Program Description

Makes sure there is compliance with laws that protect the elderly. Use agency personnel and volunteers to defend the elder population. With other agencies, offer services to citizens age 60 and above. These Agencies are constituted by regions: Region I (North) Region II (South) and an Elder's Affairs Advisory Council. The Council inlcudes members from the following departments: Health, Family, Education, Sports and Recreation, Labor and Human Resources, Housing and the Advocates for Patients, Women, and the Handicapped plus eight other members representing public interest.

Objectives

• Maintain the Single Entry for Assistance for Services system, which offers the elder population, family and general public, information about programs and services for the elderly.

• Offer orientation and advice to the elder population, the community in general and organizations about the services available, the rights of the recipients of services and the alternatives available according to their needs.

• Educate the elder population about the appropriate use of medication and alert them about possible negative effects on their health due to combining prescribed and over the counter drugs.

• Maintain and extend the services of the Center for Education, Investigation and External Resources.

• Offer support to family caregivers and encourage all family members to participate in the care of the elderly person. Enable caregivers so they can provide all care related functions.

• Continue the development of programs directed to the elderly, promoting health and prevention of disease, including education about nutrition, physical activity, the adequate use of medication, the prevention of sexually transmitted disease with emphasis on H.I.V., and health clinics.

• Identify people in the community interested in offering volunteer services to homes, young people interested in accompanying elderly citizens who live in solitude and grandparents taking care of grandchildren.

• Continue the development and the administration of projects that serve as models for implementing services of support and protection, which benefit the elderly population by helping them attain an optimum quality of life.

• Continue the development of technical assistance activities, monitoring and annual evaluations in the fiscal and programmatic areas to determine compliance with the State Plan.

• Promote the development of housing projects that satisfy the needs of elderly community.

• Offer caregivers temporary assistance through the Volunteer Program so that the caregiver can improve their quality of life and that of the elderly person they care for.

• Continue to develop relief services for families of citizens in the first and second stage of Alzheimer's through the Program of Older Friend Companions and the Alzheimer State Program.

• Increase by 3%, the services of sustenance and nutrition that the Centers for Activities and Multiple Services for the Elderly offer at the center as well as in the home, prioritizing those elderly citizens with great economic and social needs; for the next three years.

• Continue to facilitate transportation to elderly citizens in the 32 municipalities where the Senda Program is established.

• Promote the development of approximately 30 cultural well-being clubs for elderly citizens during the next three years.

• Promote and develop Day Care Centers in Puerto Rico for elderly citizens who have special conditions.

• Continue developing tutor and mentoring services for children from 0 to 21 years old in different institutions, including children with special needs, and relief services for participating parents through the volunteer program Adoptive Grandparents in Ponce.

• Develop and implement the campaign You Can, Improve your Health (an integrated system of nutrition and step counting), which is directed primarily to overweight, hypertension and diabetes in the community, organizations, and municipalities impacting 5,000 elderly citizens.

• Continue to develop the Farmer's Market for Elderly Citizens impacting approximately 50,0000 citizens annually by supplying food and nutritional education during the next four years.

• Continue to offer and develop at least three innovative programs based on themes established by the Office with funds from the Agency to improve physical health and mental independence in elderly citizens in Puerto Rico.

• Guarantee the rights of the residents of the Extended Care Establishments (CLD, Spanish acronym) and prevent abuse, negligence and exploitation.

• Guarantee the rights of elderly persons in the community through different administrative and judicial activities.

• Establish a plan to prevent abuse in its different manifestations. In addition, provide easy access to available services that have shown an increase of 3% ; 2010-2013.

• Expand the reach and increase the quality of legal services to accomplish results that are beneficial and significant to our elderly population.

• Continue to offer educational activities to the elderly population, their families and to the caregivers, about how to detect and report Medicare, Medicaid, and health care service fraud.

Statistical Data	2010	2011	2012
Customers served	288,955	328,358	400,000

The statistical data was provided by the Agency during the Fiscal Year 2011-2012 budget formulation process.

Human Resources

Authorized and Proposed Positions	2009	2010	2011	2012
Managerial,Technical, Administrative, and Office Staff	153	140	129	126
Total, Positions	153	140	129	126

Program Description

Promotes social action in coordination with the Governor's office and 15 other agencies that provide services and aid to the residential housing projects that have been intervened by the Police of Puerto Rico.

• Establish at least eight collaborative agreements, alliances and partnerships in Puerto Rico, each year.

• Maintain an Advisory Council composed of specialized professionals, university representatives, and representatives from the elderly population, to support the exchange of ideas and focus on the development of services to the population.

• Establish communication networks and mechanisms of effective coordination with the Legislature of Puerto Rico, to participate in a timely manner in the processes of formulating public opinion for the elderly population.

Statistical Data	2010	2011	2012
Customers served	3,049	3,090	3,140

The statistical data was provided by the Agency during the Fiscal Year 2011-2012 budget formulation process.

Human Resources *

Authorized and Proposed Positions	2009	2010	2011	2012
Managerial,Technical, Administrative, and Office Staff	1	1	1	1
Total, Positions	1	1	1	1

* Starting in 1997, funds are transferred yearly to the Area Agencies to contract personnel to execute the different activities of the Program.

The adopted consolidated budget for fiscal year 2011-2012 ascends to $24,330,000. The funds include: $1,908,000 from the Joint Resolution, General Funds $1,639,000 from Special Appropriations General Fund, $20,751,000 from Federal Grants and $32,000 from Other Income.

Operating Expenses reflect an increase of $237,000 in comparison with the resources appropriated for fiscal year 2010-2011. This is due to an increase in Federal Grants. The resources of the Joint Resolution General Fund will be used to pay the operating expenses of the Agency. A Special Appropriation General Fund is included to fund the Program for Coordination, Education, Evaluation and Protection of the Elderly.

Contributing federal programs include: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Research, Demostrations and Evaluations, Crime Victim Assistance, Demostration Grants to States with Respect to Alzheimer's Disease, National Family Caregiver Support Program, Nutrition Services Incentive, Senior Companion Program, Special Program for the Aging Title VII, Chapter 2 Long Term Care Ombusdman Services for Older Individuals and Special.Program for the Aging Title III, Part D, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Services. The change that this line presents is due to Federal Law No.. 89-73 of July 14, 1965, as amended (Older Americans Act of 1965) which provided for said increase.

Coordination, Education, Evaluation, and Protection of the Elderly

Integrated services to Communities