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Home My WebLink AboutFY 2024 (Agency on Elderly Affairs) Budget Narrative AGENCY ON ELDERLY AFFAIRS FY 2024 BUDGET AND OPERATIONS SYNOPSIS Kealoha Takahashi Executive on Aging 1 Department: ELDERLY AFFAIRS Fund: GENERAL FUND 1. FY 2023 to FY 2024 BUDGET COMPARSION FY 2023 FY 2024 $ + / -% + / - Salary and Wages 656,817 714,790 57,973 8.8% Benefits 612,511 680,925 68,414 11.2% Utilities 0 0 0 0.0% Vehicle/Equip, Lease 1 1 0 0.0% Operations 257,571 274,313 16,742 6.5% 1,526,900 1,670,029 143,129 9.4% 0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 700,000 800,000 Salary and Wages Benefits Utilities Vehicle/Equip, Lease Operations FY 2023 and FY 2024 Comparison FY 2023 FY 2024 43% 40% 0% 0%17% FY 2023 Operating Budget Salary and Wages Benefits Utilities Vehicle/Equip, Lease Operations 43% 41% 0% 0%16% FY 2024 Operating Budget Salary and Wages Benefits Utilities Vehicle/Equip, Lease Operations 2 2. MAJOR CHANGES AND/OR VARIANCES IN OPERATIONS BUDGET a) Increased Grant Employee Benefits in the amount of $50,075.00. 3. OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES a) Recruitment of EnhanceFitness (EF) instructors continues to be a challenge to find certified instructors. EnhanceFitness is one of the Healthy Aging Programs which is an evidence based physical exercise program. We went from four EF instructors to currently two instructors. We continue to provide senior fitness classes through ZOOM. This alternate virtual format has helped participants from feeling isolated, kept them actively engaged in physical activity and connected with others. 127 participated in the EnhanceFitness program for a total of 4,252 units of service/sessions for the period of July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022. In comparison, from July 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023, there are 72 participants and a total of 1,709 sessions. In anticipation of hiring new instructors, we hope to increase enrollment and resume in person classes by the summer to bring participant counts closer to the 217 who participated prior to COVID. b) With the lingering effects of COVID on everyone’s lives, staff is impacted not only on a personal level but also in the workplace. The significant number of calls during fiscal year 2021 reflected 10,159 phone calls, which indicated the impact of our Kauai community looking to the Agency on Elderly Affairs to assist with vaccinations and food security. Although fiscal year 2022 saw a reduction of calls which totaled to 5,718, and currently fiscal year 2023 we received 4,024 calls, we anticipate the need for services for older adults, and their caregivers, to continuously rise as the older adult population is expected to increase over the next ten years. In October 2022, the Community Services Program Assistant was vacant leaving the burden of this workload on other staff members. Applicants have been interviewed and selection made. Hoping to fill position in April 2023. In order to address undue stresses, AEA plans to implement, at minimum, quarterly staff self-care techniques and coping strategy activities to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being, which will be essential as staff assists older adults. c) The provision of in- home care services to our seniors have been increasingly challenging. Having only two service providers, both facing staffing challenges stemming from inflation and inability to hire and retain employees, has resulted in waitlists for in-home services specifically homemaker, personal care, and respite services. Collaborative efforts are in process with the Purchasing Department to utilize exempt procurement methods with the goal of addressing the current waitlist; however, the challenge of higher unit cost pricing and ability for individuals to obtain required insurance coverages, may be an obstacle in tackling this issue. 4. TOP 3 OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS FROM FY 2023 a) Core services are continuously provided to support Kauai’s older adults to live independently at home. These services utilize County, ARPA and Federal grant funding including the following services and programs: 3 Nutrition services provided by Kauai Economic Opportunity, Inc. and Mom’s Meals provided home delivered meals to 301 consumers for a total of 31,992 meals for the period from July 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023. In-Home services provided by Mastercare and Regenerative Services for homemaker, personal care, chore, respite, and assisted transportation. A combined total of 52 consumers were served for a total of 2,335 service units for the period from July 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023. State and Federal grants are used to cover expenses of homemaker, personal care, chore, respite, and assistant transportation services. New programs started during the pandemic continue while ARPA funds are available include the food security program which delivers food to older adults below poverty level. Nourish Kauai delivers meal kits enough for preparation of three meals once per week. Malama Kauai delivers fresh local produce boxes every two weeks and Kauai Economic Opportunity delivers hot meals twice per week. Food Security served 116 consumers for a total of 2,707 units of food boxes/meal kits. ARPA funds provided for mental health programs through WorkLife Hawaii a division of Child and Family Service and the YWCA. Service includes phone counseling sessions all of which are free, confidential, and available to adults. For period from July 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023, served 22 consumers for a total of 244 sessions and currently ongoing until September 2023. b) AmeriCorps Seniors members of RSVP, Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, have been caring, loving, helpful, and being so selfless. Their actions are priceless. From July 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023, two hundred RSVP Volunteers served 10,571 hours at thirty nonprofit organizations and government agencies, reflecting a savings value of $339,329 through volunteer service activities. The value of volunteer time for Hawaii, according to Independent Sector, is $32.10 per hour. Kauai RSVP Program has Memorandum of Understandings with 36 volunteer stations. Volunteers are in high demand by non-profit organizations, government agencies, and museums especially with staffing challenges. Though program participation is still below pre-COVID numbers, the program successfully orchestrated their first in-person event since early 2020, with a Sept. 11 Day of Service event in December at Kukui Grove Center and on January 12, 2023, hosted the annual recognition honoring 140 volunteers. Two projects provided by RSVP volunteers addresses food insecurity and social isolation. RSVP volunteers assisted in the delivery of 2,675 food/ fresh produce packages to 350 older adults because of collaborative efforts with Kauai Independent Food Bank, Hawaii Food Bank- Kauai Branch, and Aina Ho’okupu O Kilauea. Many older adults live alone and have limited or no access to local farmer markets. These food bank deliveries provide older adults with shelf stable goods, a variety of local fresh produce and local meat that is vital for a healthy diet. With the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home orders limiting social interactions, TLC, Tender Loving Care, a telephone reassurance program, started in January 2022, to alleviate social isolation in homebound older adults and those with disabilities. During the 2022 fiscal year, volunteers spent 2,521 minutes and currently from July 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023, volunteers spent 2,059 minutes contacting homebound seniors, offering this vulnerable population a friendly voice, and listening ear. We anticipate the addition of in-person friendly 4 visits to the TLC program before the end of the calendar year. c) Our greatest asset is the AEA-ADRC Associates, linking consumers to community resources through home visits, phone calls or via online at AEA’s website (www.kauaiadrc.org). They are trained, certified in HIPAA Compliance, certified as State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Counselors, and Community Resource Specialist-Aging/Disabilities. Fiscal Year 2023 from July 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023, AEA Associates assisted 1,484 consumers requesting assistance for various services including home delivered meals, congregate meals, food produce delivery; home and community-based services; transportation; health and wellness information; advance care planning; health insurance; housing, legal services, and public benefits.