With federal sequestration underway, dramatic cuts in funding are expected to occur at the Area 10 Agency on Aging.
According to Kerry Conway, executive director of the agency, it faces a 5.1% cut in operational funding.
The cut is estimated to result in 4,200 fewer meals delivered to the homebound, 18,000 fewer Rural Transit bus rides, and 200 fewer seniors receiving in-home care.
“I can’t emphasize enough, a lot of what we do, it’s difficult to count,” Conway said.
For example, the organization provides support for the families and caregivers who provide in-home care for seniors in an effort to keep them out of the nursing home.
“That is a big part of what we do. It needs to be a bigger part of what we do,” the director said, noting that 85% of in-home care comes from those sources.
While the agency’s funding comes from the federal government via Title III, it is distributed through the state of Indiana. In April, the state and Area 10 will meet to discuss what is going to happen when their contract ends on June 30.
“Area 10 folks are looking for some flexibility in how they spend that money, which should help alleviate funding concerns,” said Trevor Foughty, a spokesman for Sen. Todd Young.
Young learned about the funding issues facing Area 10 during a March 8 visit with the organization.
“Hopefully, by then, we’ll have figured something out on a federal level, something that makes a lot more sense than what’s happening right now,” Conway said.
According to her, the cuts to senior services will end up costing the state and nation more money by pushing seniors into Medicare and Medicaid earlier.
As for the state, Indiana State Department of Health spokesman Ken Severson was less convinced of the outcome.
“All we can tell you at the moment is that the Indiana State Department of Health will continue to work to fulfill its mission of promoting and providing essential health services,” he said of the sequester. “Like other affected agencies, we are currently evaluating the impact these potential budget cuts may have.”
“It’s really going to be devastating to us, frankly. Probably more importantly, because agencies have no needs, it’s going to be devastating to our clients,” Conway said.
The impact of this budget cut will be felt, as some full-time staff will have to be made part-time. Doing so will force the agency to put some seniors seeking services on a waiting list.
This is not, however, the first time its budget has been cut. Conway said the budget deal in 2010 capped its spending limits.
“We’ve taken some hits in terms of our programs over the last three years. In terms of funding, we’ve lost some funding,” she said.
The agency has been able to overcome some of those cuts with upgrades in technology.
“Having said that, we’re pretty much to the bone at this point. There’s only so much technology can do,” Conway added.
By statute, the agency cannot provide any services that would be more expensive than putting an individual into a nursing home. Conway said the agency estimated the costs of its service were one-third the cost of a nursing home.
Originally published in Ellettsville Journal, 2013. Republished here for archival and portfolio purposes.