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Council authorizes CARES post-hospital supportive-care agreement for Olympia Fire Department
Summary
The council approved a resolution authorizing an agreement with Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging to fund one FTE to provide post-hospitalization supportive care through the Community Assistance Referral and Education Services (CARES) program, intended to reduce 911 calls and hospital readmissions, Councilmember Gilman said.
The Olympia City Council on Sept. 9 approved, as part of the consent calendar, a resolution authorizing an agreement with Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging for the Olympia Fire Department to provide post-hospitalization supportive care through the Community Assistance Referral and Education Services (CARES) program.
Councilmember Gilman pulled the item for comment prior to the consent vote and described the program as creating one full-time equivalent (FTE) position to assist people after hospital discharge. Gilman said the role would help clients navigate services and reduce repeat 911 calls and hospital readmissions, thereby reducing operational load on emergency responders and improving quality of life for the people served. “This program is to create one FTE who helps folks post hospitalization to help them navigate whatever they need to navigate so that they have an alternative to calling 911 again,” Gilman said.
City staff presented the resolution as an authorization to enter into the agreement with the Area Agency on Aging for CARES program operations; the council approved the consent calendar, which included the resolution authorizing the agreement. The resolution and agreement were not read in full during the meeting; the staff packet item (agenda 4f) contains the resolution language and the draft agreement.
The action assigns implementation responsibilities to the Fire Department and the City Manager’s Office; staff noted the position supports continued coordination with community partners and is intended to be part of a suite of interventions (including crisis response units and downtown walking patrol) to reduce emergency responses. The resolution authorizes the agreement; details such as contract term, funding amount and performance metrics are recorded in the agreement referenced in the staff packet rather than stated verbatim in the council discussion.
