Local senior groups and state ADSD outline programs, waivers and advocacy needs

Two presentations to the Fernley Senior Citizen Advisory Committee highlighted regional senior services and state-level programs that support aging in place.

Marcy Cooper Smith and Andrea Pelto described the Senior Coalition of Washoe County's work: monthly meetings (first Friday, Ninth Street Senior Center and Zoom), guest speakers from health and aging services, membership dues ($25 individual, $75 organizational) and events such as Senior Fest and legislative day in Carson City. The coalition asked Fernley to join its advocacy efforts and invited the committee to the next meeting on August 7.

"We're trying to figure out for the upcoming legislative session where we think would be the most effective thing that we can advocate for as seniors," Cooper Smith said, listing candidate topics such as housing, transportation and food insecurity.

Cecilia Alonso, regional coordinator with the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division (ADSD), then outlined state programs that affect older residents: Adult Protective Services, developmental services regional centers, the long-term care ombudsman program that advocates for residents in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, the Office of Consumer Health Assistance (OCHA) for insurance- and billing-related advocacy, and the Office of the Advocacy Rights Attorney that provides free legal services funded through the Older Americans Act.

Alonso described home- and community-based services (HCBS) waivers for frail and elderly individuals (providing case management, adult day services, homemaker services, respite care and personal emergency response systems) and a newly launched structured family caregiving waiver targeted to individuals with a dementia diagnosis. She acknowledged that many waivers have long wait lists due to funding constraints but said the new structured family caregiving waiver currently did not have a waiting list. "We haven't been funded the wait list... it really does take a long time," Alonso said, and she offered to return with more detailed wait-list numbers for the committee.

Committee members asked for help distributing coalition materials and coordinating speakers (senior coalition, ADSD, and federal representatives) to reach Fernley's senior residents; staff and presenters discussed using printed flyers, water-bill inserts and quarterly mailings to reach seniors who do not use social media.

Next steps: ADSD will provide follow-up data on waiver wait lists on request; the Senior Coalition will share its August meeting and outreach materials and pursue expanded membership and joint advocacy with Fernley's committee.