Civil Grand Jury Imperial County

Conclusions 15

• CL1 Page 25
  There does not appear to be a sufficient number of female staff members.
• CL2 Page 34
  Probate the estates of decedents who die without a will and where there is no family living in California willing or able to do so.
• CL3 Page 34
  Act as the legally appointed Conservator/Guardian of individuals in the County when appointment by the court when the Superior Court finds the person is unable to properly care for themselves or their finances or who cannot resist undue influence or fraud. Such persons usually suffer from severe mental illness or are older, frail and vulnerable adults.
• CL4 Page 34
  The Representative Payee Program manages the financial need of persons unable to handle their own funds due to age, illness or disability. It is the only agency within Imperial County approved by the Social Security Administration to offer this service. This is a voluntary based program where the person elects to participate.
• CL5 Page 34
  The Area Agency on Aging, Planning and Service Area (PSA) directly provides contracts with third parties to provide services pursuant to Title 22 of the Older Americans Act and AB 2800 of the Older Californians Act. Program services target seniors 60 years and older and include meals, transportation, long term care ombudsman services, legal assistance, health clinics and elder abuse prevention training. This is includes Meals on Wheels program. The CGJ committee chose to focus on The Conservator/Guardianships of the Area Agency on Aging and the Meals on Wheels and Community lunches. Overview: On February 16, 2017 a committee of the Imperial County CGJ met with the Public Administrators Department. They provided an overview of the department programs and discussed their goals and progress meeting these goals. The department is currently serving as Conservator to 15 seniors; they are living in nursing homes in Imperial County, San Diego County and Yuma, AZ. There are two Deputy Case Managers assigned to visiting these individuals and making medical decisions. The conservatees are seen once every quarter. Most visits are unannounced, unless the Deputy Case Manager needs to see a specific member of the facility’s staff. The visit includes a review of the nurses and doctor’s notes, including all medications prescribed. A face-to-face meeting takes place with the conservatee in their living quarters. All interviews take place with conservatees that are able to communicate. For clients with advanced dementia that are completely bedbound and unresponsive, the Deputy will check to see that client has not developed bedsores and/or treatment has been ordered if any exist. Facility staff is interviewed and asked for feedback on any visitors, problems or needs noted. An assessment report is completed and put into client’s file, which also includes a picture of the client. The CGJ Committee members chose to visit some of these Conservatorees. Unannounced visits were made to individuals in Yuma, AZ and Imperial County. The Staff also assists approximately 300 individuals in the Representative Payee Program. Their goal is to visit these individuals once a year. Social Security also visits them annually. This program assists individuals with their finances; it is a voluntary program. The Area Agency on Aging is the provider of such programs as Meals on Wheels, congregate meals for seniors provided in community facilities, transportation, ombudsman services, legal assistance, health clinics, nutrition education, providing information of links to community services, respite care providing short term relief for unpaid family caretakers and other services needed by seniors in the community. The CGJ Committee members met with the management of the Meals on Wheels program. It is administered under contract by Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities also provides the mid-day meals as part of the Senior Nutrition Program at 9 locations in Imperial County, these are called congregate sites since seniors come to these locations and transportation is available. There is an Advisory Council to the Area Agency on Aging whose members provide a liaison between the agency and the senior population throughout Imperial County. This Council is charged with holding public hearings to encourage public participation in determining the needs of the aging in Imperial County. They develop recommendations to the Imperial County Board of Supervisors regarding the Area Plan, Area Agency policies and funding allocations. Funding for the programs provided by DPA comes from the federal budget, Community Block Grant, through state budget and then to county budget. Conclusion: CGJ members on this committee agree that the staff of Department of Public Administrator is doing a very good job and have implemented programs that serve the needs of the individuals they are charged to serve. We were especially impressed with the quality of meals provided to seniors through Catholic Charities given the limited budget. Findings: F1 DPA has an informal volunteer program reaching out to the colleges and unemployment departments for volunteers. They have also implemented an intern program with the SDSU-IV campus currently using 3 interns to help with grant writing and some other administrative functions such as finance, budget and job descriptions. Interns are currently recruited by providing descriptions on a list to the college and in discussions with the College administration. F2 Additional funding is necessary to provide the quality programs needed in Imperial County including expanding such things as Meals on Wheels, congregate meals, health clinics and preventing elder abuse. There are currently over 200 people on the wait list for Meals on Wheels. Meals at Congregate locations are 5 days a week in some locations but not all, seniors in remote locations could benefit by more days with meals being served. There are 9 Senior Congregate Meals locations in Imperial County including Heber and Salton City. F3 The CGJ Committee members visited several Conservatees of the County in Nursing Homes and also in private homes. We were very impressed with the quality, cleanliness and professionalism of the nursing home in Yuma, AZ and El Centro. The Conservatees were happy and very well cared for, the staff readily answered questions. We were not as impressed with the air quality of the Brawley nursing home. While the staff was professional and the Conservatee well cared for it was not of the same quality as the Yuma or El Centro locations.
• CL6 Page 39
  It appears that the City of Calexico failed the citizens of Hearthstone Community when they had a May 2009 punch list of things that were needed, and by November 2011 had not taken action to rectify the situation. The jury was unable to find any bids for Hearthstone projects. The present city administration has owed up to where the city has failed in the past and has stated they will not only use the one million dollar bankruptcy settlement but add another approximate half a million to make things right as they can. The jury believes that this is the right thing to do. The city might not be financially secure enough to do all that is requested or even needed, but if they go through with the bids to do at least what was said they would do this time, it could go a long way to improve the safety of the streets and sidewalks in the Hearthstone Community. It may also improve relationships with the Hearthstone residents. Findings: F1 Based on what complainants have told the jury, what city officials have told the jury, and what was also discovered, it appears that the City of Calexico, under previous administrators, failed to make corrections and improvements in the Hearthstone CFD when it should have. F2 It appears that the City of Calexico had money in 2011 to repair and/or improve at least a part of Hearthstone CFD yet failed to do so. Losing track of money is not a sign of good management. F3 It appears that the City of Calexico made an error in their estimations of what would happen when the Hearthstone CFD was agreed to by the city in expanding Calexico. Funds were not available when needed.
• CL7 Page 40
  Recommendations: R1 The Civil Grand Jury recommends that the City of Calexico follow through with what the city administration agreed that they would do, i.e., get bids and make the needed repairs to the Hearthstone CFD, including the unfinished entrance. R2 The Civil Grand Jury recommends that the City of Calexico keep much better track of spending money that was apparently meant for Hearthstone CFD or any other project. If the city does not have a good method of accounting for funds, then changes should be made to rectify that. R3 The Civil Grand Jury recommends that the City of Calexico be more cautious when planning or approving city expansion so that the same sort of situation does not happen again. Response Required: The Civil Grand Jury requires a written response to this report from the City of Calexico within ninety (90) days of the official release date. Responses are to be directed to the Civil Grand Jury for the review of the Presiding Judge of the California Superior Court in Imperial County. See the attached pictures on the following pages:
• CL8 Page 41
  Hearthstone Community (via Google Earth)
• CL9 Page 42
  Single entrance to Hearthstone Community
• CL10 Page 43
  Unfinished second entrance / exit to Hearthstone Community
• CL11 Page 45
  Marked street repairs needed (recent)
• CL12 Page 46
  Marked sidewalk repairs needed (recent)
• CL13 Page 47
  Unmarked street repairs needed
• CL14 Page 48
  Previously marked sidewalk repairs needed (unrepaired)
• CL15 Page 49
  Responses from 2015 – 2016 Civil Grand Jury Final Report (following pages)

No Responses Found 3

Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.