Download - HELEN SAWYER PLAZA Helen Sawyer Plaza 1150 N.W. 11 th Street Miami, FL 33136 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Miami-Dade Housing Agency

HELEN SAWYER PLAZAHELEN SAWYER PLAZA

Helen Sawyer Plaza1150 N.W. 11th Street

Miami, FL 33136

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Miami-Dade Housing Agency (Florida) State of Florida Department of Elderly Affairs

- 104 Units -

Partners:

* The Nation’s First Licensed Assisted

Living Facility Within Public Housing (1999)

Assisted Living FacilitiesModels in Public Housing

2

Service Providers:

Miami Dade Housing Agency (MDHA) retains ownership and operational control of Helen Sawyer Plaza

Provides day-to-day management of the facility and hands-on care for the residents – annual contract cost of $100,000 per year

HELEN SAWYER PLAZA

BACKGROUND

MIAMI, FL

Public sector funding along with private sector expertise provide the structure for

Helen Sawyer Plaza


3BACKGROUND (Continued)

PHAs - turning to Assisted Living Facility (ALF) models as a vehicle to enable seniors to age in place

Avoid premature transfers to more intrusive and costly housing and service options such as nursing home facilities

1976 - Provided elderly public housing - Group meals only

1995 - No longer provided congregate meal service = Hardship

1995 - No meal service combined with poor transportation, no services, and a declining neighborhood = 30% occupancy rate

HELEN SAWYER PLAZA MIAMI, FL


4

Envisioned by MDHA - Meet physical and emotional needs of elderly public housing residents

Evolved from a lack of affordable housing alternatives to meet the demand for senior housing

Need for new funding sources to satisfy the problem of long-term care

MDHA - converted an underutilized independent living facility into a multi-service center for elderly residents

1999 - MDHA opened the “Helen Sawyer Plaza Assisted Living Facility”

BACKGROUND (Continued)



5

Conversion to a Public Housing Assisted Living Facility:

Step 1: Contracted with a consultant who is an expert in the Assisted Living Facility field

Step 2: HUD funding to rehabilitate the building according to Housing Quality Standards

Step 3: Obtained an Assisted Living Facility license from the state of Florida

Step 4: Coordinated work efforts with Miami and Dade Counties to revitalize abandoned buildings in HSP neighborhood - expanded transportation

Step 5: Petitioned the State of Florida Department of Elderly Affairs - grant a Medicaid waiver -Helen Sawyer Plaza elderly services eligible for Medicaid funding reimbursement

BACKGROUND (Continued)



6DESIGN / STAFFING

104 Units0 BR 83

1 BR 21

Amenities:

Lobby, public restrooms, full kitchen with resident dining room, community room, administrative offices and maintenance staff areas

Additional Building Features:

Electronic security system with 24-Hour security guards

Staffing Needs:

Staffing includes an Administrator, Receptionist, Accountant, Maintenance Staff, Cook and Cook Assistants, Housekeepers, Certified Nursing Assistants, Activity Coordinator and a Social Worker



7DESIGN / STAFFING (Continued)

CONSULTANT

ADMINISTRATORACCOUNTING

AR/AP MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR

NURSE RESIDENT CAREFOOD SERVICE



8PROCESS

Resident Eligibility Requirements: Must be low-income individuals Able to perform activities of daily living with supervision or

assistance Be at risk of placement in a nursing home Medicaid eligible Must be at least 62 years old Do not require 24-hour nursing supervision Do not require licensed, professional mental health treatment

Program Demographics: (104 residents)

Average age is 85 Average length of stay is 35 months 40% of residents are former residents of nursing homes



9PROCESS (Continued)

Benefits and Features:

Married couples can continue to live together

Helen Sawyer Plaza provides: Services including bathing, grooming and feeding 30 hours of activities per week - dancing, exercise,

shopping and cultural events 24-hour supervision by trained staff Assistance with Medications Physical Therapy Transportation services Cafeteria Meals (three hot meals - two snacks per day)




HELEN SAWYER PLAZA IS 100% SUPPORTED BYOptional State Supplement (OSS) to SSI $945,000 41%

State Sponsored Medicaid Waivers for Services $655,200 29%

HUD Operating Subsidy $424,200 18%

HUD Utility Subsidy $138,168 6%

Private Pay Residents $134,400 6%

Total: $2,296,968

REHABILITATION FUNDING SOURCESHUD Modernization $350,000

Borrowed Start-up $150,000

Total: $500,000

- Miami Dade Housing Agency subsidizes rent for all units- 65 residents receive Medicaid waivers that reimburse up to $28 per day for services

$4,808 per unit


$22,000 per unit subsidyvs. Nursing Home subsidy

rate that is 5-6 times higher!



Assessment of Service Fees:

Residents are assessed $685 per month for services. The cost is subsidized through the Optional State Supplement (OSS), which is a State supplement to Social Security Income

Cost Comparison:

Nursing home facility vs. Assisted Living Facility - nursing home facility will cost 68% more

Nursing Home = $38,000 per year

Assisted Living Facility = $12,000 per year




Helen Sawyer Plaza has an Extended Congregate Care License - required to access the Medicaid Waiver

Result of petitioning - State legislature enacted a demonstration project Medicaid Waiver for $1.3 million

First time a Medicaid Waiver and case management was allocated to public housing

100% of the units are affordable to 50% of area median income

Residents pay rent set at 30% of adjusted gross income



13MANAGEMENT / MARKETING

Management: Participatory management Constant training and communication among staff Residents are treated with respect, care and devotion Monthly training for social service staff

Marketing: Outreach through resident services Sells concept that MDHA is a Medicaid provider and case

management agency Clients come through word of mouth from publicity,

newspaper articles, radio, T.V. and Community Groups 30% of residents come from Community Group referrals The residential waiting list averages 20-30 persons On average, MDHA loses 20 elder residents per month to

death/nursing home/private assisted living facilities



14CHALLENGES/FAILURES/LESSONS LEARNED

State and Federal Government requires excessive documentation

Government Catch 22: Obtaining an ALF license –- Cannot be obtained until development is

complete Lender Loans are difficult to obtain without a guarantee of Medicaid

Funding Impossible to underwrite the Medicaid Waiver as a source of revenue

because waivers cannot be committed before the facility is operational

Petition the State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs to grant a Medicaid waiver is a hit and miss process

What Helen Sawyer Plaza may have done differently: Opened the facility 6 months earlier Admitted more residents into the Medicaid Waiver Program Spent more time talking to key staff and residents for support



15ACCOMPLISHMENTS/SUCCESSES/HIGHLIGHTS

Resident Successes: Based on Florida International University Center of Aging study:

Health and mental condition of residents have significantly improved Residents have a high level of satisfaction with services Residents have a renewed desire to engage in life

Helen Sawyer Plaza Successes: Achieved 100% lease-up within one year Achieved the lowest attrition rate among residents and staff Has saved the Florida Medicaid budget over $8 million Received recognition from legislatures and policy makers

Awards: HUD Best Practices Award NAHRO Human Services Award National Association of Counties Achievement Award Florida Housing Coalition Success Stories Award


Download - HELEN SAWYER PLAZA Helen Sawyer Plaza 1150 N.W. 11 th Street Miami, FL 33136 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Miami-Dade Housing Agency

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