BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Dakota Department of Human Services invites older adults, adults with physical disabilities and other stakeholders to participate in a U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) N.D. settlement agreement stakeholder meeting on Thursday, March 17, 1-3 p.m. CT. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to review and comment on the state’s efforts to expand access to in-home and community-based long-term support services that promote independent living.
Most people prefer to live at home in the community with support if needed. When asked in a 2021 AARP survey about care preferences if they have an illness or disability, two-thirds of the American adults surveyed want to have a combination of help from family and paid professionals in their own homes.1
During the meeting, the department’s Adults and Aging Services Division team will provide updates on the settlement agreement biannual report, the agreement implementation plan and North Dakota’s home and community-based services. They will also report on the Aging and Disability Resource Link flexible transition funding and the integration of the department with the North Dakota Department of Health.
The meeting agenda also includes a listening session. Stakeholders are encouraged to ask questions and provide comments during the meeting on the state’s efforts to expand long-term care options beyond nursing facility care. Other business may be discussed.
Older adults, adults with physical disabilities, their family members, caregivers, advocates, other stakeholders and interested individuals are invited to participate virtually or in-person.
The public listening session and meeting will be held in the Prairie Rose Room at 1237 W. Divide Ave., Suite 6, Bismarck, N.D. Attendees should enter through Door 2. Face masks and physical distancing are recommended for in-person meeting attendees.
Individuals can also, if they choose, participate virtually from computers, mobile devices or by telephone at 701-328-0950, Conference ID: 436 971 545#. The public meeting notice includes details on joining the meeting online and is available at https://bit.ly/3wbbPdo.
Individuals who need disability accommodations to participate can contact Michele Curtis at 701-328-8679, 711 (TTY) or mimcurtis@nd.gov.
Announced in December 2020, the USDOJ N.D. settlement agreement focuses on expanding access to in-home and community services so that individuals with physical disabilities can live in the least restrictive setting possible. Learn more at https://www.nd.gov/dhs/info/pubs/doj-settlement.html.
SOURCE:
1 Binette, Joanne. 2021 Home and Community Preference Survey: A National Survey of Adults Age 18-Plus. Washington, DC: AARP Research, November 2021. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00479.001
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