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Assisted living group to help with services for disabled, elderly

Wednesday, June 12, 2002

By MARCI ELLIOTT, mrelliott@naplesnews.com

Southwest Florida's new HALO Coalition formed some steering committees Tuesday — and moved a step closer to closing gaps in affordable housing and other services for the disabled and elderly.

HALO committees were formed to lay the groundwork for research, fund-raising, grant-writing and other related strategies. HALO now stands for Housing with Assisted Living Options, but the name may be changed to Helping with Assisted Living Options.

The group held an organizational meeting at Florida Gulf Coast University's Naples Center and plans to continue its structuring and goal-setting during meetings on consecutive Tuesdays in coming weeks.

	AT A GLANCE
	For more information on the HALO Coalition, call Gary Kluckhuhn at 732-0375 or e-mail grkluckh@eagle.fgcu.edu.

The HALO Coalition, spearheaded by FGCU's Center for Assisted Living Innovation, is comprised of representatives of social and governmental agencies and other groups that provide assistance to the frail and elderly — people who need help with daily activities such as dressing, taking medications and moving about.

Gary Kluckhuhn, director of the Center for Assisted Living Innovation and founder of the HALO Coalition, said affordable housing for the disabled and elderly was the most critical priority, especially in Collier County. Federal housing funds are available to many of these people — but the cost of property and housing is cost-prohibitive.

"We came together and decided we need to address this issue," Kluckhuhn said. "These people are in crisis. They live on a limited income, Social Security or disability, and other people think Medicare, Medicaid and the government supply all their needs."

The group briefly discussed the name of the coalition, but for now it will remain "Housing with Assisted Living Options" with the HALO acronym.

Evelyn Widen of Senior Office Services said the coalition should have a different name because the coalition's goal was to offer various services.

"We don't want it to be limited to housing," said Widen, a member of the Collier County Council on Aging's board of directors.

"Hopefully, the name HALO will catch on," said Robert Figueroa, a spokesman for the Center for Assisted Living Innovation. "Housing is a big focus of what we're trying to do here."

The coalition members gave a show of hands to keep the name and acronym, with Widen dissenting. The coalition agreed a study should be done to identify how many residents need affordable housing and other services.

Roy Bonnell, a consultant and educator who has worked on the planning for FGCU's future environmental "Green Building," will head the research steering committee.

He said Collier County should be the first focus.

"We have to decide whether we want to stay focused on Collier County or a larger region for a study," said Bonnell, an adviser to the Center for Assisted Living Innovation.

Others agreed the coalition should serve people in the seven-county region of Southwest Florida, but begin with and focus on Collier County because of its unique needs.

"Our county is different from other counties," said Rand Bass, manager of Collier County Outreach Services. "I grew up here. People who have needs have to go out of the county to get them. Our model should focus on the need, and it should be all-inclusive."

Bonnell said the study also should look at whether targeted residents need just housing or other services as well, and that the coalition should look within the group for agencies that have already conducted studies.

"Cost is going to be a factor" in getting a study done, he said. "We need to come up with the money. Fund-raising in the key."

Kluckhuhn said FGCU could provide help and consultation to the HALO coalition.

He and the other coalition members discussed identifying potential directors and business partners for the coalition.

Kluckhuhn announced upcoming meetings of the HALO Coalition:

• 2 p.m. June 18 in Reed Hall Room 223 at FGCU campus in Estero — focus on housing.
• 10 a.m. June 25 at the FGCU Naples Center in the Heart Fax Building, 1010 Fifth Ave. S.— business meeting at which HALO Coalition will be officially launched.

"We need to reach out to the community and get some community support," Kluckhuhn said. "There are too many who are sure these people are being taken care of. We need to change that (perception)."

For more information on the HALO Coalition, call Gary Kluckhuhn at 732-0375 or e-mail grkluckh@eagle.fgcu.edu.

Also in today's Naples section:
Abbott denouces proposed contract with superintendent-to-be Chambers
City to increase security at utility sites
Collier Boulevard widening proposal touches off controversy
Corrections
HALO Coalition seeks options to provide housing for disabled, elderly
Long-time Realtor James Carroll dead at 71
Man arrested on rape charge after car chase
No arrests made in string of Naples burglaries
North Naples man could face death penalty in fatal stabbing
Photo: Bees be gone
Photo: Lascheids honored in Washington D.C.
Police Beat: Crime reports for Collier County
Rural land owners turn out to have their say on Collier growth plan
Shadowlawn Elementary gets state grant to futher literacy efforts
Sheriff's deputies rescue woman from burning house

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