Highlights

We are pleased to announce the Human Services Department is now accepting applications for the ADS Division Director position.  The position closes Tuesday, December 13 at 4:00 p.m. (PST). 

As manager of the Seattle-King County Area Agency on Aging, the ADS Director will play a pivotal role in local, state and national policy setting for older adults, and provide leadership in our regional and state efforts to align with Federal healthcare reform and work to enhance overall healthcare results and quality.

We encourage you to share this announcement with your colleagues and your local and national professional networks. 
 

ADS will host three public hearings to accept comments on both the draft 2012-2015 Area Plan on Aging and the draft 2012 Discretionary Allocations.

• Thursday, August 4, 10:30 am @ the Kent Senior Center, 600 East Smith St, Kent 98030
• Monday, August 8, Noon @ Douglass Truth Library, 2300 E. Yesler Way, Seattle, 98122
• Tuesday, August 9. 10:00 a.m. @ Bellevue City Hall, Room 1E112, 450 110th Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA 98009

Public comment may also be submitted directly to Karen Winston @ 206-684-0706. The public review period ends August 9, 2011.

Over 100 representatives from state and local government, health care organizations, and community-based agencies participated in the Innovations in Accountable Care, an ADS Focus on the Future Forum.  The goals of the forum were to:

• Explore innovative ideas in accountable care.
• Reflect on how community partners can play a role in creating and implement new approaches.
• Spark discussions between current and potential partners.
• Assesss interest in participating in learning networks.

See Highlight Details for the keynote presentation and other materials shared at the forum.  

To help Aging and Disability Services (ADS)  identify key strategies that will promote quality of life, independence and choice for older people and adults with disabilities, we invite you to participate in a brief survey, and especially encourage residents who are age 60 and older or adults with disabilities to respond. 

• Take Survey

The survey will be available through April 29, 2011 and should take 10 minutes to complete.   Your responses will inform the development of ADS's 2012-2015 Area Plan on Aging.   For more information on the Area Plan development process, see the March issue of Seniors Digest or contact Karen Winston @ 206-684-0706.

ADS is accepting applications for funding for the Family Caregiver Support Program (FCSP), a county-wide system of care and support for persons who are the unpaid informal and primary caregivers for their loved ones: spouses, family and close friends.   The RFI is available on the Human services website: www.seattle.gov/humanservices/funding/

For more information on the FCSP RFI process, please contact Doug Ricker @ 206-684-0292.

ADS is offering organizations an opportunity to submit a Request for Qualification (RFQ) to provide Community Options Program Entry System (COPES) and Medicaid Personal Care (MPC) in-home services for the care of medically frail and/or disabled persons throughout King County. Contract awards will be made for the period of July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012.  The deadline to submit Homecare RFQ applications is 5:00 pm on Tuesday, February 22, 2011.

Applications for the Home Care Services RFQ are available on the Seattle Human Services website.  For additional information and/or to request paper copies of the Home Care Services RFQ, contact Tamsen Spengler at 206-684-0696 or tamsen.spengler@seattle.gov.
 

The National Alliance for Caregiving is conducting a survey on technology and its impact on family caregivers. The objectives of this survey include:

• Understanding the frequency of both Internet and device technology being used by caregivers;
• Understanding the impact of technology on both the caregiver and the care recipient; and
• Determining the unmet technological needs of the caregiver

If you are a family caregiver or know of one, please visit: www.caregiving.org and take part in this important survey.
 

The ADS Sponsors have approved for public review the preliminary strategies for allocating 2011 discretionary funds to service areas. Included in discretionary funds are federal Older Americans Act (OAA) and state Senior Citizens Services Act (SCSA) funds totaling approximately $6.4 M.

You are invited to attend a public hearing hosted by the Advisory Council on Aging and Disability Services following their monthly meeting on Friday, August 13 at 2:15 pm. Please contact Karen Winston if you plan to attend the public hearing.

The public comment period is open from August 2 to August 13. Should you have comments or any suggestions regarding the allocations, please submit them by phone (206-684-0706), email to karen.winston@seattle.gov or by regular mail to:

Seattle Human Services Department
Aging and Disability Services
Attn: Karen M. Winston, Planner
PO Box 34215
Seattle, WA  98124-4215

Adoption of the 2011 allocations is scheduled for the Sponsors’ meeting in August.

Seattle City Council has confirmed the first fourteen people who will serve as commissioners on the new Seattle Commission for People with Disabilities.

Mark Adreon, Joshua Caple, Rebecca C. Cory, Charlene Curtiss, Patricia Copeland, John Denooyer, Hope Drummond, Vickie Foster, Laura Gramer, Mary Beth Lum, Erica Sekins, Gary Stobbe, Deborah Witmer, and Sara Woody will serve on the volunteer commission that will advise the Mayor, City Council, and City departments on issues affecting people with disabilities, as well as help to foster understanding between people with disabilities and City government.

The mission of the Seattle Commission for People with Disabilities (SCPWD) is to promote the full participation of people with disabilities in all areas of economic, political, and community life in the City of Seattle.

For more information: www.seattle.gov/disability

We are interested in trying to find out why some people don't use senior centers. If you don't currently use a senior center, please take a few minutes to complete this online survey.

Your feedback will be very helpful for senior centers now and in the future.    

Nominees are individuals whose lives exemplify positive aging: community involvement, relationships, healthy living, endurance, balance—all the traits we ourselves hope to exhibit as we age. Deadline for nominations is April 30, 2010.