Aging population will lead to increased demand for services

By Sam Shawver, sshawver@mariettatimes.com
As more Ohioans join the senior citizen ranks in the next several years, there will be an increasing demand for services focusing on that age group.

“There’s an ongoing discussion about this issue, and we’re trying to identify gaps in services that may occur,” said Gwynn Clifford, communications director for Buckeye Hills/Hocking Valley Regional Development District.

Buckeye Hills oversees the local Area Agency on Aging Region 8, covering Washington and seven surrounding counties.

“We want to allow more choices for baby boomers than were available for previous generations,” Clifford said. “Many boomers are much healthier and want to stay in their homes longer.”

Efforts at the state level include a unified long-term care budget initiative by Gov. Ted Strickland’s administration aimed at restructuring the way state funding is funneled into services for Ohio’s aging population, Clifford said.

Currently the state pays out more than $300 million a year for senior-related programs statewide, according to a recent report from the independent Ohio Public Expenditure Council, a nonprofit research group.

The state also administers federal funding that supports programs like PASSPORT, which provides services to Medicaid-eligible folks, enabling them to stay in their homes rather than move into expensive assisted-living or nursing facilities.

Patricia Smith, 63, of Marietta has used PASSPORT since 2005.

“I was stuck here, and I didn’t know about this service until my daughter discovered it,” Smith said. “They’ll do anything for me. One call and in a day it’s done.”

Clifford said although Smith suffers from chronic lung and bladder diseases, she is able to remain in her own home and receives home-delivered meals, personal care and emergency response services with help from the local Area Agency on Aging and the PASSPORT program.

“Last year Patricia’s annual PASSPORT service plan cost was $15,222, a savings of $40,529 when compared to the average annual cost of $55,751 for skilled nursing facility care,” Clifford said.

When Smith needed a wheelchair and hospital bed at her home, PASSPORT provided them. The program even helped her obtain glasses and provides transportation when she needs it.

“I have to go to Cleveland at the end of the month. If I get someone to drive me there, the program will provide a voucher to pay for the gas, or they can provide the transportation,” Smith said.

“My meals are delivered and a girl comes in every day to help me clean or do my laundry. Sometimes she just keeps me company,” she said. “I can’t say enough about this program. There are many people who can’t afford both food and their medications. They need to know about this program.”

Clifford said the program currently serves more than 700 people within the agency’s eight-county region.

At the county level, community organizations serving seniors rely on funding from a senior citizen levy that’s approved by voters.

“Our senior levy is renewable every five years, and it’s been well-received the last two times it was on the ballot. It benefits each and every township in the county,” said Washington County Commissioner John Grimes.

He said the local levy pumps a total of approximately $900,000 a year into programs like the O’Neill Senior Center, Community Action and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).

“We’re a multipurpose program center. And we work to help people stay healthy, independent and productive,” said Terry Zdrale, executive director of the O’Neill center.

She said the center serves ages 55 to 105 through a variety of programs, including educational initiatives, social gatherings, fitness programs, volunteer opportunities, transportation for seniors to medical or adult day care facilities, homemaking and general living assistance like cleaning and grocery shopping.

“There’s also a social services department to help qualified people to obtain free meds if they can’t afford them,” Zdrale said. “A lot of people don’t realize just how many services we have available.”

She said the center is looking at ways to serve the emerging baby boomers too.

“We’re trying to adjust our image and gear our services toward this group,” Zdrale said. “Our community is small, but there are a lot of things for older folks to enjoy in Marietta, and we need to maintain a vibrant senior center to help them do that.”