The In-Home Supportive Services
(IHSS) program provides in-home personal care and domestic services to low income
individuals who are blind (2.5%,) elderly (46.5%) or who have disabilities (50.9%.) IHSS
services can include meal preparation, laundry, shopping, non-medical personal care and
assistance while traveling to medical appointments. These in-home services enable people
to live as independently as possible in their own homes, rather than require skilled
nursing or other out-of-home care. There are currently around 430 individuals in Siskiyou County
receiving IHSS. This number grows steadily each year.
At present, the federal government pays about half of the expenses,
the State contributes almost a third and the remainder is paid for by the County General
Fund.
As required by law, Siskiyou County has established an IHSS Public
Authority (P.A.) Its functions include: (1) acting as “Employer of Record” for
IHSS providers; (2) providing free care training to care providers and the community at
large; (3) developing and managing an IHSS care provider registry; (4) maintaining a
system to refer care providers to IHSS clients.
The Siskiyou County P.A. has taken an innovative approach to the
recruitment of care providers - seeking retirees, stay-at-home Moms, college students and
others who would like to make a real difference in another person’s life, while
making some extra money. Because IHSS populations are often frail and vulnerable, the
Board of Supervisors has set up a procedure where the P.A. screens independent registry
applicants, their work and personal references, as well as performs a criminal background
check. The registry is used to match care provider’s skills, availability and
preferences with the client’s needs. Ideally, IHSS consumers will be sent a list of
care providers for interview and possible selection. The consumer may also hire
non-registered providers, including neighbors and family members. Currently, there are 180
registered providers. Although there are providers in all areas of the county, a few areas
only have one or two providers listed on the registry. For more information on making a
difference by becoming an IHSS Independent Services Care Provider in Siskiyou County call
841-2738.
As of the 2000 census, Siskiyou County had a population of 44,695 and
10,489 (24%) were sixty years old or older. In District 5, this breaks down by communities
into 17% for Callahan; 24% for Etna; 24% for Forks of Salmon; 24% for Fort Jones; 22% for
Greenview; 22% for Happy Camp; 32% for Hornbrook; 25% for Klamath River, 27% for Seiad
Valley and 24% for Yreka. Using State Department of Finance population projections, by
2020, 35% of the population of Siskiyou County will be sixty years or older. Maintaining
independent living is only one of the challenges society faces in meeting the needs of a
growing population of elders.
As people age, they may require more services of society, while the
capacity to provide those services diminishes. For instance, a volunteer fire department
may have greater demand placed upon it to respond to medical emergencies, when the pool of
volunteers is diminished due to age. This is one reason why it is important to develop and
strengthen the community’s capacity to take care of one another, foster volunteerism
and encourage partnerships between organizations. Senior meal, social and day care
centers, Family Resource Centers, Meals on Wheels, Senior Peer Counseling, faith programs,
Hospice, Senior Legal, PSA II, and many volunteer efforts all partner with IHSS to build a
network for the elderly. This network will have to expand and strengthen if we are going
to be prepared to meet the future.
|
