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| Document Summary | - Report Published - |
House Document No. 44
PUBLICATION YEAR 1994 | |
| Document Title |
| Long-Term Care and Aging Services |
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| Author |
| Secretary of Health and Human Resources |
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| Enabling Authority |
| HJR 603 (Regular Session, 1993) |
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| Executive Summary |
In 1993 the General Assembly passed House Joint Resolution No. 603 requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to develop a plan to restructure and consolidate all aging and long-term care programs. To ensure that the plan has the input and guidance of major stakeholders, the Secretary appointed the Long-Term Care and Aging Task Force. The Task Force is composed of individuals and persons representing organizations with an interest in aging and long-term care services. The report, which follows, reflects the deliberations of the Task Force itself and the work of its three subcommittees -- State, Local, Services/Linkages/Public- Private. The Task Force also gave consideration to comments received at its public forums for input before the deliberations began and at public hearings on the draft plan. Information received from state agencies and other sources was also considered.
The report sets forth a plan to consolidate long-term care and aging functions from four state agencies into a restructured agency which would be responsible for the planning, administration, management, development, regulation, and funding of long-term care and aging services. These functions are currently carried out across four agencies, and the consolidation would offer the opportunity to provide for the efficient and effective development and management of a system of long-term care and aging services. Such a system would offer the Commonwealth an opportunity to plan and respond to current and future needs of the citizens of the Commonwealth.
The report also discusses local level systems development and recommends the creation of an advisory group to assist in the further development of local level systems. Such an advisory group would be made up of representatives of local government, providers of services, and consumers. Included also are sections on issues to be considered in the development of local level long-term care systems and in the implementation of the state level consolidation.
The Task Force also suggested that the Commonwealth's long-term care and aging services be focused on the client with the goal of providing maximum independence for the longest possible time. Individual choice in the selection and provision of long-term care services should be stressed. A broad array of services is encouraged with communities selecting services needed in their specific areas from three categories: home-based services, community-based services, and residential services. |
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