What is the Long Term Care Council (LTCC)?

It is required that each NY Connects Agency maintains a Long-Term Care Council (LTCC). Which is a group of individuals representing stakeholders who are serving Washington County residents. Whose responsibilities are to continuously build and maintain a collaborative network to advance the Point of Entry (POE) and maintain coordination within the local long-term care system. The council will function in an advisory capacity. Meetings for the LTCC will be held on a quarterly basis, dates can be found on the right side of the screen.    

What will it look like?

The Washington-Warren-Hamilton Long Term Care Council is made up of consumers, caregivers, providers, advocates, government representatives (AAA Directors, DSS Commissioners), and key stakeholders (including Independent Living Centers). 

 Mandated members include:

• DSS Commissioner
• OFA Director
• Membership must be representative of the community it serves. Potential members include but are not limited to:
• Early Intervention Programs
• Nursing Homes
• Adult Care and Assisted Living Facilities 
• Hospital
• Community Agencies serving the LTC needs of the community
• Church Communities
• Senior Housing
• Educational System
• Consumers
• Others

Will need to appoint committees: 

• Membership
• Bylaws
• Others may be identified

One such committee within the Washington-Warren-Hamilton LTCC is the LTCC Executive Committee that is made up of representatives from Washington County OFA/ADRC, The Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley, Warren County Office for Aging, Southern Adirondack Independent Living, and community members. The Executive committee facilitates networking and educational events for the membership to keep current with issues impacting the community and to collaborate on strategies to rectify these issues.

What is the role of the LTCC?

 The Council comes together to analyze the local long-term services and support system, identify gaps, duplication and barriers in the system and make recommendations for improvement. The Council uses their findings to work toward a system that is more streamlined, efficient, and responsive to helping individuals remain at home and in the community. 

Specific Activities of the LTCC include:

• Monitoring POE service gaps and working with appropriate partners to address them.
• Ensure that consumers are represented on the council
• Address and help plan for needs unique to our community
• Have an active role in the service evaluation process with consumer input
• Develop new resources to assist or enhance the LTC system including plans for overcoming barriers
• Identify, develop, and maintain relationships with policy makers and funding organizations

Other points of the LTCC

• Keep in mind that LTC choices tend to be made in a crisis mode
• A need to think beyond the medical model