Albany and Schenectady County have been awarded more than $25,000 to plan community improvements that caters to the aging and disabled, according to officials.
We’re anticipating to begin the planning process in September, said Mary Duryea, spokeswoman for Albany County Executive Mike Breslin.
The Community Empowerment Grant from the New York State Office for the Aging is `designed to assist in their efforts to promote and plan more aging and disabled friendly communities, which support older adults and disabled individuals to remain in their community for as long as they wish,` according to information form the Albany County.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, Aug. 5, but the money will likely not be awarded until sometime within the next few weeks.
The county will work collaboratively with the municipalities and the Long Term Care Council, businesses and `consumer representatives, to plan for long and short-term strategies and to plan how to best allocate the resources. It will focus on housing, out-door spaces, transportation, building, employment and more, according to Albany County.
`The Community Empowerment Project is consistent with our current efforts to develop a comprehensive long term care plan for the county that expands affordable and reliable home and community-based long term care services in our community,` Albany County Executive Mike Breslin said in a written statement. `We must ensure our communities have the supports and services in place to enable residents to remain where they want to be for as long as possible.`
Duryea said the planning will primarily include determining which aspects of a community make it more palatable to the elderly and disabled.
`What kinds of thinks make a community more aging and disabled friendly?` she said will be the target question.
The county’s Long Term Care Council’s, NY Connects program, which is the `point of entry` for long-term care and aging agency, will join forces with the University at Albany to educate the public about the benefits available to the aging and disabled.
Duryea said the university will likely provide technical assistance, a community forum and an intern to assist.
Duryea said the grant fits with the county executive’s plan for long-term care for the elderly and will hopefully relieve the reliance on the county’s nursing home.
`Plans for making sure we will have the support and services they need so they don’t have to get a nursing home and can stay in the community,` Duryea said.
Renee Benson, the executive director of the Catholic Charities Caregiver’s Support Service’s said her organization and the United Way provide long-term care for the elderly and disabled, and have many services for `kinship` care, designed to help family members care for other family members.
`My personal hope is that while they’re doing the grant, they include some money for kinship care,` she said.
Catholic Charities services 21 families in Schenectady, and more than 70 in Albany, while also servicing 12 other counties, Benson said.
`Hopefully this grant will help us meet our goal of keeping more of our seniors at home,` said Albany County Legislator Lucille McKnight, chair of the Legislature’s Social Services Committee.
Schenectady County spokesman Joe McQueen said the grant application runs from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31 of 2010 and the county is hoping to begin work as soon as possible.
He said a steering committee will be formed but it is unknown who will serve on that committee at this time.
Schenectady County officials are planning to set up community forums and look at its assessment tools, McQueen said, in order to best determine how the funding should be allocated.
`Schenectady County has long supported efforts that promote the health and well being of our older residents. This grant will help us design programs and services that will allow our seniors to remain in our community,` said Susan Savage, chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature in a written statement.
Albany County-NY Connects can be reached at 447-7177. Schenectady County-NY Connects can be reached at 382-8481 ext. 1000.“