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TextOne Page Story of the Long Term Care Coordinating Council
The Challenge:
The critical challenge in our community is to meet the long term care needs of the growing population of elderly persons and adults with disabilities. In addition, there are many other issues which have contributed to this challenge, such as increasing cultural diversity, a critical shortage of available caregivers in the home and in the community, new advances in medical technologies, and a general lack of long term care insurance coverage.
The Response:
In response to these challenges, in 1999 the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors established 'The Long Term Care Task Force', whose charter was to first define the Task Force mission and to develop a Strategic Plan that would be the community's road map for the next 5-10 years. Representation from approximately 40 Northern Virginia organizations and interested groups served on the Task Force.
The Task Force Work and Recommendation:
Following many months of stakeholder meetings, incubator groups, community asset mapping, research and data collection, community forums, and interim reports, the Task Force finalized a Strategic Plan which organized the priority needs and strategies to meet Long Term Care needs into four Theme Areas: 1) Increasing Public Awareness, 2) Connecting People to Services, 3) Promoting Independent, Supportive Living, and 4) Improving and Expanding the Long Term Care Workforce.
The Long Term Care Coordinating Council:
The Task Force recommended that the Board of Supervisors establish a permanent Long Term Care Coordinating Council to provide oversight and leadership to the public and private, coordinated and collaborative efforts needed to implement the Strategic Plan. The Council has affirmed its mission, established bylaws, elected officers, and developed an operating structure. Its initial priority work has been defined through three Committees to address 'Access', 'Service Development', and 'Workforce Development', as well as the research and development of a new operating entity to ultimately be the structure that would provide future oversight of this important mission.
The Mission:
The Mission of the Long Term Care Coordinating Council is to provide
community leadership to promote and assure an accessible, affordable,
integrated, and dynamic state-of-the-art collaborative system, enabling
seniors and adults with disabilities to live independently in the
community of their choice, and to support the needs of families,
caregivers, and service providers.
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