or issues.
Unfortunately, many of the solutions outlined at the meeting cannot be implemented without adequate funding by the state, Weiss said.
Staffing is another pertinent issue to address before any programs are established.