“It is crunch time,” said Wayne County Aging and Youth, Director Penny Shockley.
Home Delivered Meal (Meals on Wheels) Program Director Karen Breen and Board Director Sergei Barishevich came into the Human Services Committeee meeting on Monday (4/2) to discuss the financial crunch the local Home Delivered Meal Program is having. The number of senior citizens requesting or already taking part in the program has increased by 5,000 over the past three years; however, contributions from the individuals have significantly decreased.
The fact is that the population is aging and the number of individuals living into and beyond the 80s has increased over the years. According to Shockley, the number of persons experiencing conditions of frailty, disability, lack of support, inability to shop, or cook is rising sharply.
Meals are prepared through Wayne ARC and the County’s Nursing Home. All meals are delivered by volunteers and must be delivered to the client’s home within two hours of their preparation.
Due to the “crunch” at this time the program is not accepting any new clients, as they do not have the funding to expand the program, although there is a waiting list of elderly needing the services.
This year it is projected the Home Delivered Meal Program will cost $243,780 and receive $43,090 in contributions. The cost for ARC to prepare a meal a lunch meal is $4.10 for lunch and $2.33 for an evening meal, the cost for the Nursing Home to prepare a meal is $ 3.80 lunch and $1.80 for the evening meal.
The program does not just deliver to anyone who applies. Penny stated seniors must go through a 16 page ranking assessment to receive this service.
Various options to reduce the cost of the local Home Delivered Meal Program were presented: 1) add no additional County funds and accept no new clients into the program, 2) discontinue meals on evenings and weekends, only serving one hot meal a day five-days a week—this would save $23,616 annually, 3) close the Wolcott Nutrition Site that has limited participation—this would save $18,000 annually, or 4) the County could transfer $43,723 into the home delivered meal budget line and allow for 37,000 meals to be served annually to in-need elderly residents of Wayne County.
Currently, elderly 130 people receive at least five meals a week. Thirty-two clients receive an evening cold meal consisting of a sandwich and fruit and the program serves about 800 weekend meals per moth. Some of the evening and weekend meals are delivered by contracted servers.
Ms. Shockley said she would have a handle on what appropriations for senior programs are included in the State budget next month. Committee members from the County Board of Supervisors supported the need to appropriate additional County funds for the continuation of the Home Delivered Meal Program for all qualifying Wayne County seniors. Lyons Town Supervisor Brian Manktelow reiterated that it is the local responsibility to take care of the elderly.
Besides the Meals Program, Shockley is also concerned about the drastic shortage of home health aides currently available for the elderly for personal hygiene and check-ups. “It has become a really sad situation,” said the County Aging and Youth Director.
Penny urges any CNA (Certified Nursing Aids) to contact Lifetime Care, Home Health Agency.