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Contact: Frank Sobrino
O: (212) 669-4193
Testimony
of Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum
for
Public Hearing on
The
Department for the Aging’s Annual Plan Summary, 10/23/06
Thank you providing this opportunity
for public comment on the Department for the Aging’s annual
plan summary.
I will focus my comments on the city’s
proposal for a single-point-of-entry system for long-term care.
I am encouraged to see the administration actively involving itself
in the statewide effort to make the process of obtaining long-term
care more efficient and to help families preserve their loved
ones’ independence and quality of life. However, I share
the concerns of advocates and community leaders who say they have
not been adequately consulted in regards to the city’s single-POE
system proposal.
The advantage of the single-POE system
is that it allows families to obtain all the information they
need to make critical decisions from a single source. When that
source is not adequately responsive to their needs, however, the
single-POE system can put families at a distinct disadvantage.
For a single-POE system to truly empower
families it must provide them with all available options while
ensuring that they are not overwhelmed by medical jargon or bureaucratic
red tape. In many cases, a community-based organization, rather
than a government program, is the option that is best for families
and most consistent with the goal of maintaining seniors’
independence and quality of life.
It would therefore make sense for
the administration to consult with CBOs on the development of
its single-POE proposal and work with CBOs to ensure that services
remain rooted in the community. To the administration’s
credit, it did issue Requests for Information during the planning
process and subsequently hold a meeting with CBOs to explain the
completed proposal. It did not, however, engage CBOs as full consultants
during the planning process, thus feeding concerns that it is
not committed to a community-based approach.
The administration could address these
concerns and, at the same time, significantly strengthen its proposal
simply by fostering an on-going public discussion throughout the
reform process. I endorse the recommendation of the Council of
Senior Centers and Services that DFTA hold regular borough-wide
meetings to explain its single-POE proposal to, and receive feedback
from, interested parties in the community.
Government is always at its best when
it jettisons bureaucracy and enables people to access services
in their own community. I urge DFTA to embrace this approach as
it works to reform the process of obtaining long-term care.
Thank you.
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