COMMITTEE ON GENERATIONAL, CULTURAL & ETHNIC DIVERSITY
MINUTES: MAY 23, 2006
10:00 AM
MEMBERS: Chair: Bernice Spreckman, Vice-Chair: Vito Pinto; Legislators: Jose Alvarado, Lois Bronz, George Oros, Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Clinton Young.
IN ATTENDANCE: Members: Bernice Spreckman, Jose Alvarado, Lois Bronz, Vito Pinto, Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Clinton Young. WCDSPS: Caryl Weinstein and Dozene Guishard.
Guest Speakers: Mary Edgar-Herrera, Program Administrator for the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services Caregiver Unit and Joann Parliament, Director of Admissions for the Visiting Nurse Services of Westchester.
With a quorum present, Chair Spreckman started the meeting at 10:20 AM.
Chair Spreckman brought up the first agenda item, a proposal to change GCED’s quorum to 3 members to start a meeting and 3 members to vote.
On a motion of Legislator Pinto, seconded by Legislator Bronz, the motion to change the quorum from 4 members to 3 members was unanimously approved.
Mary Edgar-Herrera, Program Administrator for the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services Caregiver Unit, gave a presentation about the many free services available to senior citizens and their families through her department, such as information about how to help seniors and older adults who drive, resistant care and coming to an agreement, how to talk to the doctor, transportation, adult day care, shopping, medical, care-giver support groups, planning ahead for assisted living and how to find assisted living. She tries to stock informational pamphlets on topics like these in local libraries, faith based communities and other community centers.
Answering a question from Legislator Alvarado, Mary Edgar-Herrera stated that the information is also available in Spanish.
There was continued discussion about caregivers, their concerns and the many free services available that can make these situations easier to handle.
Following the same theme, Joann Parliament, Director of Admissions for the Visiting Nurse Services of Westchester, gave a presentation about the services, special programs and community programs that the Visiting Nurse Services of Westchester offers. They focus on caring for older or special needs people who qualify for home health care. Their goal is to provide quality health care and skilled services to people who need special care, but want to stay in their home.
Legislator Spreckman adjourned the meeting at 11:20 PM.
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