Rick Hughes responds to open letter questions

||| from Rick Hughes, County Councilmember |||

Link to Tom Eversole questions.

Thank you for these questions, Tom Eversole. Seniors are indeed a large portion of our population. Over 30% are currently 65 and older. Several hundred will be 85+ in the coming years. It should go without saying, however, that this isn’t just about numbers. Our seniors are a vital part of our community. Many have been the caretakers of these islands over the decades; they are our artists and musicians; they provide care for our young; they carry the history of our community. They deserve the best we can provide them, which is why this is such a critical subject.

Question #1:
The majority of voters on the island are likely to be seniors. What issues and needs of seniors must be addressed, and what will you do about them that is not already being done if you are elected?

The single biggest issue in our aging community is accessible housing. Although San Juan has a leg up with an excellent Assisted Living Facility- which Evan Perrollaz is doing a great job of managing- many challenges remain. On Orcas, I have formed a task force of those experienced in the industries of home care, home health care and assisted living. They’ve already identified many of the needs specific to the island.

But even this won’t be enough as our community ages. We can – and should – identify and problem-solve with the resources that we have, but the County must also modify land use allowances so that we have the space to build the accessible and assisted senior housing our community needs. We need more public spaces to provide the services and house the staff who will be critical to making it all work. If elected, I will address this important issue.

In addition to the efforts by the county, small businesses and non-profits, I will continue to oversee coordination between the fire department, hospital districts, medical centers and other important island entities to care for seniors. We have recently implemented a Mobile Integrated Healthcare Pilot Program which does just this and I look forward to watching it evolve as we see its impact in our community.

And this all requires funding – a component that will prove especially important, given the current market instability and far from predictable economy. In addition to building up much needed cash reserves over the years I have been in office, I have made sure to leverage my relationships and experience gained in Olympia to our county’s advantage. I will continue to do so on all levels, and particularly on behalf of our senior residents and their needs for care at home.

Question #2:
What do you know about the following issues as they relate to seniors, and what will you do about them if they elect you: Home Healthcare and Home Care (they are different), affordable access to home maintenance and repair, healthy aging in place, public transportation that is accessible to seniors and people with disabilities?

Talking about all of these issues – Home Healthcare and Home Care, Home Maintenance and Accessible Transportation – is really talking about how we can help our community age in the comfort of our own homes. Inevitably, the same challenges face us all and we need solutions for them.

Sometimes we have a fall or a stroke which interferes with our best laid plans for a relaxing spring or summer season. We may just need someone to come help with our dishes or clothing while we recover. Or we may need someone to help monitor a recovery from a more serious injury – or even administer a medication. These situations all require people with different skill sets and credentials.

Any non-medical services required can be provided by a trained caregiver. Otherwise, administration of medication or other medical services require a certified nurse. Caregivers- which compose the majority of the in-home need in our community – are either paid directly by the family or reimbursed by Medicaid. If the caregiver provides the services directly, Medicaid will reimburse at $17.50 an hour. If that same caregiver works through an agency, however, the reimbursement rate is $34 an hour. My task force identified this opportunity and it is now one of my highest priorities to see the formation of an agency so that these caregivers can see higher compensation.

I also commit my time as a board member for the Northwest Regional Council. Here, I have been working with Washington State to secure in-home care funding for family caregivers — another critical and overlooked component to in-home care. If elected, I will continue to use my position on the board to fight for the funds our families deserve as they support their own parents, partners, brothers and sisters.

On top of all of this, there are the gutters, the roof, the light bulbs, and the stairs that become the challenge when we can no longer climb that ladder or work on our knees for hours at a time. We often just need a bit of help, but the island is busy and that help is not always close at hand. One of the biggest challenges in providing assistance in all of these fields – in-home care and home maintenance alike-  is finding the workers to do the work. Just as it is with our seniors, the biggest challenge for these workers is finding a place to live.

This is why I made it my mission to personally ensure that OPAL received $2M in funding for the April’s Grove project. Lisa Byers and her team will make a huge impact with this project and I’m excited to watch it all unfold. In addition, we need to address workforce housing for those who fall outside OPAL qualifications, yet still struggle to settle into housing. This is something I can do as a Council Member. I can and will vote to create policies that permit the housing that is essential to our workers.

Transportation assistance is also a huge need. It is currently provided for Medicaid qualified seniors via the Northwest Regional Council.  San Juan County provides senior van rides, but the County needs to focus on rides from our senior’s homes to the Senior Center, and from the Senior Center to the Ferry Landing. I have been working diligently with Skagit Transit to provide transportation for our community members along a specified route through Anacortes to Mt. Vernon, with stops for doctor’s offices, hospital visits (including the VA), shopping trips, educational classes and more. I have spent many hours meeting with local groups to establish regional transportation connections and will keep pushing for this until our community can feel more connected to all the services they need.

Question #3:
Tourism may not be a sustainable enterprise on Orcas as currently undertaken and managed. What other businesses do you believe represent growth industries for the island, and what do you commit to doing that will help foster them? How could you promote family wage jobs in those fields?

Our tourism economy is rapidly diversifying even as we discuss the matter – and I have long been an advocate for encouraging such change. Although I know tourism will always have its place in our islands, I have advocated and supported the work OPALCO/Rock Island and Orcas Online have done to make us one of the most connected counties in the country. The fiber to the home with, LTE mesh overlay and high speed fixed wireless radios have provided the infrastructure for a huge increase in our remote working population in the past several years- and without them- the adjustments in the workforce over these past few months would not have even been possible. This equates to many high paying, low impact jobs that are now flooding into our community. This is exactly the type of work that promotes diversification from tourism, encourages more year-round residents and, thus, more stability in the local economy.

As a community, we also need to continue to not only shop locally but expand our small scale manufacturing to create local brands of high end, locally made products. Girl Meets Dirt is a phenomenal example of such a product. As are Boathouse Ciderworks and Island Thyme. There are many other great examples of this around the county, and the more we can promote these niche manufacturing markets – especially with products making use of our small agriculture industry- the better.

I also feel it’s incredibly important for us to invest in the trades. To have a thriving, busy community – who can support our seniors and the rest of the community – we must invest in education advancement in the trades training to aid in the generational transfer of trade-related business. It’s also important to realize that many of our tradespeople will be working in Renewable Energy as we work to combat climate change. SJC is planning on investing over $1,000,000 in the deployment of solar panels on county buildings over the next several years. This to help both create Green Jobs in the county and jumpstart these trades for our community at large.

I am absolutely passionate when it comes to living wage employment. Every organization with which I’m involved- including the businesses that I own and operate – pays family wage jobs and a full array of benefits from health care to retirement. We have always believed that it is a business owner’s responsibility to care for their staff as if they are family and I bring this perspective to the table every day as your County Councilperson.

Just as with any other aspect of troubleshooting in such an economically diverse, socially aware
and tight-knit community, there is no one answer to how we can best assist our aging population. Ultimately, however, I feel through hard policy, multi-level funding, coordination of local resources, stimulation of specific components of our economy and the simple act of prioritizing this as the critical issue it is, we will find a way for our aging community to thrive.

Link to Cindy Wolf response.