ADOPTED - SEPTEMBER 19, 2000

ADOPTED - SEPTEMBER 19, 2000

Agenda Item No. 17

Introduced by the Human Services Committee of the:

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

RESOLUTION URGING THE STATE OF MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH TO SUPPORT THE TRI-COUNTY OFFICE ON AGING IN PROVIDING SERVICES TO OLDER ADULTS AND DISABLED PEOPLE IN OUR REGION

RESOLUTION #00-214

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners participates in the Tri-County Office on Aging Consortium; and

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners is committed to supporting older adults and disabled people in our region; and

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners is committed to supporting the efforts of the Tri-County Office on Aging in providing support services through Project Choices and the Home and Community Based Waiver programs to this population so that they can remain in their homes and not have to go to nursing homes until absolutely necessary; and

WHEREAS, the State of Michigan Department of Community Health has frozen the number of additional slots for Project Choices in this region despite the need for more slots and in some cases other regions in the state not using all of their allocated slots; and

WHEREAS, the State of Michigan Department of Community Health is not asking for additional slots next year despite the need; and

WHEREAS, the State of Michigan Department of Community Health has not granted any increase in rates for the Home and Community Based Waiver programs in the past three years thereby exacerbating the problem of finding qualified home health care aides.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners urges the State of Michigan Department of Community Health to support the Tri-County Office on Aging in providing services to older adults and disabled people in our region by:

Being flexible with the number of Project Choices slots available statewide and allow unused slots in one region to be utilized in other regions if needed;

Requesting additional Project Choices slots from the federal government= s Health Care Financing Administration for Michigan;

Adequately funding the Home and Community Based Waiver program to attract home health care aides with fair compensation.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County Clerk forward a copy of this resolution to the Tri-County Office on Aging and each of the participating municipalities, the Governor, the Health Care Financing Administration, the State of Michigan Department of Community Health, and the Michigan Legislative and Congressional delegation.

HUMAN SERVICES: Yeas: Czarnecki, Smiley, Grebner, Schmidt, Severino

Nays: None Absent: None Approved 9/11/00