Project Grant 19SCAPA001

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: INTRODUCTION IN 1973, AMENDMENTS TO THE FEDERAL OLDER AMERICANS ACT MANDATED STATES TO ESTABLISH AREA AGENCIES ON AGING BASED ON UNITS KNOWN AS PLANNING AND SERVICE AREAS. PENNSYLVANIA CHOSE TO DESIGNATE COUNTIES AS THESE PLANNING AND SERVICE AREAS. IN 1974, BLAIR SENIOR SERVICES, INC. WAS FOUNDED AS THE AREA AGENCY ON AGING FOR BLAIR COUNTY. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE PURPOSES OF THE AGENCY HAS BEEN TO DETERMINE AND ADDRESS THE LOCAL NEEDS OF THE COUNTY'S OLDER POPULATION BY PROVIDING A RESPONSIVE CONTINUUM OF SERVICES TO MEET THE LEVEL OF ASSISTANCE NEEDED. IN THIS EFFORT, BLAIR SENIOR SERVICES, INC., WITH INPUT FROM A NUMBER OF RESOURCES, CREATE AND ADMINISTER A MULTI-YEAR PLAN TO ADDRESS THE CURRENT IDENTIFIED NEEDS OF THE COUNTY?S OLDER POPULATION. BLAIR COUNTY'S AREA AGING ON AGING, BLAIR SENIOR SERVICES, INC., SERVES OVER 10,000 CONSUMERS 60 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER AND OTHERS IN NEED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. BLAIR SENIOR SERVICES, INC. IS A PRIVATE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION GOVERNED BY A FIFTEEN-MEMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CURRENTLY HAS A STAFF OF 145 EMPLOYEES. WITH 28 DIFFERENT SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE AGENCY, CONSUMERS RECEIVE SERVICES FOR A VARIETY OF NEEDS. ALTHOUGH A MAJORITY OF SERVICES ARE PROVIDED DIRECTLY BY BLAIR SENIOR SERVICES, INC., A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS ALSO PROVIDE SERVICES THROUGH SUBCONTRACTS. BLAIR COUNTY'S TRENDS WHILE THE COUNTY LOST 1.2% OF ITS TOTAL POPULATION FROM 2010 TO 2015, THE 60+ AGE GROUP GREW BY 13.6%. APPROXIMATELY 39.2% OF THE COUNTY?S 65+ POPULATION HAS A DISABILITY. WHILE 42.3% OF PENNSYLVANIA?S 60+ RESIDE ALONE, 43.8% OF BLAIR COUNTY?S 60+ LIVE ALONE. THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP OF THE 60+ POPULATION IN BLAIR COUNTY SHOWS THAT 98.7% ARE WHITE AND 97.8% SPEAK ENGLISH ONLY. WHILE 84% OF INDIVIDUALS OVER THE AGE OF 60 RECEIVE SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME, 19.7% ARE AT OR BELOW 150% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL. NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN GATHERING INPUT FOR THE AGENCY?S FOUR YEAR PLAN, A NUMBER OF SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED WHICH TARGETED SPECIFIC GROUPS WITHIN BLAIR COUNTY. SURVEYS FROM AGENCY CONSUMERS AND PROVIDERS, POTENTIAL CONSUMERS, AGENCY COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND AGENCY STAFF WERE RECEIVED ALONG WITH SOLICITATION OF INPUT FROM THE GENERAL POPULATION. THE MESSAGES FROM ALL RESPONDENTS WERE SIMILAR IN NATURE. CITED WERE NEEDED IMPROVEMENT IN ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION, NUTRITION, HOME CARE, HEALTH CARE ISSUES, FINANCIAL CONCERNS AND HEALTH, WELLNESS AND SOCIALIZATION ACTIVITIES. THE AGENCY'S FUTURE FOCUS UPON REVIEW OF ALL PHASES OF THE AGENCY?S NEEDS ASSESSMENT PROCESS AND THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGING?S POLICY THEMES, FOUR FOCUS AREAS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR THE NEXT FOUR-YEAR PERIOD. HOWEVER, AS THE AGENCY LOOKS AHEAD TO THESE FOUR YEARS, IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT FLAT, EXTREMELY LIMITED GOVERNMENT FUNDING OR CUTS IN FUNDING WILL BE A REALITY. TO ENSURE POSITIVE OUTCOMES, THE PREPARATION OF OBJECTIVES INCLUDE PROMOTING EXISTING SERVICES SUCH AS SENIOR CENTERS, CHOICES, AND TRANSPORTATION; PROTECTIVE SERVICES, OPTIONS AND DOMICILIARY CARE HOMES; ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF SERVICE PROVIDED BY MAINTAINING A ROBUST QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM; AND EMPOWERING THE WORKFORCE BY SUPPORTING PAID AND UNPAID CAREGIVERS, VOLUNTEERS, AND AGENCY STAFF. FOUR GOALS AND ASSOCIATED ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN PLANNED, WHICH INCLUDE: 1. PROMOTE EXISTING SERVICES 2. IMPROVE ACCESS TO SERVICES 3. ENHANCE QUALITY OF SERVICES 4. EMPOWER THE WORKFORCE BLAIR SENIOR SERVICES RECOGNIZES THE BENEFIT OF SENIOR COMPANION VOLUNTEERS TO MEETING THE NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF CONSUMERS IN ALL FOUR AREAS OF THE AGENCY'S FOUR-YEAR PLAN. OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT 60 UNDUPLICATED SENIOR COMPANION VOLUNTEERS WILL SERVE 50 VOLUNTEER SERVICE YEARS OF HOURS TO CLIENTS THROUGH IN-HOME AND RESPITE CARE ASSIGNMENT PLANS. SENIOR COMPANIONS WITH IN-HOME ASSIGNMENTS WILL HELP WITH DAILY TASKS, INCLUDING ACCOMPANYING CLIENTS TO MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS, THE PHARMAC