Minutes of ESCOTA General Meetings

Minutes from the April 10, 2008 General Membership Meeting

Date of Meeting: Thursday, April 10, 2008
Presentation: DFTA Contracts for Case Management
Speaker: William J. Dionne, Executive Director, Carter Burden Center for the Aging

Mary Beaudet called the meeting to order at 3:35p and welcomed the group. There were approximately 40 members present.

Ms. Beaudet announced that, while membership is still open, the deadline has passed to be in the printed directory. There is still time, however, to be included on the website. Membership forms be submitted to Reeva Mager, 917.441.3704, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). The membership dues for the year are $55 (single) and $75 (organization) and include the mailing of the directory.

Ms Beaudet thanked our host, Lenox Hill for hosting today’s meeting and providing refreshments.

Announcements:

Barbara Friesner reminded the group that, in order to get their announcements and/or job postings into the meeting minutes, to please send any announcements and/or job postings to her via email (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) any time prior to the meeting but no later than 12n on the Friday following each meeting.

SPOP announced a new Bereavement Support Groups for adults of all ages who have recently lost a spouse or partner are forming. 10 sessions, no fee. For information or to register, please call Barbara Danish 212.787.7120, extension 520.
Barbara Friesner announced the publication of her new book, How To Be Your Own Generational Coach. You can get more information at http://agewiseliving.com/shop-gencoachwkbook.htm.

Ken Onaitis announced The Jewish Home Lifecare’s Professional Education Center will host 'Aging in Place and Dementia Special Care Units Conference,' Friday, May 30, 2008, 8:30a–1:30p. A panel of speakers from the fields of gerontology and healthcare will discuss the merits of both specialized dementia units and integrated care. This program will be hosted at UJA Federation of NY located at 130 East 59th Street, NY, NY 10022. FINAL REGISTRATION FEE: $35. Continuing Education Credits will be provided. Pending approval for: Administrator, Nursing, Social Work, Therapeutic Recreation, & Physical Therapy Credit. To register and view the full program agenda online visit: https://www.lifecareinstitute.org/public/ViewAgenda.cfm?Event_ID=78. For more information please call Patrice Gordon at 212.870.4763 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Rubin Museum of Art (RMA) is pleased to announce Free Seniors Day, a special initiative to welcome older adults to participate in free admission, guided visits to the galleries, film screenings, and a 10% discount on selected items at the Shop and Café on the first Monday of each month. RMA is open from 11:00a–5:00p on Mondays. Admission for seniors is ordinarily $7. The museum offers free admission to all visitors on Friday evenings, 7:00–10:00p. Reservations for group visits are recommended, and private tours of the galleries can be arranged by calling Group Visits at 212.620.5000, ext. 345 or by e-mailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Doris Astor, Associate Director of Educational Services at DOROT announced a new Dorot program – To Your Health – an interactive teleconferencing program for older adults, providing information on health and wellness topics and offering support groups for chronic illness. Experts in their field lead each 50-minute phone session, to encourage discussion and provide vital information relevant to seniors today. Each session is interactive with participants encouraged to ask questions and share their experiences and concerns. No special phone equipment is needed. To get a free coupon and learn more about participating in this accessible program, call 212.769.2850, or 877.819.9147.

Presentation:

Ms. Beaudet then introduced the speaker, William J. Dionne, Executive Director, Carter Burden Center for the Aging who introduced the panel: Warren Scharf, Executive Director, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House; Wanda Wooten, Executive Director, Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center; Brian Kravitz, Executive Director of Search and Care.

DFTA is in the process of a re-design of its contracts for case management, home-delivered meals and senior centers. An RFP for Case Management which significantly increased catchment areas for this service was issued in fall 2007. In response, 4 agencies on the Upper East Side (Carter Burden Center for the Aging, Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House and Search and Care) formed the East Side Case Management Consortium and responded to the RFP as a group. We were awarded the contract, with Lenox Hill serving as the lead agency, and will serve seniors in CD 8 and CD 11. Prior to the RFP, there were 32 case management contracts in the city, that number has been reduced to 23.

DFTA has issued concept papers in advance of releasing RFP’s for home-delivered meals and senior centers. The Home Delivered Meals concept paper describes substantial changes to this program. Currently DFTA supports 97 home-delivered meal programs and plans to reduce that number to approximately 20. This will involve larger contracts and redrawn service areas. The RFP for Home-Delivered Meals will be issued in May 2008.

There are currently more than 300 DFTA funded senior centers in NYC. The Senior Centers concept paper does not indicate if any will be eliminated through the RFP process. The concept paper does state that health and wellness programs will be a critical part of senior centers. The RFP for Senior Centers will be issued in September 2008.

The meeting was adjourned at 5pm.

Next Meeting:

Date: Thursday, May 8, 2008 from 3-5pm
Location: Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center
Presentation: Emergency Services for Pets
Speaker: To be announced

Respectfully submitted by Barbara E. Friesner, Secretary

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