Highlights from the Washoe County Board of Commissioners meeting

County Commission recognizes November as National Caregivers Month.

Reno, Nevada. Nov. 17, 2015. At Tuesday’s Board of County Commissioners meeting, the Board proclaimed November 2015 as National Caregivers Month. Washoe County Senior Services staff, along with the State President for the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Mary Liveratti, accepted the proclamation.

Family caregivers are vital to the well-being of loved ones, providing unpaid assistance with both health care tasks and activities of daily living. More than 500,000 family caregivers in Nevada provide unpaid assistance equivalent to 348 million hours and an estimated value of $4 billion each year.

Keeping services for seniors on pace with a growing senior population is part of the Washoe County Commission’s FY 16-18 Strategic Plan.

“This is a very important issue that will eventually have an impact on us all,” Washoe County Commissioner Kitty Jung (Dist. 3) said. “I’m very pleased to acknowledge the activists and all those who spend their entire lives providing assistance to our elderly.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 percent of Nevada will be over the age of 60 by 2030. To address the growing senior population in Nevada, Washoe County Senior Services is promoting the CARE Act in an effort to support family caregivers. The CARE Act does the following:

• Records who a patient’s caregiver is while in the hospital
• Notifies a patient’s caregiver when discharged from the hospital
• Requires the hospital to notify the patient’s caregiver about further treatment needed after discharged

Senior Services recently accepted a $1,000 grant to provide caregiver education services to seniors and their caregivers. The grant will provide education seminars and training beginning in January 2016. The seminars will discuss respite care, caregiving tips and community resources to senior caregivers in Washoe County.  More information about caregiver support can be found on the Senior Services’ webpage.

A reminder, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015, AARP is hosting the 11^th Annual Caregiver Recognition Luncheon at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa.

 The Board accepted donations for the following:

• A $600 cash donation from Ryan L. Souza to Washoe County on behalf of the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) to buy equipment for the K-9 Unit. Since 2013, Souza has donated $2,300 to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.
• $5,711  in donations to Washoe County Regional Animal Services to cover expenses from July-September for the humane care and treatment of sick and/or injured stray or abandoned animals.
• A $10,000 cash donation from the American Automobile Association (AAA) for improvements at the Nevada Farms and Families area at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park.
• A $5,546.90 donation to Washoe County Senior Services to pay for expenses for services from July 1, 2015, to Sept. 30, 2015.
• A $5,000 donation from the Target Corporation to Washoe County on behalf of the WCSO to buy child safety outreach materials.

All photos from Tuesday’s Board of County Commissioners meetings can be seen online.

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