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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSenior Advisory Board - Minutes - 09/08/1993The Fort Collins Senior Advisory Board held its regular meeting Wednesday, September 8, 1993 at the Senior Center. City Council Liaison: Bob Winokur. Attendance: MEMBERS Margaret Watts Larry Chaussee Peggy Santich Larry Heglund Kathleen Jones Marjorie McTaggart 6N?1.1134 Barbara Schoenberger (assigned) ABSENTEES Yvonne Myers Kay Rios Jill Taylor Stan Ulrich Wayne Moellenberg (all called in) SERVICE ORG'N REPS Sally Gilmore, RSVP I. CALL TO ORDER -- A quorum was present, and the meeting was called to order by Sec'y Marjorie McTaggart at 2 p.m. II. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION -- None. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES -- August minutes were unanimously approved as written. IV. OLD BUSINESS A. Paratransit -- Marjorie will be on the city's committee to review proposals for paratransit bids, and interview bidders later this month. SAB's letter to City Council on this subject was not available for review in Kay's absence. B. Review of 1993 goals -- Consensus of discussion is that goals are being met. Areas that need strengthening: 1. Seniors Airborne -- Discussion found that board members felt the role of the board now is to find a sponsoring organization to work with the station and program hosts. 2. Peggy volunteered to write to the Coloradoan to give them feedback re seniors' comments about Prime Time Plus and Seniors, and SAB's continuing support of their coverage of/for seniors. 3. A couple of projects, such as the Volunteer Credit Exchange project, may not come to pass this year. 4. 1994 Work Plan is due November 30th. Marjorie asked members to consider what goals or changes for 1994, possibly broadening the concept of outreach meetings to include groups other than seniors: e.g. Chamber of Commerce, college students, service clubs, etc. C. Paint-A-Thon -- Discussion consensus to suggest that the corporate sponsor start the process much earlier, so that it won't be so 'last minute.' Applications should stipulate no steel -sided homes. D. ADA -- Yvonne sent word that ADA wants to do a 10-15 minute presentation re training program for helping people learn to ride public transportation. Board agreed for October. E. AARP materials response -- Workbooks for Barbara's August presentation were mailed out after they arrived. Members suggested places and organizations that might use them. Possible follow-up in 1994. F. Senior Opportunities Brochure -- Barbara reported the new draft has been received, and it should be complete by October meeting. G. Evaluation of New West Fest -- Generally good results. Two members who had "booth duty" commented on the number of young people who were interested in senior activities. H. Health Care Task Force -- No report. I. Outreach meetings -- October's meeting will be at Collinwood. Los Ancianos Unidos have asked that SAB meet with them. Kay and Marjorie will contact them. J. Building Team -- The Team will meet September 22nd. Monthly progress reports are to go all organizations involved in the process. Tentative date for ground -breaking ceremony is October 4th. V. NEW BUSINESS A. Service Organization Reports: 1. RSVP -- Sally reported that RSVP is renewing 'part- nership' agreements. They will have several training sessions for Remininence, Medicare counselling, and at Hospice for vol- unteers in the new Widowed Persons service. 2. OOA -- No report. 3. Aspen Club -- Marjorie read Jill's report of growing membership, and Sept/October programs and screenings. 4. Friends of the Senior Center -- Barbara reported over 100 members; they made over $800.00 at Bake Sale. She asked boardmembers to get "giveaways" to fill 40 souvenir bags for the October 2nd Chili Cook -Off (40 of each item). Tickets (5) for boardmembers to buy/sell will be sent to each. Friends gift catalog should be ready in October. No report from the Senior Center Council. B. Senior Lobby -- Marjorie had a copy of the Colorado Senior Lobby newsletter. The board thought this would be a good way to keep abreast of legislative issues concerning seniors, and asked Barbara to see about a subscription. C. View diversity "Voices" video -- This is not an option unless the entire 3 hour presentation/discussion is included. The board declined. D. "Day of Caring" -- Sally spoke to the plans for this weekend's kick-off to the United Way campaign. E. Branch Library -- Barbara updated boardmembers and asked for input. Reaction was positive, especially a location near the new center. Several echoed need for a library branch as soon as possible. VI. OTHER BUSINESS 1. Kathleen reported on: an excellent talk on senior housing given by Choices at Outstretched Hands; former member Billie Higgins' recent surgery; and urged everyone to view the CSU gardens on Lake Street with the new Sr. Center in mind. 2. Barbara asked for a commitment to participate in the Chili Cook -Off. Only one member was willing to help, so SAB will not have a team in the Cook -Off. VII. ADJOURNMENT -- The meeting was adjourned at 3:35 p.m. Marjorie McTaggart, Secretary/Chair Pro Tem Approved: FORTNET: A Fort Collins Community Information Network Background FortNet began as a Challenge Fort Collins initiative designed to improve the quality of life in Fort Collins by providing a communications infrastructure for the community. FortNet is a public access computer information network whose purpose is to connect Fort Collins area residents and businesses to community resources and be responsive to the diverse interests of its citizens through the development of electronic partnerships and communities. FortNet Services 1. View specific information on a wide range of topics including current events, government services, health, education, hobbies, etc. 2. Interact in public on-line conferences with others sharing a common interest. 3. Communicate privately with people who may include elected officials, businesses, and topic experts. 4. Communicate with people and networks outside Fort Collins. FortNet Applications ► See what's on the City Council agenda this week, and instantly let them know your opinion ► See what local and state agencies and organizations provide information and support regarding affordable housing ► Find information about a recent outbreak of measles in Fort Collins and communicate with a medical professional regarding risks and treatment ► Ask about how and where to register to vote ► Browse a list of current arts and entertainment events happening in the Fort Collins area ► Participate in an online conference on topics of local interest such as parenting, education, crime, or the environment. P. ... and many others Benefits P. Better communication between government and citizens ► Build a closer sense of "community" P. Create greater participation in community activities P. Reduce travel to buildings when all that's needed is information ► Make information more accessible to everyone ► Provide one stop shopping for a wide range of information Goals 1. Provide a consolidated comprehensive community resource 2. Use technologies that are flexible, powerful, expandable, and adaptive. 3. Make the network responsive, interactive, and easy to use. 4. Make the network accessible to all citizens. 5. Provide on -going awareness, marketing, training, and technical support all citizens. 6. Develop a governance structure that is representative of the total community. Timeline 1. Mission, Goals, and Timeline completed in August, 1993. 2. Governance recommendation completed in September, 1993 3. Funding and partnerships in progress. 4. Pilot implementation planned for Spring, 1994. For More Information FortNet meets at 3:30pm the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Fort Collins Public Library, 201 Peterson. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information, call Alex Barnett at 221-0994. 9M September 30, 1993 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The Fort Collins Senior Advisory Board has asked me to express their support for the proposed FortNet public access computer information network. Our Board is appointed by City Council to explore issues of concern to seniors in the area and to then develop methods or make recommendations as to how these concerns might best be addressed. Along this line, we have frequently found that there is a need for an information and referral system which will meet the needs of the general public. A large gap currently exists in the area of information and referral. In our meetings with different groups, we have heard many people express their frustration with trying to locate information on which agencies exist, what services they offer and how to make contact. These complaints have come from agencies, organizations and individuals alike. We believe that the system proposed by FortNet would help to address these concerns. For the past two years, we have been collecting information on agencies and organizations and have been trying to find those persons with the resources to put together an information network. We believe that FortNet has those resources. As a group, we plant to make ourselves available to help provide information, make contacts and accomplish further research as needed. We applaud FortNet in their efforts and hope that they will find the support needed to make this public access computer information system a reality. Sincerely, Kay Rios Chair Fort Collins Senior Advisory Board 160 Circle Drive Fort Collins, Co 80524 (303) 482-0753 September The Fort Collins Senior Advisory Board is assisting City Staff in expanding their current CITY LINE by adding a senior resources component. CITY LINE is a 24 hour information resource designed to answer most frequently asked questions and provide information as to what is available in the community. CITY LINE is not meant to replace person to person contact but is intended to offer the convenience of around the clock information. Because of the services your organization provides, we feel that a listing would be appropriate. The CITY LINE, which can be reached by dialing 493-CITY (493-2489), can provide a contact phone number, address and a brief description of your organization's functions or offerings. We are asking that you provide us with this information with the following in mind: 1) The message should be clear, direct and in plain language. Eliminate any technical jargon. 2) The actual spoken message will be between 45 and 90 seconds so keep the information as brief as possible. Be sure, however, to include anything you believe to be important. We will work with the information and edit carefully to fit the desired slot. 3) The information should be general in order to reduce the number of times that the message will have to be updated. If you have a regularly scheduled meeting which is open to the public, that can be included, i.e. "A general meeting is held the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the basement of the community center." 4) End the message with your address and phone number. We are trying to collect all of this information by October 20, 1993. If you have any questions or would like some help in putting the information together, please feel free to contact me at 482- 0753. Please send completed listing to me at 160 Circle Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80524 Sincerely, Kay Rios Chair Advocacy Elder Abuse Adult Protective Services Long Term Care Ombudsman Clubs (social) Golden Age Senior Singles Slightly older Chore Assistance Hope Job Bank RSVP Handyman Weatherization Adult Players (S.O.A.P. Troupe) Community Service organizations American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Concerned Seniors of Colorado Fort Collins Senior Advisory Board Golden K Kiwanis Los Ancianos Unidos NARFE Newcomers Club Counseling and Support Alzheimers Association of Norther Colorado CCSN Elderly outreach Friendly Visitor Program Therapist Referral Services Disabled Resources Education Opportunities Colorado State University Senior Visitation Elderhostel Continuing Education, Colorado State University Lifetime Learning Series Cooperative Extension, Larimer County and Colorado State University Front Range Community College Front Range Forum Employment Senior Employment Financial Assistance CCSN Emergency Services Salvation Army Food Food Stamps Meals on Wheels Senior Chuckwagon SHARE Colorado Grocery Shopping Assistance King Soopers steeles Toddys Health Concerns Aspen Club Home Health Care Medicaid (Social Services) Medicare Claims Assistance Medicare Women's Center Hospital Assistance Aspen Club Housing Choices for Senior Living Fort Collins Housing Authority Neighbor to Neighbor Legal Services Colorado Rural Legal Services Lawyer Referral Service Senior Law Project Office on Aging Pet Care Scholarship fund Recreation Fort Collins Adult Programs Senior Center Northside Atzlan Community Center Transportation Care -A -Van Saints Transfort Veterans Services Disabled American Vets LC Veterans Services Volunteer Opportunities Base Camp Human Resources Development Larimer County Partners Retired Senior Volunteer Program (R.S.V.P.) Volunteers In Poudre R1 Schools (VIPs) Volunteers Clearing House 's new aginf chief in delicate balancing act BY ROBERT P. HEY No sooner did Fernando lbrres-Gil take over as the administration's top official on aging issues than he found himself pulled in two directions at once. Yanking him one way, he tells a Bul- letin reporter, is the present —the un- met needs that older Americans now have. But tugging hum the opposite direc- Tortes -Gil: a "seat at the table" for elders. tion, he goes on to say, is the futrim— the need to plan for the near doubling in the number of olderAmericans over the next two decades It's a big job, concedes Torres -Gil, named last spring by President Clin- ton to be the first assistant secretary of aging of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). But he quickly adds the government can't af- ford to choose between present and fir. ture: It must move in both directions Happily for Torres -Gil, he has been given unprecedented leverage with which to tackle this awesome agenda, observers point out. "Until this year, most top aging offi- cials played a much narrower role," says HARP legislative director John Rother, "primarily as head of the Ad- ministration on Aging," or AoA. But President Clinton moved quickly to give aging issues higher visibility Rother says. He named Torres -Gil to the more powerful post of assistant sec- retary for aging, thus giving aging is- sues whatlbrres-Gil calls "a seat at the table" where decisions are made at HHS. Not only does he manage the AoA, but, he says, "I'm charged with coordi- nating aging policies" inside HHS.'Tra also beginning to coordinate what the administration does on aging issues with the other cabinet agencies." Torres -Gil, age 45, brings to his new role a strong background in govern- ment and aging issues. He has been staff director of the now -dismantled House aging committee, agerontology professor atthe UniversityofSouthertr California and, until May, a professorof social welfare at the University of Cal- if rmia at Los Angeles. TorresGil's increased clout comes none too soon, observers say. They point out that many community -based programs financed in part by the AoA have suffered in recent years because of cutbacks imposed on the federal agency. AoA is a=billion agency that administers 670 area agencies on aging and 57 state and territorial units. AoA programs range from Meals on Wheels to legal counseling. Nowhere has this squeeze been more pronounced than in the area of nutri- tion. Bemuse the AoA's budget hasn't kept up with growing demand for nu- trition services, many elderly who rely on congregate and at-home food pro- grams aren't getting enough meals, Torres -Gil says. "People are going hungry out there," he says Moreover, he adds, "The wait- ing lists [to join the meals programj are continuing to grow across the country." Using his new leverage, Torres -Gil hopes ultimately to get more funds for his agency, so that it will be able to meet more needs -especially of the hungry elderly, of older women and of persons who require long-term care at home. As if today's problems aren't enough, he also has to worry about future ones People are going hungry. ... the Walling lists are continuing to grow.' FERNANDO TORRES-GIL He points out that unless America starts planning now, problems of older Americans could be far more serious in the future, with the number of peo- ple over65 expected nearly to double in the next two decades. That's why lbr resGil considers forc- ing government to focus on the long term to be a crucial part of his work, so that it prepares for this future: "Ourjob in this administration has to be nothing less than to chart out what we will look like as a society at the turn of the cen- tury." And, at the same time, sitting at that HHS table and insisting that more of the current needs of today's older Americans be met. ABOUT TO LOSE OUR LAST VOICE IN RESS? What seniors can expect if the Senate follows the House and kills its Special Committee on Aging BY LAURENCE I. BARRETT hat is so special about the Senate Special Committee on Aging? Plenty. Unlike nearly all other committees in Congress, its members almost never split along parry lines. And un- like the permanent "standing committees," Aging cannot bring actual legislation to the floor for enactment. Instead, it stages investigations and hearings, generates pressure and attempts to get other committees to translate its causes into formal bills. Last February, Aging acquired another distinction as the only Senate committee whose very existence was challenged. In two floor votes, Aging's chairman, Senator David Pryor (D-AR), fended off attempts to eliminate it altogether. The House of Representatives' Select Committee on Aging, meanwhile, was not as fortunate. The House wiped it out, without so much as a formal debate. These twin assaults exploded conventional wisdom. Seniors, everyone knew, wield great clout in Washington. That's one reason so many legislators sought slots on the Aging committees. The House group, with 67 members last year, was the largest committee in the lower chamber and had a waiting morn RAM CAPITOL STEVE c MIEB 5 E P T E M B E R 1 9 9 3• 4 7 therapies. In 1989, Pryor won a fight to hace an amendment attached to a larger budget measure. When the measure became law that ;ame year, it ap- peared to steer the industry toward curbing increases in certain cases, such as bulk purchases by institutions. But the companies responded by merely rejiggering their pricing practices. Medicine purchased under Medicaid —which serves low-income people —got smaller price increases, saving the government some money. Other consumers, including people on Medi- care, got no benefit at all. "In truth.' obsen es Portia Mittelman, Aging's former staff director. ''most elderly people have not seen a real reduction in prices." The Aging committee could muster more clout on that issue and others —and more insulation against criticism —if Pryor were willing to follow the example set by the heads of some other spe- cial committees. They maneuvered to upgrade their units to full-fledged standing committees, giving them the power to propose bills directly to the Senate. Pryor, however, has been re- luctant to reach for that power be- cause it would violate Aging's origi- nal charter. The Aging committee's inability to produce legislation was a central ar- gument during the debate over its abolition. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV). himself a member of the committee. is also chairman of the Appropria- tions Subcommittee on the Legisla- tive Branch. In that role, his mission is to cut overhead. Such an impera- tive, he said, must take priority over a committee that "has no legislative authority ... and was established [only] to hold hearings and dissemi- nate information." Senator Thad COm7r12 Cochran (R-MS) went further. "The facts are that this is an unnecessarily taxpayer duplicative committee," he said. "It does things that other committees Of ml are specifically charged [with] ... doing." waste, Cochran is correct, to a point. If the Aging committee were to die, a abus variety of other committees would take up at least some of the slack. Senator The Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, for instance, has a Cohen subcommittee on aging and another on disability policy. The Finance Committee is respon- sible for Medicare and Social Secutin- legislation However, Pryor contends that only the .aging com- mittee focuses on the whole range of issues affecting seniors. And as an answer to belt-ii;htening critics, Senator William Cohen of Maine, the senior Republi- can on the committee, notes that Aging pays for itself many times over by "saving [taxpayersl not S I million, not $10 million, not $100 million, but tens of Iwndreds of millions in the area of waste, fraud and abuse." The Aging S ll Max Richtman, executive. vice president of the Na- tional Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medi- care, is another staunch Aging defender, warning that if the committee were killed, "seniors would lose the most potent voice they have in Congress. For instance, if there is going to be any real change in the cost of prescription drugs, it will be because of the work of this committee." Indeed, in fighting off moves to kill his committee last February, one of Pryor's most telling arguments was that abolishing the committee would make lobbyists for the drug industry "the happiest group in town." Translation: Senators had to choose between supporting elderly consumers and pleasing pharmaceutical manufacturers. Still, in the final count, Pryor prevailed by only 13 votes, 56 to 43—a bad omen for the next test this fall. A Joint Committee on the Organi- zation of Congress is charged with making Capitol Hill's operations more efficient. Reduction in the number of committees will be one of the main proposals. As part of his tactics for survival, Pryor has been trying to prove that the Special Committee on Aging is serving an even larger con- stituency. That is one reason "inter - generational issues" have become his new buzzwords. For instance, Pryor has been pro- moting what he calls the Long -Term Care Insurance Consumer Protection Act. "This is a no -cost bill that can be enacted without increasing the deficit a single penny," he says. The mea- sure would reform and regulate the marketing of insurance policies that provide coverage for nursing homes and similar facilities. Older people eee saves are obviously concerned with this issue, as are their grown children — `hundreds hence the "intergenerational" label and the possibility of attracting more ZOnS in allies in the Aging committee's fight for life. fraud and But ultimately the survival of the Senate Special Committee on Aging e,' Says may depend largly on the lobbying efforts of the organizations that speak William for seniors. Their collective voice, still loud in Washington, did not register (R-ME) much when the House acted earlier this year because that change came quickly and mostly in private. The Senate action is playing out in public, giving the lobbyists an opportu- nity to apply pressure. And Max Richtman, for one, is getting ready to mobilize his organization. "We can generate a lot of mail to Capitol Hill," he says. "We have 6 million members and lots of other supporters — and we can let them know just how important this conlinittee i.s." ■ L v iu. u v /. lLuuu.IT coven politics for TZt[E magazine. NEW CHOICES SEPTEMBER 1993.49 • list. Pryor's 21-member committee has the second- largest roster in the Senate. o why was one committee pushed over the cliff and the other brought to the brink? And why does the Senate group again face possible extinction this fall? The ostensible answer is small change. Con- gress, like the rest of government, is under pressure to cut costs. But in contrast to committees that run up administrative expenses in the tens of millions, the House Aging committee cost $1.4 million last year and its Senate counterpart is spending just over $1 million this year. That kind of petty cash isn't worth a major struggle; a pair of far more complicated factors are at issue here. One is whether Congress, in an era of mega - deficits, wants to tolerate what amounts to an in-house lobby for a Critic, huge group of citizens with a huge appetite for benefits. The other is Aging co whether "special" and "select" com- mittees can accomplish much any- consid more or are merely relics of an- , other era, more useful to their Zn-hou members than to their constituents. , On the first point, it's clear that for C1122 tolerance is plummeting. "There's a certain element of ageism in the a huge air," says Martin Corry, chief lobby- ist for the American Association of for bl Retired Persons. "There's a feeling in Congress that maybe we're spending too much on the elderly. It's a problem." On the second point, Washington watchers concede that the House commit- tee had lost momentum. It was common knowledge, as one insider confides, that "at least half the people on our [House] committee didn't do anything except tell the folks back home that they were on it, fighting for the old folks." One reason the Senate committee survived, at least temporarily, is that Pryor himself is widely respected and has managed to get favorable attention for his group. Still, there is resentment in the upper house that some Aging committee members glide along mostly for the public -relations benefit. Most of the real work in Congress takes place in subcommittees; as a nonlegislative entity, Pryor's committee has none. But not even the most zealous reformers deny that the Aging committees have scored some impressive successes. To recall a few: ■Mandatory retirement ages were prohibited for most occupations, largely because of pressure generated over several years by the House committee. ■Both committees focused national attention on fla- grant abuses in the sale of medigap insurance policies. That effort led to national regulation of medigap mar- keting practices, which took effect last year and is widely regarded as effective. ■Skillful maneuvering by one of Pryor's predecessors as chairman, the late Senator John Heinz (R-PA), in- duced Congress to extend Medicare coverage to hos- pice stays for the terminally ill. But inside Congress, particularly as the federal deficit became a devouring issue, the committees' role has also become an irritant. As Pryor told NEw CHOICES, "Some people say, 'You special and select committees have the best of both worlds. You can raise all the Cain, hold all the hearings, demonstrate the horror stories, but you don't have to pay for any- thing.' ... I'm very sensitive to that aspect." The leadership of the House committee was less sensitive, which was one reason the House dumped it. Take the controversy over the "Social Security notch." In 1977 Congress rewrote the formula governing bene- fits received annually by retirees. The change, aimed at checking runaway spending, affected those born be- tween 1917 and 1926. For complex actuarial reasons, their benefits after 1977 rose by a slower rate than in - Of the creases given to those born before i and after the notch years. On a graph, the visual effect is a notch. rmmittee The political effect has been heart- , burn. One advocacy group in par- ,r it an ticular, the National Committee to ,e lobby Preserve Social Security and Medi- care, mobilized "notch babies" into ens with a protest movement. And when the House committee's chairman chose • to champion their cause, that put appetite representatives responsible for rnefits fiscal legislation in an unpleasant position. Satisfying the notch lobby would require nearly $j billion annually over five years, and perhaps reopen the entire question of benefit levels. At a time when deficit -fighting is fashionable, that solu- tion is untenable for many legislators. But rebuffing the notch babies, who number about 12 million, is also politically unpalatable. The House Aging Committee's thumping of the issue made it more so. So when the question of cutting internal overhead arose, Aging, along with three smaller and even less expensive select House committees, became a likely target. Representative William Hughes (D-NJ), who was to become the new House Aging chairman, had it right: "The standing committee chairmen saw this as an opportunity to get rid of a thorn in their sides." Pryor, though supporting the notch cause as an indi- vidual senator, has kept his committee out of the trap. In fact, he recently has been seeking issues on which his Aging committee can have impact without affecting the budget, such as exposing financial frauds perpe- trated on the elderly. Perhaps he learned a lesson last year. He won a nominal victory when he promoted "re -authorization" for aid programs under the Older Americans Act. Trouble was, Congress declined to con- vert authorization into appropriations —actual cash —to be spent in the current fiscal year. Illusory victories are common in this arena. The end- less fight over the cost of prescription drugs is a good example. Pryor, using the Aging committee as a vehi- cle, has become Capitol Hill's toughest crusader against escalating drug costs. Older people have a high stake because many of them are on long-term drug 48•S E P t E M BE 1993 NEW CHOICES