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Minutes of the

Health & Human Services Committee

April 6, 2009

            The Health & Human Services Committee of the DeKalb County Board met on Monday, April 6, 2009, @ 5:30p.m. in the Administration Building’s Conference Room East.  Chairman Jeff Metzger, Sr., called the meeting to order.  Members present were Eileen Dubin, John Emerson, Pat LaVigne, and Paul Stoddard.  Mr. Osborne was absent.  Others present were Karen Grush, Zivile Sabin, Ellen Tyne, Bob Shipman, Karen Hagen and Val Hinz.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

            Moved by Ms. LaVigne, seconded by Mr. Stoddard, and it was carried to approve the minutes from March 2009.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

            Moved by Mr. Emerson, seconded by Ms. LaVigne, and it was carried unanimously to approve the agenda.

SENIOR SERVICES TAX LEVY HEARINGS

            Chairman Metzger, Sr. reminded the committee members that the agencies were only going to be allowed 10-15 minutes each for a question and answer period.  After the meeting tonight the committee will then reconvene on Monday, April 13, 2009 at  5:30p.m. to hear the rest of the senior tax levy hearing and then discuss the monetary awards to the various agencies chosen. 

Barb City Manor – Ms. Ellen Tyne, Administrator

Request:  Barb City Manor is requesting $10,608.00 in funds that would assist an average of 4 residents per month for 1 year of service (48 months or units of service) at an average cost of $221.00 per service unit.  Cost of service will vary with financial need of the senior.  She said that the difference this year in the amount requested is that he economy has taken on a great change from last year at this time.  They found that there are more and more people needing assistance this year.  This is because Barb City is not getting the help from HUD funds like they have in the past.  Last March they had 13 residents receiving HUD funds and this year they have 8 people receiving funds.  That is because they have a freeze on adding anyone to their waiting list.  When Ms. Tyne spoke to HUD and asked if they had any idea when the waiting list would open up, the person told her that it may take 3 to 5 years.  Their funding has been cut and they have so many people on their waiting list.  Because of this Barb City Manor is relying on their Endowment Fund and helping people.  They haven’t lost any money on it but they are not making any interest on it.  So therefore they are dipping into the principal. 

Current Section 8 subsidies vary from $111.00 per month to $395.00 per month.  The number of residents assisted and the dollar amount of assistance would not be so great as to exceed the requested amount in the year’s time.  Residents must be able to pay for the majority of their monthly cost of living at Barb City with an average cost of $1,240 per month.  This is done through monthly social security, pensions, interest or savings.  Assistance from Barb City Manor’s Resident Endowment Fund may also be requested.  Barb City’s Endowment Fund is currently $144,321. Residents are receiving $1197.00 a month from this fund, which is over the amount the fund is earning in interest.  Residents with very low income or those who have outlived an annuity or other investment sometimes need assistance from more than one source.

2008 Award    2009 Requested Amount     

$8,000             $10,608.00

Opportunity House – Ms. Carol Parsons, Ms. Connie Birse/Mr. Robert Shipman

Request:  Opportunity House is requesting $33,900 for their specialized senior program that will help seniors with developmental disabilities to remain in their present living arrangement and prevent or delay referral to a nursing home. The amount that they receive provides for 1100 hours of annual services.  In their program currently they supply 1590 staff hours on an annual basis.  They have 10 seniors in their senior room currently and feel that they may add more numbers to this room at the end of this summer.  They have one(1) staff person funded with this grant money.

2008 Award    2009 Requested Amount

$34,000           $33,900

DeKalb County Government – Mr. Gary Hanson

Request:  DeKalb County Government is requesting $20,000 to construct a bike/walking path along the north side of Dresser Road in DeKalb between Annie Glidden on the west end and North First Street on the east end.  Mr. Hanson said that he feels it’s an opportunity to create some type of permanent infrastructure so that dollars that are spent today will give benefits to the citizens 30, 40, 50 years from now.  This is a destination path, which allows everyone to access the park, the new high school and the ballpark.

All segments of the population will be using this path, but this committee’s mission, said Mr. Hanson, is to prevent premature institutionalization of citizens, which should be a lifelong process.  Yes, others will use the path, but so will seniors, he further stated.  He thinks it is a win/win situation.

2008 Award    2009 Requested Amount

       -$0-           $20,000

DeKalb County Health Department – Ms. Karen Grush and Ms. Jane Lux

Request:  DeKalb County Health Department is requesting $30,000 to subsidize approximately 350 home care medical visits to 50 medically indigent DeKalb County senior citizens.  Medically indigent individuals are those not covered under Medicare and who are non-insured or under-insured. 

Ms. Karen Grush, Public Health Director for DeKalb County, said that in 2008, the Home Care Program served 864 individuals.  Of these, 40% were male and 60% were female.  Eighty-two percent (82%) of the individuals served were 55 years of age and older.

2008 Award    2009 Requested Amount

$28,750           $30,000                      

Hospice – Ms. Karen Hagen

Request #1:  Hospice is requesting the amount of $2,640 to support an average of five (5) senior home-based Transitions End of Life care clients per month.  The average time spent by the Transitions Coordinator on case management and volunteer supervision per client is two hours per month at $21.00 per hour.  The request also includes $120.00 for the Transitions portion of the Direct Care Volunteer training (two trainings/year).

2008 Award       2009 Requested Amount

$3,500                 $2,640

Request #2:  Hospice is requesting the amount of $2,268 to reimburse two class leaders for their time spent preparing, doing follow up and facilitating two Powerful Tools for Caregivers classes per year.  Each of the six class sessions are 2 ½ hours long at approximately $21.00 per hour per facilitator.  An additional hour is used by each facilitator for preparation and another hour for follow up and referral work with individual class members. 

2008 Award        2009 Requested Amount

-$0-                       $2,268

Elder Care Services – Case Management and Elder Abuse – Ms. Zivile Sabin

Elder Care has three applications again this year.  They are regarding Case Management, Elder Abuse and Neglect Program and the newly formed Self-Neglect Intervention Program. 

Request:  Elder Care - Case Management is requesting $39,000 to provide additional case management services in DeKalb County.  Other Sources of income include reimbursement from Illinois Department on Aging.  Their request will be used to support services to 380 clients in FY08.  Elder Care will be providing 6500 units of case management services to these clients. They are requesting support in the amount of $6 per unit of service.

             Elder Care – Elder Abuse is requesting $27,500 to provide additional elder abuse and neglect services in DeKalb County. Other sources of income include contractual reimbursement from the Illinois Department on Aging, requests to DeKalb United Way/Sycamore United Fund and DeKalb Township.  Their request will be used to support services to 95 elder abuse victims.  The funds will be used to provide 1250 units of service to those clients.  They are requesting support in the amount of $22.00 per unit of service.

            Elder Care Self-Neglect Intervention (ECS) is requesting $32,000 to continue support for a Self-Neglect Intervention Program.  They will provide 1658 units of services to 37 Self Neglecting seniors.  Elder Care Services is requesting $17.50 per unit at a cost of $29,000.00. 

Agency                                    2008 Award    2009 Requested Amount     

Case Management:                $28,000           $39,000                                  

Elder Abuse:                            $26,500           $27,500                                  

Self-Neglect                            $31,000           $32,000                      

Family Service Agency of DeKalb County – Ms. Sue Plote

Request:  Family Service Agency is requesting $90,000 to continue homemaker services for the low-income elderly residents of DeKalb County.  The other source of income to be used for this portion of the Assisted Living Program is through the Illinois Department of Aging (IDOA).

        It is estimated that 12,750 hours will be provided in FY10, and the $90,000 that is requested from the Senior Services Tax Levy will pay for 9,575 of those service hours at the rate of $9.40 per hour.           

2008 Award                 2009 Requested Amount               

$90,000                           $90,000                                          

Fox Valley Older Adults – Ms. Cynthia Worsley

Request:  Fox Valley Older Adults Services Agency, during the calendar year 2008, provided residents of DeKalb County with 25,000 units of service, with 19,883 units provided to clients at the DeKalb Adult Day Services and 4,992 provided at the Sandwich Day Service.  

In the new term, it is the intent of Fox Valley Older Adult Services to provide 26,000 or more units of service to DeKalb County residents.  Their facility in DeKalb currently has a client base of 10 DeKalb County clients per week and their facility in Sandwich services 4 DeKalb County clients weekly.

2008 Award       2009 Requested Amount

$40,000               $65,000                                         

Hope Haven – Ms. Lesly Wicks

Request:  Hope Haven is requesting funds for a Case Manager for the Dresser Court/Senior Services facility.  Dresser Court is a permanent housing facility for chronically ill people, mostly mental health.  The facility helps to keep people from being institutionalized. Ms. Wicks said that there is a waiting list for this facility.  It has been 100% occupied over the last 5 years or since it’s opening.  

Of the 26 residents residing at Dresser Court, 20% are over the age of sixty.  Within the next five years, over 50% of the residents will be considered elderly.  The request is based on the case manager’s hourly wage of $13.50.  The case manager designated for this project will work 15 hours a week with elderly people only, which totals 780 hours a year.  The hourly wage multiplied by 780 hours equals the total project cost of $10,530.00 a year. 

2008 Award       2009 Requested Amount

      -$0-                 $7,250.00                                      

There was no discussion after the last agency made their presentation.

Chairman Metzger, Sr., reminded the committee that the meeting would reconvene on April 13, 2009 at 5:30p.m. to continue with the senior services tax levy hearings in Conference Room East.

ADJOURNMENT

            Moved by Mr. Stoddard, seconded by Mr. Emerson, and it was carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting.

                                                            Respectfully submitted,

                              _____________________________
                                        Chairman Jeffery L. Metzger, Sr.

________________________________
Mary C. Supple, Secretary