Editorial

Town budget reflects task force suggestions

Town Manager David Knapp and the Town Council are to be congratulated for their efforts to come up with a two-year budget that acknowledges the work of the Senior Task Force by funding the group's key recommendations.

The task force reported that a coordinator was essential to the success of an older adult program, and accordingly, the budget includes $40,000 toward the salary of a full-time coordinator. It is expected that the Los Gatos-Saratoga Department of Community Education and Recreation, which already allocates funds for senior programming, will be responsible for the other half of the salary.

The budget also allocates $250,000 for improvements to the Neighborhood Center.

Many of the town's older residents told task force members that they find the Neighborhood Center cold and uninviting. The center is the location for a drop-in center for seniors, and some programs are run there.

Some day, the town may decide to build a dedicated senior center. Meanwhile, with $250,000 in improvements, the new Neighborhood Center will go a long way toward the goal of incorporating all senior services under one roof.

The council wisely asked staff to fund a full- time case manager position, one of the budget items listed in the unfunded category.

For too long, the town has been at the mercy of other agencies to provide case management services for local residents.

Since Family Services Association went out of business several years ago and ceased to be the agency with which the town contracted for senior services, no one seemed to know from day to day who was providing case management, how many case managers were available or where they would be located. At one point, Adult and Child Guidance was handling it then the Council on Aging.

An onsite case manager is a critical element for a coordinated senior program.

It's the onsite manager who is in a position to notice the subtle changes in an older person's routine that may signal the need for evaluation and perhaps additional services.

Senior centers, after all, serve a diverse older population. While recreation, education and trips are important elements of a senior program, centers also serve a more frail population. Through case management, visiting nurses, home health care aids and other services can be recommended as needs arise.

An observant case manager can help an older person stay independent much longer than would be possible if a situation were allowed to deteriorate without intervention.

The senior task force did a great job in identifying needs in the community. It must be gratifying for those who participated to see their recommendations so quickly incorporated into the town's budget.

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