Concord, NC- According to the county clerk to the
board of commissioners, Megan Smit, the commissioners discussed planning for an
aging population among other topics at a retreat late last month. The commissioners
use planning retreats to prepare for the coming year of municipal work. During
the retreat the commissioners discussed revenues, funding for education, and in
one of the longest presentations, the ever changing demographics of the region.
According to a report prepared for the retreat's
agenda, "Natural aging plus population growth equals rapid growth in
elderly population." Census data from 2010 suggests
that Cabarrus County is aging at a comparable rate to the rest of the nation,
but the county's median age is three years higher than neighboring Mecklenburg
County. When asked about the commissioner's plan to handle the dynamics of an
aging population, Smit responded that the commissioners were considering the
data while working on the new budget that will be finalized sometime this
summer.
Although the county provides a number of services
for aging residents, numerous programs have experienced delays processing new
applications.
The message callers hear at the county's Adult
Services line (704-920-1400) mentions
longer than normal delays in obtaining nutrition and Medicaid support, benefits
that many aging residents depend on. According to Charlotte's NPR member
station, WFAE, the county is taking up to ninety days to respond to
applications for assistance, the state mandates action within thirty.
The county, via the board
of commissioners, is responsible for appointing citizens to the Nursing Home
Care Community Advisory Committee and the Adult Care Home Community Advisory
Committee. The state mandates that members of these trained, volunteer-based
committees act as advocates and liaisons between patients and facilities.
Although the Nursing Home Care Community Advisory Committee has no regulatory
power, members visit care facilities, help file complaints and turn in regional
reports regarding
the well-being of residents to the commissioners, and to the Department of Health and Human Services, .
Community advisory
committees offer a voice to elderly residents, but both aforementioned
committees have suffered from long time vacancies. The county allows for eight
appointed members on each committee, but the minutes from the board's meetings
reveal between four and eight positions have been vacant every month since
2012.
The county clerk says the commissioners are actively working to fill these
seats. The state allows the
assistant secretary for aging (DHHS) to appoint members to these committees if
a county's board of commissioners have left a seat vacant for three months or
more.
The regional ombudsman,
Laurie Abounader, said that she is always looking for volunteers to fill these vacant seats.Residents of the county who are interested in volunteering
are encouraged to contact her.
