DELHI _ Delaware County's NY Connects Long Term Care Council identified eight areas of concern for its residents during its meeting Thursday.
The council's 40 members include representatives from 35 area agencies that provide services to elderly and disabled citizens and a variety of other interested parties including consumers and caregivers.
Laura Stewart, Delaware County NY Connects coordinator, said 24 percent of the county's population is older than 60, and projections indicate the percentage will rise to 32 percent by 2015. Also, she said, 21 percent of the county's population is disabled adults.
Tom Briggs, county Office of the Aging director, said Delaware County has the highest percentage of senior citizens in the state. He said that in the past, area seniors have always been independent and self-sufficient, but with the influx of a metropolitan population and an increase in technology, there is a bigger demand for services.
The council pinpointed eight areas of concern and recommendations to fix or prevent problems faced by citizens of the county.
The areas are:
ä Inadequate support for caregivers
ä Inadequate community services
ä Inadequate substance-abuse services
ä Inadequate mental-health services
ä Inadequate transportation
ä Inadequate housing alternatives
ä Inadequate work force
ä Inadequate and inflexible funding
Kurt Apthorpe, Countryside Care Center administrator, said the issues brief came about after the council decided to start the process of identifying the issues of need and then consolidated them into a workable number.
"This issues brief is not an end product _ it's really a starting point," Apthorpe said.
"We have a vision, a collective vision," Briggs said.
Laurene Reichardt, Catskill Center for Independence program manager, said there is a shared knowledge of resources in the group, which is a big benefit.
Drue Brenner, one of the consumers who is a caregiver for her elderly mother, said the understanding of aging has changed a great deal.
"The desire of the elderly is to live at home," Brenner said, "which means the caregivers shoulder large burdens."
Joanne Leddy, another caregiver, said she is still overwhelmed by the responsibilities of caring for her father.
"In just a short time, he went from being almost self-sufficient to the point of not being able to manage his own medications," Leddy said. "He moved in with us, and I can't even figure out the best way to set up his bedroom." Leddy said that through the group, she was able to find out where to get equipment her father needed.
Thea Griffin, state Office for the Aging NY Connects director, said the Delaware County NY Connects council has done fantastic work on the issues brief.
Griffin said Stewart has been giving presentations to other counties about local progress.
"Where your county is moving forward, other counties are struggling," added Michael Gunn, state NY Connects county manager. He commended Stewart for managing to have so many people at the table identifying problems and seeking solutions.
Stewart said she has completed compiling a Delaware County Long-Term Services Guide, which is now available to help people access all of the programs and services offered.
The guide is available in printed form or online at www.co.delaware.ny.us by clicking on NY Connects.
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Patricia Breakey can be reached at 746-2894 or at stardelhi@stny.rr.com.
