Advisory Council Meeting

May 14, 2009

Minutes

Held at 2573 Midpoint Drive, Ste. 108

Fort Collins, Colorado  80525

 

Members Present:	Nancy Arthur	David Born	Peggy Bowers
	Cassie Castleberry	Caryll Cram	Helen Davis
	Tim Dolan	Marcy Greenslit	Judy Jones
	Elnora McCloughan	Ellen Pihlstrom	Gail Reader
	Mary Shultz	Earl Stevens	Barbara Tuttle
	Stan Ulrich
Members Absent :	Rene DeMattei	Manfred Diehl	Don Venneberg
	Sharon Zamora
Staff Present:	Tina Barker	Tina Corrigan-Hugo	Margaret Long
	Ruth Long	Katy Mason	Lynette McGowan
	Glen Rathgeber	Linda Rumney	Laura Sutherlin
Guests Present:	Elaine Boni	Valerie DiBenedetto	Shirley Rogers

CALL TO ORDER

Helen Davis called the meeting to order at 1:38 p.m.

INTRODUCTIONS

The following guests were introduced:  Valerie DiBenedetto, from Fort Collins Meals on Wheels.

CONSIDERATION OF TODAY’S AGENDA AND MINUTES OF April 9, 2009

A motion to accept the minutes as presented was made and passed.  Ellen Pihlstrom noted that the date on the minutes should be changed from 2008 to 2009.

CHAIR REPORT

Helen Davis reported that the Executive Committee will present the slate of officers for a council vote at the June meeting.  Helen thanked Stan for arranging to have Dr. Aguilar attend last month and she added that we did get the letter out to congressional delegates to increase the Older Americans Act funding by 20%. 

UPDATE ON OFFICE ON AGING

Margaret Long distributed a spreadsheet explaining what the Office on Aging (OOA) is planning to fund in Fiscal Year 2010.  This year we will receive funding from the federal Older Americans Act money (Parts B, C1, C2, D and E), the state Older Coloradoans fund and now the stimulus dollars for nutrition.  The OOA also has federal carryover funds to spend.  Margaret has decided to do business as usual by extending contracts to the same providers we have now.  Margaret explained the spreadsheet.  Part B money is by far the most flexible, as we can purchase a variety of services with it.  Part D is only for purchase of health promotion services.  There is a mandate to spend $3,500 for Medication Management.  Part E services are for Caregiver, C1 is for congregate meals and C2 is for home-delivered meals.  In regard to the stimulus package, we are proposing to buy blizzard boxes for Estes Park, Berthoud Senior Center and Loveland Meals on Wheels, as well as funding some C1 and C2 meals.  Margaret asked the Council to approve the plan.  Katy commented that the Planning, Funding and Partnership Development committee has taken a good look at this plan.  Earl Stevens moved to approve the budget proposal and Cassie Castleberry seconded.  The motion was passed unanimously. 

OFFICE ON AGING PRESENTATION:  Colorado Culture Change Coalition by Tina Barker, Linda Rumney and Lynette McGowan

Lynette McGowan started the presentation with a brief history.  In 1997, thirty innovators and providers met to discuss for radical changes in nursing homes.  These pioneers started what is now referred to as culture change, promoted state culture change coalitions and formed a national organization called The Pioneer Network.  In 2002, these Pioneers came to the Colorado Health Department, CMS and various providers to give a presentation about the movement.  The Colorado Culture Change Coalition has been going for seven years.  This group of innovators has a monthly educational forum promoting culture change where they share models, ideas and resources. 

 

Linda Rumney discussed the traditional model of long-term care nursing facilities.  The model is based on acute care with the nurses’ station being the hub of activity, patients being “parked” in the hallway, and call lights and overhead paging in the rooms.  In this model people are more task-oriented instead of person-oriented.  Culture Change transforms philosophy and practice at every level of operation, instead of adding new routines on top of old practices and approaches.  It is not change for its own sake.  It is about changing to a new way of working that fosters an environment in which staff is inspired to support residents’ quality of life and self-determination while also respecting residents’ dignity, personhood and autonomy. This includes the following ideas:

• self directed care
• a living environment that is designed to be a home rather than an institution
• close relationships existing between residents, family members, staff and community
• workflow organized to support and empower all staff to respond to residents’ needs and desires
• management enabling collaborative and decentralized decision-making and systematic processes that are comprehensive and measurement-based and that are utilized for continuous quality improvement.

 

Lynette stated that the founders developed a mission statement to create deep transformation.  The goals for Culture Change are as follows:

• To strengthen partnerships among all stakeholders
• To establish a statewide network of culture change resources
• To identify and work to change issues that undermine the delivery of care
• To promote the values, principles and practices of the culture change movement and new performance standards throughout Colorado, through the identification and dissemination of innovative models of care and facility management.

Tina Barker discussed Culture Change in Action.  Tina stated that it’s not a program, but more of a change in our thought process.  Nursing facilities are not a workplace.  They are homes and should look and feel like it.  Person-directed care means the decision-making back to the residents, letting them make their own choices.  But for this to work, the staff must be empowered to help residents make those choices and move forward.  Other Culture Change ideas include these: 

• Flexibility in set routines and schedules
• Strong support of direct care staff
• Consistent assignments
• Resident choice in waking and bedtimes
• Buffet restaurant or family style dining
• Warm, relaxing and inviting bathing rooms
• Welcoming resident pets for companionships
• An abundance of living plants inside and landscaping and foliage outside
• Integrating the presence of children into daily life
• Gathering as a community to discuss things of mutual interest and concern, to celebrate, remember and mourn
• Small units of residents made into neighborhoods and households
• Country kitchen areas on each neighborhood/household
• Dining and sitting areas clustered around neighborhoods/household kitchen
• Personal laundry done in each neighborhood.

Tina noted that in 2004 the Northern Colorado Culture Change Coalition was established.  They meet monthly on the second Wednesdays of the month at 11:30 at Pathways Hospice.  They will bring in speakers and the staff of the facilities will discuss what they are doing on their journey.  The website is www.coculturechange.org if you would like more information.

Lynette finished the presentation by discussing where they are today.  There are many things happening at the state level.  The Colorado Accord was intended to improve relationships/partnerships with legislatures, Health Care Finance and Policy (HCPF), and the State and Regional Surveyors.  There is also some more funding from the Colorado Health Foundation Grant.  House Bill 09-1196 which takes a portion of the money held in the civil money penalty fund (CMP’s) and uses that money to educate consumers, ombudsman, surveyors, care givers and other stakeholders on creating an environment of resident centered care in Colorado’s nursing homes has been passed. Pay for performance is a way of coming up with a different Medicaid reimbursement.  This will give nursing homes an incentive for doing culture change.  Out of 216 homes in Colorado, 40 have started that process for reimbursement with pay for performance. 

COUNCIL MEMBER BIOGRAPHY

Laura Sutherlin gave a brief autobiography.

SENIOR ADVISORY REPORTS

Fort Collins Senior Advisory Board Report

No report given.

 

Loveland Senior Advisory Board

Earl Stevens reported that JoAnn Grace, from the Spiritual Health Partnership, gave a presentation which was very good.  Earl commented that he had nominated Barbara Nuss for the Loveland Honors Award which has led to Larimer County naming Barbara Nuss as the Senior Award Winner for the Year.  Judy Jones will accept the award on behalf of the family.  The Job Fair had approximately 830 participants and 19 employers were represented. 

 

Foundation on Aging

Mary Shultz reported that the Foundation on Aging has signed a contract for development of their website.  The Program committee has proposed grants for five agencies.  Mary noted that their next project will be organizing a Town Hall meeting.

 

Larimer County Commissioner

No report given.

 

Human Relations Commission 

Elaine Boni reported that the Community Conversation on Elder Abuse is next week form 6:30 – 7:30.  Elaine is hoping to feature programs that are already in existence.  The ombudsmen and Margaret will be in attendance.

 

Commission on Aging

No report given.

COMMITTEE & STAFF REPORTS

Community Outreach & Education Committee

Mary Shultz reported that the meal site visits are going well.  Issues discussed at the meeting were the Job Fair and Cinco de Mayo.  Katy gave background information on the friendly visitor program which is only available at the Lemay Health & Rehab facility.

 

Media & Public Relations Committee

Marcy Greenslit reported on a press release for Older Americans Month during May. 

 

Planning, Funding & Partnership Development Committee

Ellen Pihlstrom reported that Margaret went over the budget and the national AARP report on financial crisis.  The committee also discussed MCR transportation issues and is currently waiting for news about Stimulus monies from Health and Human Services for money for the Senior Tax Work-Off program.

 

Public Policy & Advocacy Committee

Stan Ulrich reported that the legislative session is over.  Stan thinks it was an overall good session although we lost getting more funding for the Older Coloradoan’s fund.   

Staff Reports

Katy Mason reported that she has requested $10,000 of stimulus money for the Senior Tax Work-Off program.  Katy noted that there is a lot going on with the Foundation on Aging.  They have hired a consultant, Gene Hodge, to work over the next nine months to develop a website and put on a town hall meeting. 

 

Laura Sutherlin reported that the Office on Aging will have a table at 55 or Better at the Chilson Center next week.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Stan Ulrich announced that there is a “Shredding Day” on May 30 from 9-12 at the Public Service Credit Union on Centre  Avenue and that the Senior Center Expansion committee is hosting the July 3 BBQ picnic. 

 

Helen Davis announced that Jim Barlow has resigned.  He has moved to Oregon to be closer to his son.  Helen also noted that there are no presentations scheduled for the next two months.  She had attended two good presentations by the Alzheimer’s Association.  Lynette McGowan stated that Emily Conner has a really good video on advocacy, awareness and education on dementia.  Lynette also highly recommended attending the Richard Taylor presentation on “Alzheimer’s from the Inside Out”. 

 

ADJOURNMENT                                                     

Helen adjourned the meeting at 3:18 p.m.