Long Term Care Community Meeting Scheduled

Thursday, November 1, 6:30 – 8 p.m., Orcas Senior Center

— from Sara Boyle for Orcas Senior Center —

Are you concerned about the elder care options of the future? Are you a caregiver not satisfied with current employment options? Do you have ideas about the kinds of in-home care we need on Orcas and suggestions for possible solutions?

Lahari and the Orcas Senior Center Nonprofit are co-hosting a series of community conversations about In-Home care and Long Term Care (LTC) on Orcas Island. The purpose of the series is to identify the current status and problems facing LTC and In-Home care on Orcas, to understand the diverse interests of stakeholders, and to discern potential strategies and sustainable solutions for aging at home on Orcas.

Please join us Thursday, November 1 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Orcas Senior Center. In addition to community discussion about Orcas-specific challenges, Deborah Craig will present information about home care “co-ops” and how the cooperative business model is changing the face of elder care in Washington State. Craig works at the Northwest Cooperative Development Center (NWCDC) and is a cooperative business developer specializing in home care cooperatives. See: www.nwcdc.coop

Home care co-ops have offered improved wages in some communities, greater caregiver retention, high-quality care and member-ownership opportunity. Member ownership means local ownership, and that means jobs and money stay in the community. This informal discussion is open to caregivers, care seekers, family members and community member in general. We welcome you, your questions and suggestions as part of an ongoing series.

For more information contact: Dennis King at 888.685.1475 or Tom Eversole at 360.370.0562.