I know you are burnt out on hearing about politics. I am tired of it, too. I would love to get some facts without bias. This is not a left- or right-side discussion. This is simply information about how senior support is funded.
At the Federal level, funding comes through the Bureau of Aging, Community Living and Supports (ACLS) as directed by the Older Americans Act (OAA). For fifty years, the Older Americans Act has enabled Area Agencies on Aging to provide an extensive range of home and community-based services for older adults and caregivers. For every OAA dollar received, AAAs leverage three dollars in local funding to further support local aging network services.
The OAA is essential to the health and independence of millions of older adults and caregivers. The population in Michigan is aging faster than at any other point in history. We want to enable older adults to age with health and independence in their homes and communities, where they want to be. We also want to support the family caregivers already doing the lion’s share of long-term care provision in this country. The OAA is the bedrock upon which we build these cost-effective, independence-supporting options in our communities.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) provides state-level funding. MDHHS covers services like MI Choice Waiver to help folks receive caregiver support and other services at home, Person Centered Options Counseling (PCOC), which helps with resource navigation and long-term planning, and State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which provides free and unbiased Medicare counselors.
Local grants are received from Calhoun County Senior Millage, Battle Creek United Way, and Battle Creek Community Foundation. These provide funding for hearing services, vision services, and emergency buttons, as well as other individualized situations.
We also receive dollars from other grants that can help with training, resource services, or extra supplies needed for the community.
The mission of CareWell Services, your Region 3B Area Agency on Aging, is to promote health, independence, and choice for seniors, persons with disabilities, and caregivers. These funding streams allow us to uphold this mission and provide free services to those in Barry and Calhoun counties.
For more information about the services available through CareWell Services, please visit our website at www.carewellservices.org or call (269) 966-2450.