Money for the elderly??
| Subject | Florida Touts Funding for Elderly While it Continues to Abuse Them |
| Entered | 3 June 2022 16:12:26 |
| From field | |
| HTML content | The State of Florida in the press release reproduced below, crows about all the money it is spending in its new budget to help the elderly. $24 million is being allocated for services to the elderly. Some simple math would indicate that the state is allocating $4 dollars for every one of the 6 million seniors in the state. Part of that money, a paltry $500,000, is intended to do something about the office of public and professional guardians. Again using simple math that means that the state has allocated that money for the protection of the approximately 60,000 wards in the state of Florida. That comes to about $8.30 per guardianship. Those paltry numbers pale in comparison to the windfall of untold millions of dollars that accrue to the guardianship Mafia, guardians, lawyers and judges, as they continue to create approximately 6-7,000 of guardianships a year, every year with many of them having to do with multimillion dollar estates that are consumed in staged litigation and outright theft.This failed OPPG agency has demonstrated time and again its failure to live up to the high expectations that abounded when it was created seven years ago. Rather than actively seeking out and de-certifying corrupt guardians and their colleagues, this agency now with its third director, and under the supervision of a newly appointed Sec. of the Department of elderly affairs, continues to look the other way when presented with solid evidence of Guardian misconduct and even criminal activity. Under an agreement with the state investigative agency, the OPPG which has no investigators of its own, signed a memorandum of understanding years ago to create the investigative agency to review citizen complaints about guardian misconduct. As I have correctly pointed out in educational lectures, he likelihood of a citizen creating a complaint that is acceptable to be acted on (true, verifiable and substantiated, legally sufficient) is agonizingly small. Furthermore even if the complaint is investigated and acted upon the final ruling about any guardianship or guardian (except in cases where the guardians actions are blatantly criminal) still remains in the hands of the judge who appointed the Guardian in the first place. The likelihood of them taking action in anything but the most egregious criminality is essentially zero. Because Gov. DeSantis cannot initiate legislation and only has the power to sign it or not, the real blame for the continuing assault on seniors lies with the Florida legislature and the Florida bar.Here is the press release: June 2, 2022 Through Governor Ron DeSantis’ Leadership DOEA Secures Key Investments to Support Florida Seniors TALLAHASSEE, FL –Governor Ron DeSantis and the Department of Elder Affairs continue to make strides in enhancing the well-being, safety, and independence of Florida’s seniors, their families, and caregivers. “Governor Ron DeSantis has consistently been a champion for the nearly 6 million adults over the age of 60 in Florida, especially those most vulnerable with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias,” said DOEA Secretary Michelle Branham. “Governor DeSantis has secured a record-setting increase of nearly twice the amount in Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative funding since the beginning of his administration. Florida will continue to lead the effort of enhancing diagnosis and prevention strategies to help fight this disease, and we will continue to connect all Florida seniors with the services and resources they need to live well and age well here in our state.”Highlights for Florida seniors included in the 2022-2023 Budget: • $12 million increase for Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative services: to provide respite and support services to prevent caregiver burnout and fatigue, allowing frail seniors to age in their homes with their families. This investment also allows the frailest individuals and their caregivers to receive daycare, counseling, education, training, and specialized medical equipment and supplies. • $9 million increase for Community Care for the Elderly services: to provide assistance to persons 60 years or older assessed as frail, functionally impaired and unable to live independently to help them remain in the least restrictive, cost-effective environment most suitable for their needs as long as possible. This investment is critical for a senior’s quality of life. • More than $1.5 million for implementing the Enterprise Client Information and Registration Tracking System (eCIRTS): to upgrade a 30-year-old system that currently serves nearly three million Floridians statewide and enables DOEA to better meet the needs of its clients and federal reporting requirements. • $504,950 for enhancements to the Office of Professional and Public Guardians (OPPG) client management tool and monitoring tool: to allow for greater monitoring of the public guardian programs and the new monitoring capabilities for private, professional guardians. • Nearly $1 million for information technology: to increase bandwidth, upgrade network infrastructure, and replace hardware devices and computers to ensure timely delivery of security updates, monitoring and management of technology resources, and efficient use of internet-based systems. About the Florida Department of Elder Affairs The Florida Department of Elder Affairs, the State Unit on Aging, helps Florida’s elders to remain healthy, safe, and independent. The Department provides most direct services through its Division of Statewide Community-Based Services, which works through the state’s 11 Area Agencies on Aging and local service providers to deliver essential services to a vital segment of the population. For more information, please visit www.elderaffairs.org |