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sr-112211-13c13 -C November 22, 2011 CITY CLERK'S OFFICE - MEMORANDUM To: City Council From: Mayor Bloom, Councilmember O'Connor and Councilmember McKeown Date: November 22, 2011 13 -C: Request from Mayor Bloom, Councilmembers Pam O'Connor and Kevin McKeown that the City Council oppose state budget cuts to physical, mental health therapeutic care and social services for frail seniors and adults and other Medi -Cal recipients including the elimination of the Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) program and advocate that the State legislature continue to explore alternatives to eliminating the ADHC program, including the California Association for Adult Day Services' (CAADS) proposal to reduce ADHC without having to eliminate the program. 13 -C November 22, 2011 1 P-00 v si. A, i- l RES0I UT ION ��. '� � �� Pt1i/ WHEREAS, any official position of the City of Los Angeles with respect to legislation, rules, regulations or policies proposed to or, pending before a local state: or federal governmental body or, agency must have first been adopted in the 'form of a Resolution by the City Cojjiiujj with the conounenco of the Mayor; and WHEREAS, the State of California's legislature is currently determining the necessary budget cuts to lessen the State's $28 billion deficit; and WHEREAS, the governor has proposed to save $500 mullion by reducing and /or eliminating programs %r low - income seniors, disabled people mud other Medl -Cal rocipieats; filduding the e1lmhzatiou of the Adult Day Health Care (ADI-IC!) program; and WHE.REAS,.Medl -Claps ADHC Program is a licensed. community- basod:day care programproviding,a varietyofhealth, therapeutic, and social seivices to those'at -risk of being: placed in a nursing home; and WHEREAS, the ADHC program is used by approximately 37,000 elderly State residents who, ifhospitalized, could create a larger burden on the State's taxpayers; and WHEREAS, it has been reported that Los Angeles County ADHC centers, which received over 30,000 visits in 2009, will be, the most affected county in the State; and WHEUAS, the City's families will be greatly affected if the ADHC programs are eliminated and their loved ones must. survive with less care and assistance; and WilEREAS,the State legislature should continue tea explore alternatives to e1tmrnat4ng the ADTIC progra n, 'including the California Association for Adult Day Services" (CAADS) proposal to reduce ADKC without having to eliminate the program; NOW, TtILRFFORB, BE IT RESOLVED, that by the adoption of this Resolution, the City of Loos Angeles, hereby includes in its 2011-2012 State Legislative Program OPPOSITION to any reductions in the State's, Adult Day Health Care (ADHC:) program and /or any other''State prograin,5:that would negatively' ffeet the elderly population, PRESENTED Y: Counciinerdber, 14 11e District owaftwo ox S,ECONUEU:BX; 144 =aa WESTSIDE CITIES ' BEVERLY HILLS ' CULVER CITY ' LOS ANGELES ' SANTA MONICA ' WEST HOLLYWOOD ' COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES DATE: NOVEMBER 17, 2011 TO: WESTSIDE CITIES COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS BOARD FROM: MARIA RYCHLICKI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SUBJECT: ADULT DAY HEALTH CARE FUNDING CUTS UPDATE PROPOSED ACTION: CONSIDER REPORT AND POSSIBLY TAKE RELATED ACTIONS INTRODUCTION Adult Day Health Care ( "ADHC ") is a licensed, community -based day care program providing a variety of activities and physical and mental health therapeutic care and social services to frail seniors and adults — some of whom have disabilities - who are at risk of being placed in nursing homes or other institutional facilities. The Fiscal Year 2011 -12 State Budget will eliminate the ADHC as a Medi -Cal plan optional benefit as of December 1, 2011. c BACKGROUND Currently over 300 centers exist throughout the State of California and, in Los Angeles County alone, there are 166 licensed centers caring for 23,000 participants. In the County's Third District (Supervisor Yaroslaysky) there are 62 centers. At the COG's Homelessness and Social Services Issues October 20, 2011 meeting, information on this important issue was provided by Lorenza Sanchez, Assistant Director of Los Angeles County Aging and Adult Services /Area Agency on Aging, and Nina Nolcox, R.N., Vice President of the California Association of Adult Day Care Services and Administrator of an Adult Day Care Center. The primary objectives of the ADHC program are to: a) restore or maintain optimal capacity for self -care to frail, elderly and /or disabled persons; and, b) delay or prevent inappropriate or personally undesirable institutionalization. Without these ADHC services, participants would need other, more expensive alternatives such as skilled nursing, in- patient mental health and emergency facilities. The ADHC centers have been providing these services for 30 years, on an interdisciplinary team basis, connecting seniors and disabled clients with other essential services. The cost is $76 per day, half of which is paid for by Medi -Cal and the other by federal funds. Each Clg participant has a specialized care program. approved by the State and attends the centers from two to five times a week. Participants in the In -Home Supportive Services have been notified of the above funding cuts and will be provided with needs assessments: What is unknown is when and if the remaining ADHC participants will be notified and whether they will receive any alternate care. To date, the County has received very few calls from centers or participants on this issue. It is anticipated that the gap in services for ADHC participants and families will have a local impact resulting in increased 9 -1 -1 calls, increased emergency room. visits, increased placement of older adults and persons with disabilities in nursing homes, increased Adult Protective Services investigations, increased demand for In -Home Supportive Services and an increase in need for health and mental health services. Unemployment will also rise as ADHC employees are laid -off and family caregivers are forced to provide direct care and supervision for their family members. Los Angeles County and City Area Agency on Aging have formed an ADHC taskforce, comprised of several County departments, to obtain data on the ADHC population, evaluate their needs and services, identify the most vulnerable and develop outreach and education plans to ensure ADHC participants' smooth transition into the County's network of services. In June 2011,. legal documents were filed requesting that a federal district court in Oakland stop the State of California from eliminating Adult Day Health Care as a Medi- Cal service because it would be a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal laws unless the State can prove that the elimination will not cause those impacted to be harmed or unnecessarily placed in nursing facilities or hospitals. The hearing scheduled for November 8, 2011 was moved to November 15, 2011. NEXT STEPS Staff will continue to monitor the issue. It has been suggested that, should the COG wish to contact any legislators about this issue, they should contact Senators Yamada and Ted Lew rather than Governor Brown. 45