Minutes from Tuesday, May 13, 2014 Meeting

Aging and Disability Network Notes – 5/13/14

Present: Caitlin St. George (Eddy VNA), JoAnn Zales (National Grid), Cindy Harrington (Shelters of Saratoga), Mary Rickard (Saratoga County OFA), Sandie Clark (New York Relay Service), Kassey Granger (Outreach Expert for CapTel), Patrick Harrington (Saratoga County OFA), Rich Curry (Care Patrol), Donna Rudzinski (Shen Village), Denise DiNoto (Consumer Directed Choices), Mary Sala (Saratoga County OFA), Rich Amico (Community Hospice), Rebecca Zohn (Concepts of Independent Choices, Inc.), Candy rivera-Whitehead (NYS-EPIC), Ann Quinn (Home Health Care Partners), Ben Nichols (Saratoga County OFA), Kim Swire (CHOICES at St. Peter’s), Ardis Armer (Saratoga County OFA), Connie Weaver (Saratoga County OFA), Diana Martin (Wesley Evergreen), Jess Froehlich (Eddy Daybreak), Carole Beauregard (Carelinks of Southern Saratoga County).

Introduction: Cindy Harrington welcomed all attendees.  Our next meeting will be held on June 10^th at the Malta Community Center at 2pm. The presentation will be on the NYS Health Home Initiative.

Attendees introduced themselves.

Today’s topic and Presenter: An Overview of the Older Americans Act and The Olmstead Plan, presented by Laura A. Cameron, Executive Director of the Association on Aging in New York.

Laura presented overviews of The Olmstead Act, The Older Americans Act, The Balancing Incentive Program and NY Connects, and the relationships between these.

The Olmstead Act:

-Addressed the rights of 2 women who were confined to a psychiatric hospital in Georgia for several years after they were deemed ready for discharge, simply because there were no community supports available for them to live successfully outside the hospital. In 1999, the US Supreme Court decided that this was discrimination under the ADA. The Court ruled that state’s need to provide community based services when appropriate (for guidelines, see handouts).

Older Americans Act:

In 1973, the Older Americans Act established the Area Agencies on Aging. They were charged with providing non-medical community-based long-term care services and supports to older Americans that would allow them to age in place at home rather than institutional settings such as nursing homes.

This act spawned a support system for older Americans  and is the blueprint for the 629 Area Agencies nationally, with 59 of these in NYS. Their many tasks include prevention and preventive services and screenings, management for chronic conditions, reducing reliance on Medicaid and maximizing private pay resources.

The Older Americans Act is up to be authorized this year and we need it, as so many more people are living past the age of 60 in the US. This act allows for services to reach the older population before they end up on Medicaid.

The Balancing Incentive Program (BIP):

BIP authorizes grants to states to increase access to non-institutional community-based long-term services and supports. BIP is overseen by the Dept. of Health and provides a financial incentive for states to enhance non-institutionally based long-term services and supports. From this comes NY Connects. NY Connects is a statewide, locally based point of entry system that provides one stop access to free, objective and comprehensive Information and Assistance on long term services and supports. Trained NY Connects Information and Assistance Specialists provide individualized information and assistance and links individuals of all ages needing long term services and supports, as well as their caregivers, to the services and supports they need to maintain independence to the extent possible, regardless of payment source.


Attendees of Laura’s presentation were left with several handouts that enhance this outline. Any questions can be referred to the Association on Aging in New York at 518-449-7080.


Respectfully Submitted,
Maria Geizer
Home Instead Senior Care