|
Looking for innovation in service delivery
The Program Operations Committee of the Minnesota
Board on Aging develops policies that guide funding
and development of services. It also reviews and
awards federal Older Americans Act funds, as well as
state funds, through a statewide network of
agencies. These include the Area Agency on Aging
funding and development plans, Ombudsman for Older
Minnesotans and the volunteer programs.
The challenge in the coming years will be to
develop policies that support our partners,
contractors, and grantees who are serving an
increasing number of older persons with fewer
resources. We are all looking for new ways of
delivering services, and at the same time
incorporating innovative approaches to programs and
systems that provide resources for older Minnesotans
and their families. Examples of policy areas
developed over the last few years include:
• Initiating a performance-based contracting
process that maximizes value and greater delivery of
services.
• Strengthening the community-capacity building
of Area Agencies on Aging to focus in three areas of
development: 1. needed home and community-based
services so people can stay in their own homes for
as long as possible; 2. caregiver support services
so that families and friends can feel confident in
their role as a caregiver; 3. coordinating long-term
care reform, with the help of the counties.
• Developing an overall caregiver support
policy with a vision that incorporates all private
and public pay services into a system that
"wraps around" the informal caregiver.
• Supporting new delivery and financing models,
and emphasizing the use of technology. The debut of
www.MinnesotaHelp.info, which was featured in the
February 2003 issue, is one such example. Another is
our collaboration with United Way 2-1-1 and First
Call Minnesota (telephone information and referral)
which will enable us to focus our attention on more
assistance through the Senior LinkAge Line®.
There is a theme that ties each of these
initiatives together: maximizing older Minnesotans’
ability to meet their own long-term care needs
through good information, having reliable and
quality home and community-based services, and
building on the volunteer spirit and community
strengths.
As we look to the future, change is inevitable.
The key to our success in this economic climate will
be to ensure efficiency and affordability. As our
committee reviews requests and recommends actions,
we will continue to focus on new ways of supporting
our older population while at the same time
preparing to work with fewer dollars. We are
prepared to take on these challenges.
– Marjorie Jamieson, Program Operations
Committee Chair
|
