Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Calumet/Outagamie/Waupaca

                                    Advisory Committee Minutes

                                          November 14, 2013

                                    Goodwill Industries, Menasha

 

Members Present:  Gentz, Karth, Luebke, Schreiner, Redman, Iverson, Schamens, Radtke, Wolter, Lehrer, Stepien, Renning

 

Guests:  Florence Petri and Lois Strong, Oneida Nation

 

Staff Present:  Dewhurst, Elias Planner, Stratton, Gonwa, Kramer

 

1)      CALL TO ORDER:  Luebke called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m.

 

2)      QUORUM:  It was determined that the meeting was properly announced and a quorum was present.

 

3)      ROLL CALL AND INTRODUCTIONS:  Member introduction and welcome to guests Florence Petri, Aging Director for Elder Services and Lois Strong, Commission on Aging Coordinator, Oneida Nation.

 

4)      APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND MINUTES: Motion by Radtke and a second from Lehr to approve the agenda and September 12, 2013 minutes. Motion carried unanimously.

 

5)      PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:   None

 

6)      COMMUNICATIONS:  Luebke reported the Down’s Syndrome Awareness Walk held on October 5, 2013 at Riverside Park, Neenah raised over $50,000 in spite of rain.   Daniel Luebke was the walk ambassador.  Radtke and Richman reported on the “Six Degrees of Self-Determination” Conference held at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells with 650 in attendance.  Handouts may be found on the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD) website at:  www.wi-bpdd.org/sdc/ Very worthwhile for those with disabilities and parents/guardians.  Discussion on the “Simply Home” electronic monitoring system to track individuals by phone.   The home office for the device is “My Innovative Services” in Green Bay. The Fox Valley Sibling Support Network, the ARC Fox Cities, with financial support from the Appleton Downtown Rotary is hosting breakfast with Santa for families of children who have special needs.  The event will be December 7, 2013, 9-11:30 a.m., at the Grand Meridian in Appleton.

 

7)      REPORT OF AGING AND DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER

A.    UPDATES FROM BRANCH OFFICES:  Waupaca: Gonwa shared a written report on the Waupaca ADRC Unit Year in Review highlighting Nursing Home Relocations including 182 referrals including 25 veterans from the King Veteran’s Home returning to communities around the state.  The state Quality Assurance Specialist has provided assistance in relocations to other counties. Jennifer Schimmelpfenning, Community Living Specialist, Waupaca County, and Heidi Russell, Community Living Specialist, Outagamie (some Waupaca County) have been instrumental in relocations.  The positions are 100% funded through the federal Money Follows the Person grant.  A webinar will be held on Tuesday, December 10, 2013 from 1-3 p.m. to share the success with other ADRC’s in the state regarding nursing home relocations. Gonwa reported that Waupaca County may purchase the Lakeview Manor.  This facility has the capacity of 50 beds but currently has 38 residents. The Fall ADRC Connection newsletter was distributed.  Outagamie:  Elder Benefit Specialists, Rhonda Elliott and Sarah Korth are busy with Medicare Open Enrollments. Elliott was complimented by a customer on the great help she provided to them.  Medicare Part D educational sessions in the county have 35-50 people in attendance at each session.  Elias Planner shared the 3rd quarter Contact Activity Report and the ADRC Outagamie County Branch Presentations/Events Report for 2013.  Lehrer suggested grocery stores, example, the grocery store in Big Falls, Waupaca County.  Calumet:  Dewhurst shared the 3rd quarter Contact Activity Report.  There have been 9 nursing home relocations to date for 2013.  There are 3 nursing homes in Calumet County with 120 beds.  There were 16 MDS Q’s.  Dewhurst shared the Calumet County newsletter that includes prevention activities and events.

B.     REPORT FROM ADRC COORDINATOR

The Department of Health Services, Office for Resource Center Development, ADRC Annual Update for 2014 has a question on  how ADRC’s handle customer complaints.  The ADRC COW counties mail Satisfaction Surveys to 5% of customers from branch offices on a monthly basis.

Kramer shared Satisfaction Survey questions and results. Surveys were mailed to 298 customers from January through August of 2013. Surveys returned totaled 111, a 37% return.  The survey and results were also shared with county aging and long term support committees. 

Feedback from committee members was encouraged to assist the regional ADRC improve the quality of ADRC services. Comments included:  A question, Did you get your needs met?; a follow-up phone call; put the survey in the blue linen folder that customers receive; committee member who works with quality assurance for a large company mentioned that a 37% return is very good.  Kramer shared written reports on how the COW satisfied contract language regarding Unmet Needs.

 

8)      ITEMS FOR ACTION OR DISCUSSION

A.    Affordable Care Act Update:  ADRC staff are “mobilizers” who connect customers to community resources that may assist them with enrollment.  The ADRC has not received a large number of calls regarding the Affordable Care Act but are well prepared to make referrals to the appropriate resources.

B.     Youth Transitions:  Waupaca has identified that a stronger connection be made with the schools and the ADRC regarding youth transitioning from school to adult services.  Dawn Jensen, Information and Assistance Specialist, has already made contacts with the schools to develop a strong relationship with the ADRC.  New outreach materials have been created as well as more outreach to students with disabilities. 

Outagamie:  Stratton reported on a long standing and strong relationship with the schools in Outagamie County, the ADRC and other partners.  Stratton shared a written report that included:  ADRC staff meet with family, complete a long term care functional screen, discuss the need for guardianship and options available.  Community Connections include:  TAC, an association of Special Education Coordinators and teachers across the country; the Adult Long Term Services Division Manager is on the Appleton Area School District Special Needs Advisory Committee; Lutheran Social Services provides CLTS Autism programs in Outagamie County; the Outagamie Co. Family Support Coordinator is trained in the transition process; the county HHS Dept. hosts a Children’s Integrated Services Team that serves as a forum; staff across the HHS department has been trained in the transition process.

Calumet:  Shaw prepared a written report distributed by Dewhurst on the role of the Calumet County ADRC and the ADRC state Operational Practice Guidelines regarding Children Transitioning into Managed Long Term Care or IRIS.  Calumet County employs the Birth to Three Program and the Children’s Long Term Support (CLTS) Program which offers the CLTS Waiver Program.  Children do not encounter a wait list. A child who is 17 ½ they are eligible for a transition to the ADRC for services.  If eligible, they may enroll at age 18 or on a mutually agreed upon date by the individual, ADRC and the CLTS case manager.  Calumet county has a strong working relationship with the schools in Calumet County. 

Kramer has contacted the Winnebago County ADRC for information on how the ADRC handles Youth Transitions.

C.     Estate Recovery/Divestment:  Stratton explained recent changes with legislation related to Estate Recovery and Divestment through Operations Memos from the Department of Health Services.  An Elder Law attorney has been invited to the ADRC Regional Training on December 11, 2103 at the Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton from 10:30-12:00 noon regarding interpretation of the new laws.

D.    Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT):  Stratton shared a written report from the September 19, 2013 state NEMT meeting.

E.     Other:  Iverson reported on Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Legislation presented in the Wisconsin Senate by Senator Ellis and Assembly Representative Bernard Shaber.  This legislation would create a Regional Transit Authority.  The proposal presented by Iverson would allow Calumet, Outagamie, Waupaca and Winnebago communities the opportunity to support a RTA.  The RTA would mean that communities would no longer need to rely on federal and state funding.  If the legislation were passed, communities would still need to vote by referendum to support the components of the RTA.  Support of the RTA Proposal will be an action item on the January 2014 agenda.

 

NEXT MEETING:  January 9, 2014 2:00 p.m.

                                Goodwill Industries, Obeya Room, Menasha, WI

 

MEETING ADJOURNED:  Motion made by Schreiner, second by Radtke.  Motion carried unanimously.

 

Respectfully submitted by Darlene Kramer, Regional Coordinator

These are UNAPPROVED minutes.