September 26, 2018 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Committee on Aging Meeting Minutes of September 26, 2018 Page 2 4. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR: Meizhu Lui stated that we have some important issues to discuss. a. Get updated on the development of the 4 -Year Area Plan; b. Hear about the investigation as to whether we should continue to contract out case management services or bring them in-house; C. Decide whether to form an ad hoc legislative sub -committee as proposed by Lito at the last meeting. 5. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC: No statement from the public. 6. EXECUTIVE REPORT AND UPDATES: C. Kimo Alameda and Staff Kimo explained that the Hawai'i County Office of Aging's business model differs from that of the State in several ways - 1 . ays:1. Vendor Pool: Hawaii County has the ability to provide services from various vendors in a pool; they can be rotated as needed. Unlike other islands, the con- tracts are not put out to bid. This allows for an easier flow to obtain services. 2. Needs Based Services: The goal is to not keep a Kupuna Care client in the system forever. Hawaii County focuses on developing an exit strategy to move people from formal to informal care by strengthening the "circle" of care and services around the client. This way Hawaii County can serve more people rather than having people die on the waitlist. 3. Kupuna Care: Once the Kupuna Care Caregiver funds are exhausted, caregiv- ers can be transitioned to Title IIIE Funds. 4. We do not do case management for single service clients. It's not necessary! 5. Case Management: Kimo and staff are looking at the possibility of changing the current model to bring case management in-house; there could be cost savings. The committee raised a number of points: • The benefit of the current model is that it provides a quality check system since we are not evaluating ourselves! • Lito suggested a possible model where Services for Seniors would be a consultant. • The Older Americans Act which created agencies like the Hawaii County Office of Aging (HCOA) emphasized a planning function by governmental entities rather than delivering services. • The Committee asked that decisions made be not only on the basis of money, but on how to deliver the best services. • Karen Davis from Services for Seniors noted that they are the main con- tracted vendor. She asked that if the business model for Hawaii County changes that they are kept in the loop. She appreciates the transparency and the invitation to attend these meetings. Karen shared that this fiscal year she was able to save $11 K and remains fiscally conscious. Kimo has asked the State to bring all the County Executives together so they can share their business models and learn from each other. For example, Kimo discovered from other Execs that a physician's note is not