Senior report from Raleigh

The North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislature (NCSTHL) concluded its final meeting for 2012 in Greensboro. During the two-day meeting, the group received an update on various aging services programs in our state. In addition, they learned about volunteer opportunities in North Carolina. It is also during this meeting when delegates vote on their top five priorities to send to the General Assembly for its 2013 session.

The NCSTHL meets three times a year. During these sessions, the group is updated on the condition of federal and state aging services programs. The final report for the year came from Dennis Streets, director of the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult (DAAS), who explained how the possible federal sequestration would impact programs and services funded through the Older Americans Act (OAA) and administered by the Administration on Aging. In North Carolina, programs supported by the OAA could lose between $2.3 and $2.7 million in funding. Streets said this could result in nearly 3,000 older adults not being served a hot meal at their local senior center, and nearly 1,000 older adults who may not receive a home-delivered meal.

Currently, in North Carolina, there are more than 12,000 older adults on the waiting list for home- and community-based services such as, in-home aide care, transportation, nutrition and respite care. Streets says that “if sequestration happens, then we will need even more state funding along with strengthened partnerships with businesses and faith-based communities, education and advocacy of policymakers about effective programs, increased collaboration between state agencies, and investment in evidence-based initiatives.”