Senior Tar Heel Legislature
Fact Sheet
The North Carolina Senior
Tar Heel Legislature was created by the North Carolina General Assembly
with the passage of Senate Bill 479 in July of 1993.
The Senior Tar Heel Legislature was created to:
- Provide information to senior citizens on the legislative process
and matters being considered by the North Carolina General Assembly.
- Promote citizen involvement and advocacy concerning aging issues
before the North Carolina General Assembly.
- Assess the legislative needs of older citizens by convening a
forum modeled after the North Carolina General Assembly.
Each of the 100 North Carolina counties is entitled to one delegate
to the Senior Tar Heel Legislature. Most counties also have an
alternate
delegate. Delegates and alternates must be age 60 or older. The
North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services provide staff
support for
the Senior Tar Heel Legislature in cooperation with the 17 Area
Agencies on Aging, which are responsible for conducting the selection
of delegates
and alternates.
Current officers of the Senior Tar Heel Legislature are:
- Charles Dickens,
Speaker (Buncombe)
- Edwin Deaver, Speaker Pro Tempore (Cumberland)
- Betty
Hunt, Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore (Randolph)
- Milton Spann, Secretary (Watauga County)
Mary Edwards
of the Division of Aging and Adult Services is the principal staff
aide.
For more information about the North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislature,
please contact your county’s Delegate or Alternate
2009 Legislative
Priorities
- Provide funding to sustain Project C.A.R.E. (Caregiver Alternatives
to Running on Empty). Project C.A.R.E. provides information, referral,
consultation and linkage to caregivers of persons afflicted with
Alzheimer’s
disease. By helping families keep a loved one in the home longer,
less time will be required for institutional care. The resulting savings
in public funds are substantial. We recommend that $1,000,000 in
recurring
funds be appropriated to sustain Project C.A.R.E. in the 14 counties
it now serves and to expand it into other counties.
- Increase funding for home and community based services for
older adults by increasing the Home and Community Care Block Grant
by $5 million.
Home and community-based services include home-delivered meals, adult
day care, health care, in-home aid and other services that help impaired
older adults stay in their homes. These services are less costly
than institutional care. The rapidly growing population of older adults is
increasing the demand for these services. There are thousands of people
on the waiting list for Home and Community Block Grant services.
- Increase funding for senior centers by an additional $2,000,000
in recurring funds for a total of $3,265,316 a year. Senior centers provide programs
and services that enhance the health and wellness of older adults and
support their efforts to remain independent. The 163 senior centers currently
in operation or under development serve 97 counties. The requested increase
in recurring funds would enable these senior centers to expand their
services to meet the needs of a growing population of older adults.
- Implement practical and cost-effective steps to address concerns
related to the mixing of populations, including younger adults with
mental illness
and frail older persons residing in long term care facilities. These
steps would include specialized health training for facility personnel.
Approximately 40% of persons residing in adult care homes have a diagnosis
of mental illness. With the recent focus on mental health reform, deinstitutionalization,
and the placement of persons with mental illness in the least restrictive
environment, many problems related to the mixing of populations exist
in long-term care facilities.
- Establish a cap on the increase in the assessed value of
property determined during revaluations for persons over the age
of 65, eligible for the
Homestead Exemption. Revise the limits of the Act to income of $35,000. The 2000 census estimates that 12.7% of NC's elderly over 65 have an income below the poverty level. Frequent reassessments of property values have resulted in much greater tax burdens within this population.
Last updated - April 7, 2009
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2009 Priorities
By-Laws
(PDF)
Rules
(PDF)
Supporting Fact Sheets
(PDF Files)
Home and Community
Care Block Grant
Mental Health
Project C.A.R.E
Property Tax
Senior Centers
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