By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Wood County officials are dedicating $466,495 to help keep older citizens healthy and in their homes as long as possible.
On Wednesday, Wood County Commissioner Doris Herringshaw turned the funding over to the Wood County Committee on Aging.
“We are glad to hand that over to you,” Herringshaw said, praising the WCCOA for its “great outreach into the county.”
The federal Healthy Aging Grants can be used to deliver meals, transport patients to medical offices, repair homes, and hook seniors up to technology.
The goal for each dollar is to help senior citizens stay at home and healthy as long as they are able.
Top on the list for funding is replacing the aging WCCOA vehicles which deliver meals to senior centers throughout Wood County, and deliver thousands of seniors to and from doctors’ appointments each year. The WCCOA also would like to use the funding for nursing services, minor home repairs, adult day services and technology for seniors.
“This is our dream,” Wood County Committee on Aging Executive Director Denise Niese said last year to the agency’s board. “This is a one-time opportunity. So we want to invest in things that have longer lives.”
Unlike most ODA funding, these grants cut out the middle man, and won’t go through a regional office. The Wood County Commissioners have said they will not take out administrative costs.
Following is the list of requests from the WCCOA:
- Home-delivered meal trucks – two for the total cost of $110,000.
- Medical escort sedans – two for a total cost of $88,121.
- Contracted nurse services with Wood County Health Department – $50,000 for one year.
- Wood County Probate Guardianship Board providing social connectedness – $33,873 for one year.
- Minor home repair services for 18 homes – $92,500.
- Adult day services – $45,000 for 450 days of client care.
- Technology for seniors, providing laptops and jet packs for connectivity – $47,000.
Three of the trucks that deliver meals to homes and the satellite senior centers have more than 160,000 miles on them, and are 12-15 years old. More than 53,000 congregate meals and 156,000 home-delivered meals for seniors are prepared and served throughout the county annually.
“The trucks are out there every day, delivering meals,” driving up to 90 miles a day, Niese said.
The WCCOA minivans also deliver seniors to and from as many as 2,800 medical appointments a year.
Because so many older adults who need medical transportation have difficulty getting in and out of the current minivans, the WCCOA is looking to buy two sedans, either Impalas or Malibus.
Many of the laptops were purchased for seniors to use during COVID with CARES Act funding. The latest funding would be used to get wifi to homes without it, and “we hope to reactivate devices and get them back into the hands of seniors,” Niese said.
WCCOA provides programs, services, and activities through eight senior centers throughout the county, including its flagship location, the Wood County Senior Center in Bowling Green.
The WWCOA board also received good news from the Ohio Department of Aging about $6 million to be awarded for adult day services throughout the state. It is hoped this funding will get the day care program up and running at the senior center in Bowling Green.
“This is what we’ve been waiting on for quite a while,” said Jim Stainbrook, of the Wood County Committee on Aging. “Funds should be coming now, and we can get that important facility open for residents of Wood County.”
The program will be operated by MemoryLane Care Services, which will be the agency applying for the funding.
In other business at the Wood County Committee on Aging board meeting Wednesday, Doris Herringshaw swore in Dr. Tom Milbrodt as president of the board. New to the board this year is Brooke Harrison.
