Occasional LTC Policy Paper Series
Duke Long Term Care Resources Program Paper No.10
Governor's Advisory Council on Aging
Symposium on Information and Assistance
Hailey Maier, M.A., Guest Editor
The Duke LTC program in conjunction with the Governor's Advisory
Council on Aging in North Carolina is pleased to present
a summary of the Symposium on Information and Assistance held
on May 25, 1999. The Governor's Advisory Council on Aging
held the symposium to educate its members about Information
and Assistance (I & A) systems but is aware that there is great
interest in this topic among the broader Aging Network. This
summary is intended to circulate the information presented at
the symposium and to present the Council's recommendations in
this area.
North Carolina is one of many states
grappling with both the human and the technology sides of information
system building. North Carolina readers of the Occasional
Policy Paper Series, as well as readers around the nation, will
find a thought provoking framework for discussion of those challenges
in this issue from a number of perspectives.
In this issue:
About the Editor: Hailey Maier, Guest Editor for this
Occasional Policy Paper is a Duke Leadership in an Aging Society
Intern placed with the North Carolina Division of Aging. Ms.
Maier has a master's degree in psychology from Brandeis and
is currently a graduate student in Health Behavior and Education
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of
Public Health. Support from the Division of Aging and the UNC
Institute on Aging helped to make her internship possible.
Governor's Advisory Council on Aging
The Governor's Council on Aging is authorized by state legislation
(GS 143B-181) to make recommendations to the Governor and the
Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services for
improving human services to the elderly, including improved
coordination among State agencies. The Council also studies and
recommends how best to promote public understanding of problems
affecting older adults and considers the need for new State
programs to address these problems. It is comprised of 33
members, with 29 people appointed by the Governor, and 2 each
appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives. Among these 33 are 19
at-large members, who are citizens knowledgeable about services
supported through the Older Americans Act, and 14 spokespersons
of State agencies and organizations serving older people.
| Representatives
At-Large |
| Eleanor Beasley |
Gaston County |
| Helen
Moody Buckner |
Chatham
County |
| John T. Denning |
Sampson County |
| Doris Dick |
Yadkin County |
| Robert Edwards |
Madison County |
| Everett M. Flynn |
Bladen County |
| Margaret Griffin |
Martin County |
| Ann B. Johnson, Chair |
Orange County |
| William D. Lawson, III
|
Gaston County |
| Thelma C Lennon |
Wake County |
| Jean Kenny Longley |
Haywood County |
| John H. Lucas, Vice-Chair |
Durham County |
| Emma Jane D. McDermott |
Dare County |
| Marion C. Michalove |
Rutherford County |
| Mary M. Murphy |
Franklin County |
| Louise Siler, Secretary |
New Hanover County |
| Quinton Wall |
Johnston County |
| Ruth P. Watkins |
Richmond County |
| Bob White |
Cumberland County |
| State
Department Representatives |
| Wesley Alston |
N.C. Employment Security
Commission |
| Dr. Lucille (Luci) Bearon |
N.C. Cooperative Extension
Service |
| Jim Blackburn |
N.C. Department of State
Treasurer |
| Dr. Gordon DeFriese |
UNC-CH School of Public
Health |
| William Dudley |
N.C. Department of Crime
Control and Public Safety |
| Lloyd Inman |
N.C. Department of Environment
& Natural Resources |
| Eloise T. Jackson |
N.C. Department of Cultural
Resources |
| Elizabeth Jones |
NC Community Colleges
System |
| Harold Megredy |
N.C. Department of Labor |
| Dr. Mary Anne Salmon |
UNC-CH School of Social
Work |
| Dr. Clare Sanchez |
N.C. Medical Society |
| Carla Suitt Obiol |
N.C. Department of Insurance |
| Diane Wall |
N.C. Department of Public
Instruction |
| Kenneth Wilkins |
N.C. Department of Administration
|
Purpose of the Symposium:
Ann B. Johnson, Council Chair,
introduced the purpose and context of the symposium. The Governor's
Council on Aging strives to bring attention to issues and trends
important to older adults and aging services. The importance
of information and assistance (I&A) services is illustrated
by the multiple references to information in the 1999-2003 State
Aging Services Plan. This plan can be accessed on the Division
of Aging's web site at www.dhhs.state.nc.us/aging/plan.htm.
Several activities prompted the Governor's Council on Aging to
hold this symposium. First Governor Hunt proclaimed May 9 to 15,
"Information and Referral Week," noting that "information and
referral agencies work to affirm the dignity, self-worth and
independence of individuals by facilitating their decisions and
actions, tapping their experiences, skill, knowledge, and enabling
their continued contribution to the community; and function as a
point of entry, helping individuals to help themselves and each other,
and offering service or access to community services as needed."
Second, the Division of Aging has recently begun an initiative to
define a vision for I & A services in North Carolina. In addition,
efforts are underway across the state to improve I & A services for
older adults. Finally, the growing complexity of choices facing older
adults makes I & A services particularly important today. Members
of the Governor's Council used what they learned during the
symposium to fulfill their mandate to formulate recommendations for
the Department of Health and Human Services and the Governor.
The diverse array of agencies and groups represented at the
symposium reflects a wide range of interest and involvement in
information and assistance as a service for seniors. In addition to
members of the Governor's Council, groups in attendance
included Councils and Departments on Aging, Area Agencies on
Aging (AAA), County Departments of Social Services, Senior
Centers, United Way First Call for Help, members of the Senior Tar
Heel Legislature, and participants of the Duke Leadership in an
Aging Society program.
Nomenclature Trends: I&R to I&A: With
an Emphasis on Assistance
In general, the term Information and Referral (I & R) is used to
describe services that provide information about community
resources and refer callers to other agencies when appropriate. In
addition to I & R, Information & Assistance (I & A) can include other
activities such as education, counseling, case assistance, case
management, follow-up and advocacy.
Advances in Information Technology
Jane Patterson, Senior Advisor
to the Governor for Science and Technology, challenged those
attending the symposium to consider the potential impact of
technology on the kinds of services older adults demand, how
these services are delivered, and how they will be accessed
by consumers. Advances in information technology will enhance
services provided to older adults by making them easier to access
and less expensive to provide.
Ms. Patterson described several trends that may have an impact
on I & A services. The increasing percentage of homes with computers
and access to the Internet will radically change what older
citizens will demand and the kinds of services to which they
have access. Some seniors are already banking and purchasing
medication on- line. The increasing number
of services and products that can be accessed from the home
will be particularly beneficial to homebound elderly and people
living in rural areas.
North Carolina will have a task force linked to a project that is
designing a vision for providing government services electronically.
Ms. Patterson offered to include on that task force someone who
would represent older citizens and could help set the standards for
electronic governance in North Carolina.
National and State Perspectives
Envisioning Information & Assistance
Systems
Two visions of I & A systems were presented at the symposium.
Presenting the national perspective, Bernice
Hutchinson, Director of the State Health Insurance Counseling
Program Resource Center, discussed a paper produced by the National
Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA), Vision 2000: Toward
a Comprehensive Aging Information Resource System. Because I
& A systems vary from state to state, the paper is intended
to be a vision rather than a model and its recommendations are
meant to be modified to fit the particular circumstances of
each state. Laura Zimmerman with
the Human Services Smart Agency at the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, presented information from a draft of her paper,
Information and Assistance: Meeting Needs of the Aging Population
in the New Millenium. Dr. Zimmerman, who has worked extensively
with a range of community I & R systems, has been commissioned
by the North Carolina Division of Aging to write this paper.
Some key points addressed in both visions included:
- Better use of technology to increase communication
and coordination between agencies;
- Partnerships between agencies
to share costs and information;
- Adequate training for I
& A personnel;
- Strong leadership at all
levels of the aging network; and
- A broad based system to
record both straightforward and comprehensive contacts.
The proposed vision for North Carolina also includes
recommendations for standardizing data collection efforts, service
delivery and information. It advocates for a standard screening
instrument and recommends that all providers use a comprehensive
assessment tool and have access to adequate computer hardware
and technical assistance.
A National Vision
Ms. Hutchinson began her presentation by describing the context in
which the national vision for I & A systems was conceived. Today,
we are beginning to look at I &R in a much broader context. Older
Americans and their families face a complicated array of choices
and decisions about their health care, pensions, insurance, housing,
financial management, and long term care. The system is becoming
more complicated as our lives become more complicated. In this
context, the vision paper considers three major issues:
1. What kind of supports and assistance
do older Americans and their caregivers have?
2. What resources are currently available
to inform and educate senior consumers and to help them resolve
problems?
3. How can these resources be enhanced
or modified? The national vision states that I & A systems
should:
- be broad-based, serving all types of consumers,
both the self-server and those who need more assistance
- empower consumers to make decisions,
presenting both sides so that they can make an informed
choice
- help consumers access advocacy
and utilize technology
- incorporate evaluation and user
satisfaction.
A National Vision from the National Association of State
Units on Aging
Vision 2000: Toward a Comprehensive Aging
Information Resource System
- Leadership - national, state, and local levels
should take a proactive role
- Comprehensiveness
- Integration - so that information
delivery is seamless
- Adequate Funding
- Skilled Personnel - to meet
the anticipated number of requests for information and to
provide counseling, advocacy, and decision-support assistance
appropriate for empowering consumers
- Technology - to maximize
communication in a cost-effective manner
- Marketing - to ensure an
understanding of and access to the information resource
system
- Responsiveness -to serve
a diverse population of older adults and their families
- Quality - through evaluation
and study of best practices in consumer education
- Partnerships - between public
and private organizations
- Service - to internal customers
as well as external consumers
Suggestions from Vision 2000
Ms. Hutchinson recommended first that the network re-
conceptualize the information services it operates as
a comprehensive system for providing
information, counseling, and advocacy support to older consumers.
Within that framework, it must:
1. re-define the roles and relationships
among its discrete information programs and services;
2. re-structure the programs to enhance
coordination and efficiency; and
3. re-tool the skills of program
personnel.
Second, the Older Americans Act (OAA) network must enhance
linkages with the larger universe of information providers.
Databases need to be expanded to include both public and private
agencies. I & A systems do not need to have all the information
consumers request but they should know who has the information
and be able to connect callers with the appropriate person.
NASUA will be publishing a compilation of statewide and Area
Agency on Aging (AAA) models for strengthening I&A systems. In
addition, an updated software bibliography with information about
states' experiences with different software packages and the
benefits of each will be available sometime after September 1.
An Emerging Vision for North Carolina
Laura Zimmerman's vision for I & A systems in North Carolina
suggests building a coordinated system
for keeping accurate data and information about community resources
and helping families access these resources. The aging network
must envision providing comprehensive, efficient, and quality
information to serve older adults in the future.
Dr. Zimmerman began her presentation by reviewing current I & A
systems in North Carolina. Currently, I & A is provided in a number
of forms in North Carolina. Some organizations use index cards,
rolodexes and phone books to look up resources, while others
search computerized databases. Some agencies conduct
assessments with paper forms, and others use software packages
such as IRis, Refer99 and Community Services Locator. Increased
hardware capabilities would give I & R service providers access to
the Internet that would be helpful to providers as well as older adults
and their caregivers. Community resource databases could be put
on the World Wide Web.
North Carolina Division of Aging Presents
The 1999 Statewide Aging Conference in the International Year
of Older Persons
"Aging Locally and Aging Globally: Reflections
and Renewal"
November 1- 3, 1999 North Raleigh Hilton
Raleigh, North Carolina
Conference Highlights:
- Nationally Recognized Speakers such as Diane Justice, Harry Moody, & Horace Deets
- Workshops on Cutting Edge Topics
- Annual Awards Luncheon
- International Reception
- Exhibits
For information about the Conference, contact the Division of Aging at (919) 733-3983.
From a Vision of North Carolina's System of Information and
Referral Support: A Work in Progress
- Increase knowledge of community services, client screening
and assessment through better technology and community coordination.
1. All providers should have a computer on their desk with
the power to search their relevant resource database and
support client tracking
2. The system should have the flexibility to record information
calls as well as allow for comprehensive client data collection
3. The system should link into a standardized screening
instrument
4. Any areas of concern should lead to a more comprehensive
assessment instrument
- Provide adequate technical assistance
and training in standard terminology, service requirements,
skills of providing I & A, and any computer system they
will use.
Leadership Roles
- State Division of Aging - organize and help
lead efforts to set standards for service delivery
- Area Agencies on Aging -
work with state on changes and ensure they are implemented
at the local level
- Local Provider Organizations
- make sure service providers obtain training and certification;
work with other providers to share resources information;
provide information on community resources that is up- to-date,
accurate, and complete.
Recommended Strategies
- promote development of regional I & R data centers to reduce duplication and improve access
- standardize and combine data-gathering efforts
- establish a more cost efficient and effective system
- develop and implement a plan for standardizing services and information
I&A/R Programs in North Carolina
Every county in North Carolina has at
least one agency that can serve as a point of entry for information
about services available to older adults. This agency
should be able to make appropriate referrals to other resources
in the community if it is unable to provide the requested assistance.
The Division of Aging's Aging Services Directory can help locate
services on a county-by-county basis, including information
and case assistance. There are several I&A initiatives currently
being implemented in North Carolina. Two agencies involved with
such programs, the Mid-East Commission Area Agency on Aging
(AAA) and the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, had
representatives speaking at the symposium.
Dave Weatherly, an Aging Specialist
with the Mid-East Commission AAA, supported Dr. Zimmerman's
call for a standardized system of data collection, information
dissemination, and training for I&A personnel across the state.
He urged the Governor's Advisory Council to ensure that North
Carolina's I&A Vision Statement be compatible with the goals
and service access standards of the Department of Health and
Human Services. Mr. Weatherly recommended that the vision statement
include a scheme for perpetual evaluation, allowing for adjustment
and modification to the system based on the changing consumer
and payer needs. He also asked that a realistic implementation
strategy be developed, which would allow the vision to be supported
and funded by public policy makers. Finally, Mr. Weatherly requested
that the Division of Aging allow other groups to provide feedback
and endorse the concept of the vision. Groups should include,
but not be limited to, the North Carolina Association of Area
Agencies on Aging (NC4A), the North Carolina Senior Tar Heel
Legislature, the North Carolina Association on Aging (NCAOA),
and the North Carolina Alliance of Information and Referral
Systems (NCAIRS).
The Mid-East Commission AAA has been working to put in place an
infrastructure necessary to support a computer-automated
information and referral system. This system is essentially a
computerized database of agency and program information that is
used to link older adults to available community services. This
project began with the five counties of Region Q (Beaufort, Bertie,
Hertford, Martin, and Pitt). Since its inception, the project has
expanded to encompass the 10 counties of Region R. The database
allows participating organizations to collect client data and link the
data to referrals, service reports, planning, and client tracking.
Julie Sergent of United Way of
Asheville and Buncombe County described the Community
Resources Network currently being developed in western
North Carolina. The goal of this network is to "efficiently
link all people of Buncombe County (and all of Western N.C.)
with resources and services." The Community Resources Network
aims to coordinate I & R efforts in the western region so that
information is collected only once. The project is designed
to collect and disseminate information about services and agencies
to 1) connect the caregivers for coordinated care management,
2) create a comprehensive community web site, 3) establish a
24-hour 211 telephone service, and 4) produce annually a printed
community resource guide. Ms. Sergent discussed the merits of
211, a three- digit phone number, as an approach to ease access
for consumers.
The Challenges of Serving Special Populations
Dr. Luci Bearon, of the N.C. Cooperative
Extension Service and Chair of the Council's Aging Issues Dissemination
Committee, discussed the challenge of providing information
that is responsive to the needs of certain groups and can be
easily accessed by members of that population. Inez
Myles, Executive Director of the N.C. Senior Citizens
Federation, spoke about information services specifically in
the African American community. Lynn
Chamblee, Information and Referral Coordinator of the
Durham Council for Senior Citizens and Carla
Obiol, Deputy Commissioner of the North Carolina Department
of Insurance and Director of the Senior's Health Insurance Information
Program (SHIIP) emphasized the importance of outreach and integration
of established information sources and organizations.
Luci Bearon stressed that in developing
an I & A system we must keep in mind that
the population of North Carolina is diverse and suggested
specific strategies for serving various populations.
In North Carolina, the poor constituted almost one in five adults
over the age of 65 in 1990. The poor
and near poor have a particular need for affordable housing,
financial assistance, access to health care, transportation,
and other services. In addition, this population may need information
about preventive health practices, screening, self-care, and
money management. Some of the barriers to serving this population
include a shortage of services, transportation problems, stigma
attached to receiving public benefits, limited education and
low literacy.
Poor and near poor elders would benefit
from I&R/Case Assistance or "information advocacy" which
Dr. Bearon describes as a "sustained relationship with a knowledgeable
family member, paid caregiver, or agency representative who
helps them know what is available and what the client may benefit
from." In addition, a public marketing and educational campaign
about resources and self-help strategies would be particularly
beneficial to this population.
Another population with special service and information needs
is the frail and disabled. In
1990, one in four older adults in North Carolina reported some
difficulty in moving around and/or taking care of themselves.
To live independently these individuals often need an array
of supportive services such as care providers, adult day care
programs, home safety, or medication management. However, their
physical condition can reduce their access to information needed
to make decisions about their care. In addition to the strategies
recommended above, the more educated members of this population
would benefit from access to computers, which would increase
the amount of information available to them from their home.
Other populations with special information and assistance needs
include the rural elderly, minority elders,
grandparents raising grandchildren, and institutionalized persons
and their family members.
Inez Myles discussed the flow
of information in predominantly African American communities
and the attitudes they display toward what is received. She
stated that any master plan to create and implement an effective
I & A system in North Carolina should consider how information
is filtered down through different communities.
In African American communities information
flows primarily through the existence of kinship groups, social
clubs, churches, and other forms of social organizations, including
government supported community-based organizations. In
addition, mass media is accepted as a source of information.
Although the old-old see technology as advantageous for the
young, most of them are not really interested in it themselves.
However, senior ministers are more likely to be interested in
computers because of their leadership role. Information must
be adapted so that it is useful to those we expect to use it.
One of the barriers to reaching the African American community is
that there are not many linkages or communication channels. There
must be a determination of how many linkages are necessary to
'get the word out' because an increase in linkages can often
result in an increase in the distortion of information. To move the
African American community as a whole, we should train people to
provide services and give more assistance to those who need it. Ms.
Myles suggested challenging organizations to work with local
communities. She recommended adopting and extending existing
institutions to perform as mechanisms for the flow of information and
resources.
Lynn Chamblee of the Durham Council
for Senior Citizens discussed the tremendous importance of outreach
for information programs. The program she manages employs neighborhood
residents as peer advisors to spread the word about the Council
and its activities through the community. She pointed out that
the growing trend of seniors on the web is occurring among younger
elders whereas older seniors still rely on friends, neighbors,
and other informal contacts for their information. Therefore,
outreach is still very important. People need to know how to
find I & A services and should be able to get to them through
a variety of methods. In addition to improving access and public
awareness, outreach efforts through neighborhood leaders and
volunteers add a personal touch to information systems.
Because volunteers are an important component of information
systems, Carla Obiol, with the
Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) discussed
SHIIP's experience using trained volunteers to provide information
to older adults. She emphasized the crucial role that volunteers
play in the SHIIP program but cautioned against viewing them
as an easy or inexpensive way to staff a program. Although the
SHIIP program has established a large corps of volunteers, a
lot of resources go into recruiting and training these individuals.
Information for Policy Determination
and Service Delivery Planning
Dr. George Maddox, Director of
the Duke Long Term Care (LTC) Resources Program, emphasized
the need to produce and disseminate data that are useful to
both providers and consumers. Although Dr. Maddox complimented
the ability of North Carolina state agencies to use information
technology to disseminate directory information and program
publicity, he expressed concern over the lack
of information needed for evidence-based policy development
and program performance audits. For example, there is
no publicly stated policy for information development in the
Department of Health and Human Services. There are no publicly
disseminated performance audits for assessing program efficiency
and effectiveness, and there has been no development of a public
constituency of informed leadership to support evidence-based
policy and programming in aging services.
Dr. Maddox acknowledged several projects,
which had been discussed at the symposium, that
are beginning to address the gaps in available data:
UNC's Human Services Smart Agency's is assessing technology,
personnel, and training capacity in selected counties, the Mid-East
Commission AAA has promoted an IRis- Duke SOS demonstration,
and the Community Resources Network is addressing information
needs in the western part of the state. Dr. Maddox suggested
that these initiatives may indicate a new era on the horizon
and represent an urgent opportunity for policy.
Urgent Opportunities for Policy-
- Need a comprehensive state policy on Information System Development for DHHS,
including hardware, training, leadership,
and networking
- Need to develop relationships with information technologists
- Need to develop a public constituency of community
leadership committed to evidence-based policy and
programming in aging services
Although Dr. Maddox recognized that such opportunities will be difficult to exploit
immediately, he emphasized the importance of a commitment
of leadership to information system development and suggested
that the Governor's Council on Aging might be among the first
to pledge such a commitment.
Concluding Remarks
In concluding remarks, Council Chair Ann B. Johnson responded to
Dr. Maddox's suggestion for the commitment of leadership in
developing a comprehensive state aging information system. She
stated that the symposium was structured to provide information
from national and state efforts looking at the ways efforts can be
better coordinated to provide seamless information services to older
adults in all areas of North Carolina. Advances in information
technology provide opportunities for new ways to address long-
standing needs for gathering, storing, disseminating, and evaluating
information.
Ms. Johnson indicated that the Council recommendations resulting
from the symposium will be transmitted to the Governor and the
Secretary of Health and Human Services as mandated by statute.
The Council's plan, however, in expanding the symposium
participants to include service providers and consumer advocates
was designed to give those groups some material on which to begin
their own plans for change. In our efforts to assure that all older
North Carolinians have access to the information and assistance
they need, she concluded that we must use technology as a tool
while maintaining the personal element of a seamless, consumer-
driven system.
For additional information on these and other topics visit The
North Carolina Division of Aging and the Duke
Long Term Care Resources Program.
Recommendations of the Governor's Advisory
Council on Aging for the Enhancement of Information and Assistance
in Serving North Carolina's Older Adults and Their Families
The Governor's Advisory Council on Aging envisions a future
for all citizens of North Carolina in which they are empowered
in making decisions and taking action with timely, up-to-date,
reliable and easily accessible information and assistance, whether
they are planning for retirement, facing the changes of later
life, or seeking immediate help. The need
to develop a comprehensive, professional, and uniform aging
information resource system has become imperative as
the older population and fragmented service system continue
to grow.
The Council endorses the development of an aging information
resource system that has the features described below, from the
consumer's perspective.
The consumer will find a system of information
and assistance that:
- Relies on an adequate number of professionally trained
personnel and volunteers
- Uses information and communication technologies to aid
timely and comprehensive responses
- Offers well coordinated information,
screening, counseling, and care management services
- Is uniform statewide as well as
flexible to meet local and regional differences
- Links effectively with other resources
for information and assistance
- Strives to leave no consumer unserved
because of social isolation, illiteracy, lack of a phone,
poverty, functional impairment or other reasons.
The consumer will not find:
- Wrong doors or run-arounds. From Manteo to Murphy,
citizens must have equal access to information to help them
with their questions. The system must be well coordinated
and effective in use of technology to reduce fragmentation
and duplication. Citizens should get timely and reliable
assistance on their first inquiry, even if additional follow-up
is required.
- Auto-call on first contact.
While an increasing number of seniors are enjoying use of
the Internet and other information technologies, it is essential
that the information resource system maintains a human touch--a
friendly and responsive voice on the other end of a phone
call.
- One-size-fits-all responses.
Because the circumstances of individuals and families vary
as do their needs and preferences, the system must be able
to respond effectively to these differences.
The Governor's Advisory Council on Aging offers three recommendations
to support development of this system:
1. Accept the invitation of Jane Patterson, Senior Advisor to
the Governor for Science and Technology, to add
older adult representation to the work of the new Task Force
for Electronic Governance. The Council would like to
recommend the appointment of two such individuals. In addition,
the Council asks for consideration in assuring senior representation
in all state-level activities affecting the future of information
and assistance services.
2. Establish within the Department of Health and Human Services
a Task Force on Aging Information and
Assistance charged with designing a comprehensive and
uniform aging information resource system, which includes standardized
procedures for the collection, storage, and dissemination of
information as well as for monitoring and evaluating the information
system itself. In pursuit of its goal, the task force would
define the scope of services to
be included (e.g., response to individual and family requests,
outreach for the isolated, education for coping with later life,
and use as a planning strategy) and develop
a model for implementation. The task force should include
representation from consumers, local aging service providers,
area agencies on aging, United Way and other non-profits, the
N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, the N.C. Alliance for Information
and Referral Systems, and CARELINE and the various DHHS divisions
with a role in the provision of information and assistance to
seniors. The Division of Aging would staff this task force,
contingent on implementation of the third recommendation. The
task force would be expected to complete its work by July 2000.
Issues to be considered by the task force would include:
- the merits of a certification process for information
and assistance personnel toward promoting the quality of
service
- encouraging all service providers
receiving Home and Community Care Block Grant funding, as
well as other providers of information and assistance services,
to meet a required level of computer
automation
- how best to assure adequate consumer
and community education about the process of aging,
preventive approaches to health, and self- care as well
as available services
- how best to reach out to those
who are most vulnerable without access to information
and assistance
- how best to market the system to
assure public awareness and appropriate use
- how best to build upon existing
resources in strengthening information and assistance
- how best to measure the performance
of information and assistance services
- how best to use the information
and assistance system to help plan and evaluate programs
3. Consistent with the 1999-2003 State Aging Services Plan,
increase the capacity of the Division of Aging to provide leadership
in the development of a statewide aging information resource
system. The Division would require support to: (1) establish
a position of Aging Program Specialist for Information and Assistance,
and (2) assist the work of the task force.
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