HomeMy WebLinkAbout110617_cbs01Regular Agenda
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
Philip Morley, County Administrator
FROM: Leslie Locke, Executive Assistant
DATE: November 6, 2017
SUBJECT: PROCLAMATION re: Proclaiming the month of November, 2017 as Family
Caregiver Month
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
Roy Walker, Executive Director of Olympic Area Agency on Aging (03A) has requested that the
Commissioners consider adopting a proclamation proclaiming November 2017 as Family Caregiver Month.
Commissioner David Sullivan serves on this Board and supports 03A's efforts.
FISCAL IMPACT
None
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve Proclamation re: Proclaiming the Month of November, 2017 as Family Caregiver Month in
Jefferson County
REVIEWED BY:
P orY, Y ount dministrato Date
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, during the month of November, Washington State honors unpaid family and kinship caregivers for
providing countless hours of assistance to loved ones, friends and neighbors with chronic illness, disabilities and/or
special needs; and
WHEREAS, approximately 8,150 family caregivers in Jefferson County are the backbone of our long term
services and support system and are estimated to provide 7,500,000 hours and $108 million annually in unpaid essential
services; statewide there are more than 830,000 caregivers delivering 770 million hours of services and supports valued
at $11 billion dollars annually; and
WHEREAS, Washington State is recognized nationally for its unique approach to providing services to support
family caregivers and is ranked by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) as first in the nation for long
term services and supports including programs carried out by the Washington State Department of Health and Social
Services' Aging and Long term Support Administration and by thirteen Area agencies on Aging, and
WHEREAS, services that are provided at the local level are coordinated by the Olympic Area Agency on Aging
working under the governance of the county commissioners from Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson and Pacific Counties;
and
WHEREAS, Olympic Area Agency on Aging is currently able to provide support to a small portion of unpaid
family caregivers through the state's Family Caregiver Support Program, which provides training and encourages these
heroes to utilize respite and other self-care strategies so they can continue to provide exceptional care to loved ones; and
WHEREAS, Washington's new, innovative Medicaid Demonstration Programs, Medicaid Alternative Care and
Tailored Support for Older Adults will expand the reach of supports and services for unpaid family caregivers and older
adults without a caregiver; and
WHEREAS, the Olympic Area Agency on Aging and volunteers are hosting a Family Caregiver Conference on
November 18, 2017 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Port Angeles Senior Center titled Back to Caregiving: Know Your
Community Resource; and
WHEREAS, hundreds and thousands of family members are caring for individuals with memory loss or
Dementia and the Washington State Plan to address Alzheimer's Disease and other Dementias recognizes the impact of
providing such care and is calling on public and private partners to work collectively to improve services and supports for
this growing population; and
WHEREAS, the theme for this year's observance is "Caregiving Around the Clock," acknowledging that
caregiving is a rewarding experience but is one that requires significant sacrifices and can cause burdens and stress for
the caregiver, making it imperative that caregivers must take care of themselves before they can effectively care for
someone else; and
NOW THEREFORE, the Jefferson County Commissioners do hereby proclaim November 2017 as
FAMIL Y CAREGIVER MONTH
in Jefferson County and encourage people in this county to join us in this special observance and to attend the caregiving
conference in Clallam on November 181.
PROCLAIMED this 611 day of November, 2017.
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
SEAL:
ATTEST: Kathleen Kler, Chair
David Sullivan, Member
Erin Lundgren,
Clerk of the Board Kate Dean, Member