The Executive Office of Elder Affairs ensures the dignity and independence of elderly persons through the development and management of comprehensive, community-based programs. In fulfilling its mission, Elder Affairs provides frail elders with community-based, long-term care through home care services; supports cities and towns across the Commonwealth in the development and delivery of local programs; offers group and home-delivered meals to elders across the Commonwealth; develops and promotes volunteer and employment opportunities for elders in community service organizations; regulates and certifies assisted living facilities; and provides protection to elders at risk of abuse and exploitation.

The community-based programs developed by Elder Affairs, particularly home care services, promote the independence of elders by enabling them to continue living in their own homes, while delaying or preventing the use of more costly institutional care. Services are provided by private non-profit, community-based organizations, including Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs), area agencies on aging, and municipal councils on aging.

Elder Affairs provides home care and related services to nearly 37,000 frail elders each month, serves 10,000 elders through statewide supported volunteer programs, and provides consumer protection to more than 5,000 elders living in assisted living facilities. Elder Affairs provides nearly eight million meals to more than 75,000 elders, and over 400,000 elders receive health screening, transportation, social day care, and other services through municipal councils on aging. The Office designates organizations to serve as ASAPs, which provide a single entry for elders and their families who need information about, or coordination of, long-term care services.

Elder Affairs works with the Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) to expand community alternatives to institutionalization. More than 500 frail elders who are clinically eligible for nursing home care can remain in their homes by participating in the Enhanced Community Options Program (ECOP). This program also provides services to help nursing home residents make the transition to living at home. In addition, Elder Affairs and DMA are working together to develop the Senior Care plan for Medicaid-eligible elders to ensure that frail elders have expanded access to community-based services, such as adult day health, social day care, and personal care.

Objectives

In Fiscal Year 1999, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs will pursue the following objectives:

• increase the provision of protective services to elders who are victims of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation;
• provide home care and respite services for an additional 650 low-income, frail elders;
• expand the Senior Pharmacy Assistance Program, providing financial assistance to an additional 25,000 eligible seniors;
• work with the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency to expand access to assisted living housing for low income elders; and
• expand programs and assistance to grandparents raising their grandchildren.

Budget Recommendations

The Fiscal Year 1999 recommendation includes additional funding of $630,000 to strengthen protective services, an additional $1 million to enhance home care services and increase the rate of participation of frail elders, and an increase of $1 million for the Councils on Aging community programs.

These recommendations also include $2.1 million to improve salaries for the Secretariat's lowest paid, contracted, direct care workers. In Fiscal Year 1998, this funding was appropriated as part of a reserve account in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance.

Budgetary Direct Appropriations

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ELDER AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATION
9110-0100	For the operation of the executive office of elder affairs	2,044,987

ASSISTED LIVING CERTIFICATION
9110-0102	For the regulation of assisted living facilities	250,757
	Assisted Living Administrative Fund 100%

MANAGED CARE IN HOUSING PROGRAM
9110-1603	For managed care in housing for individuals at risk of institutionalization	8,592,668

HOME CARE SERVICES
9110-1630	For contracts with aging services access points, so called, to purchase home care services including home health, respite, protective, and other services for the elderly; provided, that the home care program shall include a sliding fee program in which all qualified elders shall participate, which shall include provisions to waive said fee in cases where the secretary of elder affairs determines that the assessment would cause extreme financial hardship; provided further, that not more than $4,500,000 accrued from said sliding fees shall be retained by the individual home care corporations without re-allocation by the executive office of elder affairs, and be expended for the purposes of the home care program, consistent with guidelines issued by the executive office of elder affairs; and provided further, that notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, said secretary is hereby authorized to transfer not more than 3 per cent of the funds appropriated herein to item 9110-1633 for case management services and the administration of the home care program	78,741,055

HOME CARE CASE MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
9110-1633	For contracts with aging services access points, so called, for home care case management services and the administration of the home care program, and for contracts with qualified entities for activities related to assuring and improving the quality of home care case management and other home care services; and provided further, that notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the secretary of elder affairs is hereby authorized to transfer not more than 4 per cent of the funds appropriated herein to item 9110-1630 for the purchase of home care, home health, or related services	29,608,901

PROTECTIVE SERVICES
9110-1636	For the elder protective services program, including protective services case management, the statewide elder abuse hotline, guardianship services, the elder-at-risk program, and the money management program for the elderly	7,033,565

CONGREGATE AND SHARED HOUSING PROGRAM
9110-1660	For congregate and shared housing services for the elderly	1,373,474

LOCAL SERVICES PROGRAMS
9110-1900	For local services for the elderly; provided, that all funds appropriated under this item for an elder service corps shall be for corpsmembers` stipends, for the cost of mailing corpsmembers` stipends, and for corpsmembers` participation in group insurance programs, as set forth in chapter 1168 of the acts of 1973; provided further, that the stipend for full-time corpsmembers shall not exceed the maximum allowed under earnings limitation sections of the Social Security Act and the stipend for part-time corpsmembers shall not exceed $130 per month; and provided further, that the executive office of elder affairs shall maximize federal reimbursement for meals funded herein	4,720,103
	Local Aid Fund 100%

GRANTS TO COUNCILS ON AGING
9110-9002	For grants to the councils on aging, and for grants to or contracts with non-public entities which are consortia or associations of councils on aging	5,800,000
	Local Aid Fund 100%

Budgetary Retained Revenues

HOME CARE PROGRAM RETAINED REVENUE
9110-1634	The executive office of elder affairs is hereby authorized to expend for the purposes of item 9110-1630 an amount not to exceed $1,000,000, and for the purposes of item 9110-1633 an amount not to exceed $2,000,000, from federal revenues collected pursuant to the provisions of Title XIX of the Social Security Act for case management and personal care and related services provided to Medicaid-eligible home care clients	3,000,000

Federal Grant Spending

OLDER AMERICANS ACT - TITLE III AND TITLE VII
9110-1074	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Older Americans Act - Title III and Title VII	9,923,818

HEALTH INFORMATION COUNSELING AND ASSISTANCE
9110-1095	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Health Information Counseling and Assistance	350,000

OLDER AMERICANS ACT - TITLE III NUTRITION PROGRAM
9110-1173	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Older Americans Act - Title III Nutrition Program	13,350,000

COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
9110-1178	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Community Service Employment Program	1,950,000

CASH IN LIEU OF COMMODITIES PROGRAM
9110-1181	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Cash in Lieu of Commodities Program	3,850,000

ANTI-FRAUD PROJECT OF MASS - HEALTH INSURANCE INFO, COUNSELING, AND ASSISTANCE
9110-2106	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Anti-fraud Project of Mass - Health Insurance Info, Counseling, and Assistance	50,000

Trust and Other Spending

9100-1600

KEEP MOVING FITNESS PROGRAM

7,000

9100-1700

GOVERNOR`S ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON AGING

54,200

9100-1850

ELDER SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM

4,890

9110-1722

SILVER HAIRED LEGISLATURE

3,000

9110-1851

ELDER CARE EDUCATION - TRAINING, RESEARCH, AND DEVELOPMENT

4,000