Governor Rell, Senator Prague Agree to

Delay Department on Aging for One Year

            Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that she has reached agreement with state Senator Edith Prague – the leading proponent of establishing a new state Department on Aging – to push back the launch date of the new agency from July 1 of this year to July 1, 2010.

            The delay will allow more time for a smooth transition of programs currently operated by the Department of Social Services over to the new agency. It also avoids any expenses associated with the transition during the first year of the next two-year state budget.

            “Connecticut’s growing population of senior citizens makes clear the need for an effective, flexible state agency that will provide the services and programs they deserve,” Governor Rell said. “We want to make sure that agency is established properly from the start. I am grateful for the cooperation Senator Prague, who has long been one of the leading advocates for seniors in our state, has shown throughout this process.

            “When the state decided years ago to make the then-independent Department on Aging a part of DSS, I believed it was the right decision for the time,” the Governor said. “I also believe it is the right thing to do now to make the agency a separate office again. There are over 473,000 people age 65 or older in Connecticut now. Nationwide, people age 65 and older will make up 20 percent of the population by 2030. This is a large and growing need we must address. We will do that by re-establishing our Department on Aging in a smart, customer-focused way.”

            Senator Prague added, “Our plan to breathe life into my long-standing vision for a new Department on Aging is the responsible thing to do for Connecticut’s growing number of senior citizens, and I’m grateful to the Governor for her steadfast support. Postponing its launch until next summer is also a responsible step, given our state’s precarious budget circumstance. I’ll eagerly look forward to that date, when a dedicated state agency and cabinet-level commissioner will be on-the-job to help seniors with all the challenges they face.”

            Once the Department on Aging is fully operational, it will take responsibility for the existing network of services, regional administration and funding allocated under the Older Americans Act. Other programs the new agency will manage include CHOICES, Connecticut’s program for health insurance assistance, outreach, information and referral, counseling and eligibility screening; the Alzheimer Respite Care Program; nutritional programs for needy elderly persons; and the Long Term Care Ombudsman program, which investigates and resolves the complaints and concerns of long term care residents.

            Other programs, such as ConnPACE, the state prescription drug assistance program, will remain under the purview of DSS but the two agencies will coordinate outreach and other efforts.