State budget impasse begins to hit Lackawanna County's elderly

Oct. 31--The state budget deadlock is starting to impact services for low-income, elderly Lackawanna County residents.

The Area Agency on Aging informed nonprofit providers the county created a waiting list and will no longer fund new in-home services for senior citizens until the state budget impasse is resolved.

"People are entitled to an evaluation, and we'll look at what the assessment tells us," said William Browning, executive director of the Lackawanna County Department of Human Services. "If we find someone has a critical need, it will override the waiting list."

Affected services are designed to give elderly people extra help so they can maintain their independence and stay out of nursing homes. They include:

n Home-delivered meals, which provide food for senior citizens between five and seven days per week.

n Personal care services, which is direct-care workers providing assistance with tasks most younger people take for granted like bathing, dressing and basic hygiene.

n The Personal Emergency Response System, which provides around-the-clock safety alerts for falls and medical conditions.

n Adult day care, which provides structured on-site day programs and respite for caregivers.

n Consumable supplies, which provides items not covered by insurance -- for example, for incontinency issues or nutritional supplementation.

Early this year, Lackawanna County was one of four counties in the state that had waiting lists for those types of services, and Mr. Browning said staff worked hard to clear the backlog.

Creating a new waiting list was frustrating for the human services director, but he said without knowing how long the four-months-and-counting budget impasse will last, it was important to put some restrictions in place now to make sure there is still money available to handle critical needs down the road.

The state provides $47.12 million of the $51.47 million county human services budget. That amounts to roughly 80 percent of funding for the department whose various divisions, such as like the Area Agency on Aging, annually serve 25,972 people. Per month, that means the county typically spends about $4.3 million, with $3.9 million coming from the state.

Lackawanna County has been tapping into its reserves to fill the gaps so far, but Chief Financial Officer Thomas Durkin said it can only go on for so long.

Nonprofit providers like Meals on Wheels of NEPA -- an organization that feeds about 800 people per day through home deliveries and senior centers -- are already feeling the pain.

Two people accepted voluntary layoffs this week while the agency mulls no longer offering bread and fresh vegetables with every meal to stretch its dollars as long as possible, Executive Director Kristen Kosin said. Meal modifications might happen within a week and a half.

Ms. Kosin, one member of the staff who is taking half pay, said she is appalled the stalemate continues.

She described many of her clients as elderly people who rely on home-delivered meals as a primary source of food, and who get no social interaction besides when volunteers visit.

"This puts the county and service providers in a position where they have to decide who is going to be less hungry on the weekend," she said. "It's not right."

The demand for adult day care at Telespond Senior Services is steady, without about 70 people with Alzheimer's disease, dementia or physical disabilities using it throughout the week, Executive Director Richard Berezinsky said.

The idea of delays for anyone who qualifies for the service made Mr. Berezinsky uncomfortable, as it puts more pressure on their family caregivers and affects the quality of life for potential clients.

"Caregivers need a place for their loved ones during the day they know will help them stay active in a safe place," Mr. Berezinsky said. "It gives caregivers the opportunity to go to work."

Contact the writer: [email protected], @kwindTT on Twitter

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