HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0748.002 2004-2006
A.pr-19-2008 0 i:1 FFE CARE CENTE,' CF U 10;55162._ 'F 2'. P 0 2'01 F~7-F
Memo
To'. Hawaii Cerut" courx it
Attention: Council C -i2 it, ad Mt inl ei s
From: Chris-R.idl-y, MSW, I,CSVt7 Q' SW
Private Practice
Director of Siooial Services Life Cart Cent v o~"Hilo
944 West K.tv ;tilam Street. Fil:r, Tl :~~72C
808-959-9 V1 808-':+9 6202 U
Re: One Stop Aging and Disability Resoi rce Center
It is time. Our elders are grawing a numbers. They have s aved :ha c nt-minity itairs
their lifetime autd now deserve to le tonorar..ly set,,ed tiriel and sf'icie nl,-.
Most of our elders have gone th-or.lgli life without raving to access agencies. They were
hard working and independent P id p,. wd of it. In tc a aging process utar y hoot-, e )me
into play such as isolation because :family tn.mbers rrov,;d :ff i5tln 1, va ricus hm h h
problems wh,ch developed Into grad'; tl chrcnic csnii'io is 'il iitir a; vnh lit , a.nd
communicatin.in.
ti an eider:} person has the ibility ro -each ttit an itsr for l e-T 0 : p,es io:1 is whc co
they ask and what answer du they Our avaikiAe servics are si a tel ed and n,r easily
accessed. As a social worker in a im-iing facility F Jh auenrly rec live: calls tent rc neon
who just doesn't know who to -all to I'M out what i s iii; da ;le. ` )i )trir let tit.e cd r
come in way too late and neglect bas rlready ocrul--x, need ss1 y
Often I receive calls from the "sanlv,Hch gereratio, Tfiis :xotur i s tl A ft child ;n of
our elderly who spend their time beh icing )pork, c ii] Arc n a nd the growing resro rr hility
of being care;ivers for their parents. The adult children ar zonfused as to .chat io do and
how to do it. They are not even awa a that they are cixegiv~:rs. A 5 rt roc ial %vtulorr t b-
to help but the directions include s v ral steps in n)sn,y difff tent cirections.
It is time. Hawaii has the abi'iv, to I tit our elders :~*rs , to h:;For oar riationl,l trea; lures.
We need to provide this One Stop r~l;-ng and Dmhilicy Resmirce C1:,-ntet now. We nave
talented professional staff that can pi: vide excellent coordinated nervicea. 'Ne ace l to
make the difficult easy so that o;a ;Adsrly can maintain sorry = serr rP diyni'y urc -Af-
respect. 'Ale need to simply welro n( the elc'er y ai;,h. )n : 3tor loor an ! ra111 t11011
through the various steps,.-elimiratixi;the confiasini via;-e.
This is not a rtea concept. One ';::op -A4zing inn 11 ill Lhy 1.esoui c,E te] has be[ n
proven to be successfully providing; i - icieni suproit in nvu y star as past I tawai has a
much larger population of eiderl~', ivy need to do i;ah by th;unl Acase lteli 1 limn ie e this
much needed service now ,
Comm. No, -7449-2.
Ref. To; '2222