Panel to Oversee Agencies for Elderly
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday established a special public authority aimed at improving in-home support services to 83,500 elderly and disabled people.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky, who championed the creation of the public entity, said it will vastly improve services provided to the elderly and disabled who need such help but want to remain living at home or cannot afford to pay for a convalescent home. The program is believed to be the first of its kind in a large urban area, Yaroslavsky said.
The authority, formally known as the Personal Assistance Services Council, will establish a registry of health care workers so they can be regulated by a combination of government officials and community representatives. It will assist senior citizens in finding appropriate home-care workers and will obtain criminal background reports on all providers.
Earlier efforts to help the elderly through the In Home Supportive Services program were fraught with problems, including poor quality of care.
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