Washington
City of Seattle, Department of Housing and Human Services
Type of Grant: TOP
Amount of Grant: $410,000
Non-Federal Support: $468,746
Date of Grant: October 1998-March 31, 2002
Project Partners: City of Seattle Executive Services Department, the Department of Housing and Human Services, Washington State Aging and Adult Services Administration
Contact: Pam Piering
Phone: (206) 684-0104
Email: Pamela.piering@ci.seattle.wa.us
The City of Seattle, with support from TOP, has developed a web-based data system that has streamlined the city's homecare referral process. After completing a patient evaluation, a caseworker is able to submit the client assessment, service plan and payment authorization by email, and the system can send the information to three homecare agencies at once. Before the web-based system was invented, caseworkers were required to fill out and fax long forms to homecare agencies and then wait for them to respond over the phone once they had found an available homecare aide. A homecare aide time tracking system was also created, which uses interactive voice response technologies to monitor the quality and performance of the services provided by homecare aides and tracks when the aides arrive and depart from a client's home.
More than 4,500 low-income residents of King County, Washington suffer from chronic illnesses or disabilities and rely primarily on the homecare system as the cornerstone of their effort to live independently. Personal care in the home is the most flexible, least expensive and most-preferred option for senior citizens and people with chronic illnesses and disabilities. The structure of the partnership between state social workers, area agencies on aging and community-based agencies varies from state to state, but all include the same elements. The use of telephonics and web-based data systems can help lessen the strain on the long-term care system.
Josephine Mazzine has been caring for her daughter Deborah since December of last year. Deborah, 47, suffered a stroke when her doctor over-prescribed her thyroid medication. Shortly afterwards Josephine turned to Aging and Disability Services (ADS) of King County in search of relief. Thanks to ADS' Home Care Referral (HCR) system, Josephine's case was quickly processed and accepted by a local home care provider. "It's great when somebody has very specific needs, being able to send the referral to three different agencies," says Peggy Graybill, the Deborah's case manager. Peggy simply typed the referral details into the HCR program and clicked "send"-an assessment and service plan were sent to competing agencies via the Internet. The agency accepting the referral promptly sent a respite care worker to Josephine's house. Deborah now receives eight hours of respite care a week.
Josephine still has plenty of stress, but respite care has helped ease the burden of caregiving somewhat. "It lets me feel free to go out, to get errands done-it gives me a much-needed break." Thus HCR helped Josephine get some well-deserved rest.
Washington
University of Washington/Tribes Community Technology Center Partnership
Type of Grant: CTC
Amount of Grant: $299,995
Non-Federal Support: $239,234
Date of Grant: December 2001-December 2002
Project Partners: Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Indian Nation
Contact: Robert Ozuna
Phone: (509) 865-8672
Email: rozuna@u.washington.edu
With the support of a CTC grant, the University of Washington serves approximately 1,600 tribal members on the Colville and Yakama Indian Reservations, both of which are located in geographically isolated, economically depressed areas of Washington State. The program provides increased access to computers and information technology, access to online tutorials and educational programs, on-site support to help develop Internet research skills, training in job search and preparation, basic computer skills and Internet-based small business resources.
Although the Colville and Yakama Indian Reservations are rich in cultural traditions, they are burdened with high unemployment, poverty and dropout rates, and lack educational opportunities. The CTC grant enables them to use 21st century technology to improve their lives and preserve their cultural heritage. According to one Yakama Reservation elder, "learning about email will help me talk to my grandson on the Colville reservation about our life history and beliefs".
