2016-2018 Outagamie County Plan on Aging

Local Priority Issues

What are the three (3) most important issues facing older persons and family caregivers?

#1 Local Priority Issues

Affordable and accessible transportation(10)

Affordable health care (dental and medical) (8)

Dementia care (3)

Affordable home repair and maintenance (2)

Affordable housing (2)

Affordable Medications

Failing health (2)

Finances (2)

Respite care (2)

End of life care

Family Care

Housekeeping

Elderly isolation

Medication checks

Nutrition

Recreation

Shopping and errand services

Social Security

Stress and burnout

#2 Local Priority Issues

Affordable in-home support services (8)

Caregiver support and respite (5)

Better education on aging. How it applies to family relationships and what to expect when a family member is aging (3)

Health insurance (3)

Loneliness and isolation (3)

Shopping and errand services (3)

Affordable home repair and maintenance (2)

Affordable housing (2)

Affordable healthcare (dental and vision) (3)

Nutrition (2)

Transportation (2)

Healthy aging (2)

Fear of falling

Financial

Legal

#3 Local Priority Issues

Affordable home repair and maintenance (5)

Transportation (4)

Caregiver Support (3)

Affordable in-home support services (3)

Nutrition (2)

Socialization (2)

Volunteer opportunities (2)

Affordable housing (2)

Affordable prescription medications

Dementia-focused activities

Experiencing loss

Food Share issues

Guardianship support

Health insurance

Health issues

Affordable respite care (2)

Shopping and errand services

Are there programs or services you wish were available in your community?

  • Financial help services
  • On demand transportation
  • In-home stabilization for individuals with dementia. Caregiver support.
  • Affordable and flexible respite care
  • Public Health to go into homes and do medication set-ups/checks and blood pressure screenings.
  • Updating the Thompson Center
  • Free Clinics (flu, pneumonia and shingles vaccinations)
  • County Supportive Home Care Program is only available for residents 65+. Would be helpful if they could serve people between 60 and 64 years too.
  • In-home volunteer service for socialization when recuperating from accident.
  • More entertainment and educational programs to keep low income housing residentstogether (exercise programs, etc.)
  • Small bus tours leaving from the community center (Timber Rattler games, PAC, etc.)
  • Affordable rural transportation (2)
  • Bus or van to take participants to mealsites to eat and socialize.
  • Weekend transportation
  • 6 day food home delivery or a community food site.
  • Low cost housing when additional levels of care are needed.
  • Legal help
  • Protection for the programs that are in place to help seniors and some type of pact between agencies, facilities and providers which will not limit the number of beds or services that these agencies or facilities will provide to those who run out of dollars. (2)

Other additional thoughts or comments?

  • I think that it is very scary that programs for the elderly and disabled seem to end up on the chopping block the minute our legislators want to save a buck. Yet, we will add tax upon tax for a stadium, convention center or other less than necessary items thereby throwing fragile people under the bus. About 20 years ago, there were number of stories highlighting the fact that elderly were having to eat dog food in order to pay for medications. It sounds as though we may wish to start stocking up.
  • More respite caregivers for in-home caregiver relief. Cheaper rates.
  • Cable TV is far too expensive
  • Older people are taken advantage of
  • Minimizing the gaps of care from independent living to assisted living to nursing home
  • Programs to assist people with End of Life care (hospice). Education, POA-HC, etc.
  • How to take care of my own health issues especially stress.
  • Keeping services affordable
  • Need ADRC’s! Don’t even think about replacing them with contracted services outside the communities where services take place.
  • The biggest issue will be funding. Additional resources and services will be needed but there will not be enough elder employment position and supportive programs available to assist them. Wait lists will start again. Dementia is already becoming more prevalent and there will need to be more housing options available (nursing homes, CBRFs, etc.)
  • I really believe if everyone understood the ramifications of being a full code or even pursuing treatment at all, more would choose comfort measures alone thus saving tons of money. Eighty percent of all health care costs are spent in the last few years of your life.
  • Lacking a Power of Attorney. People may have partial POAs or a living will but they are not specific enough to avoid guardianship.
  • Financial struggles. Social Security is encouraging folks to wait until 70 years old to retire to receive maximum benefits. Many elderly can’t physically make it that long.Some just don’t want to. Medicare continues with large donut holes with deductibles many can’t afford with the increase in cost of living.
  • How will people be able to remain in their home as they age? Two-story homes may be out of the question. Homes may have to be modified to allow wheelchairs to get through entry ways. Assisted living/CBRFs/RCACs are lovely. It’s the cost that is tough and we already see that these places want private pay folks. That is just the beginning of the problem. Who will care for them at home?
  • With the push by the federal government for unpaid, natural supports coming on the heels of a generation (our children) who have put off childbearing until their 30’s and sometimes 40’s, I’m concerned about those kids being able to help out Mom and Dad when they still have children at home. Having a family (especially with multiple children) takes 110% focus and commitment, so it could be incredibly difficult for our adult children to take on any significant role in caregiving for their parents. Of course, there may be other relatives or close friends who could help out but adult children usually bear the brunt of the burden even if it’s just coordination and oversight of the care.
  • Dementia care availability and expertise for these individuals
  • Dealing with changing state and federal requirements of programming for seniors that are at this time unknown. This will require flexibility of staff to insure that seniors can access the services. It will also require handicapped accessible buildings, with centralized services, that are on a bus route.
  • Need to develop safe housing for individuals with Alzheimer’s and behaviors. We are getting more and more calls from family members who have nowhere to go.
  • Will the array of services needed by seniors be available in the future? This includes resources for out-of-home placements, in-home care, home delivered meals, therapy services, etc. The questions associated with this is how do we fund the need based on number of seniors with fewer young to support the growing elderly population and will there be adequate numbers of staff available to provide the service they need?
  • Dramatically shifting demographics. The biggest challenge will be its size relative to the balance of the population.
  • Housing – with the "Silver Tsunami" and the number of people calling about housing, I am going to guess there will be shortage of housing for people.
  • Lack of natural supports. Adult children are not staying in their home towns long term. Neighbors are not helping neighbors.
  • Who will take care of our elderly? Improvements to wages and benefits will be a big factor to ensure there are enough qualified people to provide direct care services to our elderly population.

Local Priority Issues input was compiled from the following public forums and sources:

Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Outagamie County Branch Staff(Information and Assistance Specialists, Community Living Specialist, Elder and Disability Benefit Specialists, ADRC Assistants, Support Staff, Supervisors)

Outagamie County Elderly Nutrition Program Staff (Mealsite Managers, Food Transporters and Substitutes)

Outagamie County Elderly Nutrition Program Participants

Outagamie County Aging & Long Term Support Advisory Committee

Outagamie Caregiver Coalition Membership

Outagamie County Public Officials

Outagamie County Department of Health & Human Services Administration Staff

Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Outagamie County Branch Volunteer Recognition Volunteers 5/6/15

St. Joseph's Food Pantry Staff and 100+ Volunteers

Hortonville Senior Group 6/25/15

Kaukauna Senior Group 5/20/15

Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Outagamie County Branch The ADRC Connection Newsletter 6/2015

July 1, 2015

S:HHS/ADRC/AGING COUNTY PLAN/2016-2018 Local Priority Issues. doc

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