CHARLESTON, W.Va. — AARP West Virginia and West Virginia Directors of Senior and Community Services are hoping more will be done in the state to support senior services.
The two organizations met for a joint press conference at the Capitol on Wednesday to announce survey results from over 800 West Virginians on the importance of senior services and being able to remain independent with those services.
William Carpenter, the President of the West Virginia Directors of Senior and Community Services and Rich Stonestreet, the President of AARP West Virginia both appeared on Wednesday’s MetroNews ‘Talkline.’
Carpenter wants to see the state’s budget for home and community based senior services increase from $1.8 million to $6 million because they are struggling, but not because of lower demand.
“In the last 10 years we’ve provided 300,000 meals less than we provided in 2009,” Carpenter said. “It is because of lower funding on the federal level. We’ve had to alter our service delivery.
“Previously we would have five meals a week home delivered. Now we are doing three in some cases with two shelf stabled meals.”
Those services include meal deliveries but Carpenter says the money being asked for is much more than just for congregant meals.
“We are also asking for increases in the reimbursement rates in the Lighthouse and Fair program,” he said. “Also we are asking for $1.6 million for home delivery vehicles.”
Carpenter added that the organization is still using some of the vehicles from 2009 when then Gov. Manchin provided hot-cold trucks. 2009 was also the last time the rates for reimbursement and funding for the meals have changed. The reimbursement rates in the Fair program, which is for people who care for people with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, has been the same since 2006.
“We consistently have supported maintaining services in the senior centers where necessary,” Stonestreet said.
He added that in the survey 78 percent of respondents say congregate meals is an important program to them. According to the survey of 800 people ages 40 or older in the state, 93 percent say it is extremely or very important to have services available to them or loved ones that would allow them to live independently at home for as long as possible.
Carpenter said the $5 million investment into the senior programs is needed and the programs bring one of the best savings in the state.
“The average nursing home cost is $68,000 per year,” he said. “In-home services is $28,000 so that’s a $40,000 savings. If you look at this way, let’s say we save the state $20,000 a senior, that’s only 250 seniors not in a nursing home to cover that $5 million.”