Overview
When the New York Commission on Health Care Facilities released a report calling for the closure of four residential health care facilities beginning in October 2007, we approved significant funding for a comprehensive analysis of long-term care for older adults in Erie and Niagara counties.
Given concerns over the immediate impact of facility closures as well as the future needs for long-term care in the area, the project was intended to guide health system strategic planning, inform policymaker and investor decisions about programmatic and financial investments, and facilitate regulatory redesign and community accountability.
Guided by a steering committee that included key long-term providers, community advocates for seniors, Department of Health representatives and other constituencies, the project consisted of three distinct tracks for recommended action, including short-term efforts to avoid an immediate crisis in Erie and Niagara counties and mid- and long-term approaches for long-term care planning up to the year 2020.
To set a baseline, the committee commissioned several reports to assess areas of importance to the future, including: current occupancy profiles for long term care facilities; financial stability of the system; anticipated demand for future services; system design alternatives and implications and aging services demand models.
Results
The Report on Project CODA: Creating Options for Dignified Aging in Erie and Niagara Counties outlines the journey of this locally driven person-centered strategy that’s based on in-depth research on demographics and the specific needs and wants of older adults, caregivers and service providers.