Supporting Older Adults and Their Families

Supporting Older Adults and Families
July 30, 10:00–11:30a.m.
Guest Speakers:  Karen Appert and Heather Altman (NC Caregiving Collaborative)

Registration link

This is a great opportunity to understand where the work is headed, how to get involved, and how policy and systems are being shaped across North Carolina to support aging across the lifespan. If you have any questions about the quarterly meetings and forthcoming quarterly progress reports, reach out to Divya Venkataganesan, divya.venkataganesan@dhhs.nc.gov and Caylee Weaver, Caylee.weaver@dhhs.nc.gov

Supporting Older Adults and Their Families Workgroup

Vision: North Carolinians will have access to services and resources that allow them to stay in their homes and communities as they age and support for the family caregivers helping them.

Subgroups (3)

  1. Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)
  2. Caregiving
  3. Referrals and Access to Care

Key Recommendations (7)

Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS Priority)

  • Align NC policies with the Older Americans Act to better support older adults aging at home.
  • Modernize aging program data systems (e.g., replace ARMS) to improve service delivery and program management.

Caregiving (Caregiving Priority)

  • Expand support services for family caregivers, including respite.
  • Promote consumer-directed caregiving options that give people more control and choice.
  • Sustain and improve the NC Caregiver Portal to help families find services quickly and easily.

Referrals and Access to Care (Caregiving Priority)

  • Develop a unified, “no wrong door” referral system so caregivers get help no matter where they enter the system.
  • Strengthen NC 211 and NCCARE360 to connect older adults and people with disabilities to housing, transportation, health care, and other essential supports.

How to Get Involved

This workgroup is ideal for:

  • Area Agencies on Aging
  • Family caregiving organizations
  • Social workers and case managers
  • Local DSS and nonprofits
  • Housing and disability service partners

You can:

  • Share your agency’s referral systems and ideas for integration
  • Volunteer to test new tools or co-host caregiver education sessions
  • Bring lived experience as a caregiver into planning
  • Collaborate on cross-county or regional pilot efforts

Workgroup leads: Kay Castillo and Jenisha Henneghan. 

 

 

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