[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6627712,"mediaKeyId","3843058-9f57ed9d7776bdf32957659a3b0e250f","parentId",3843058,"title","Kaunoa Senior Services reports Meals on Wheels reach, no waitlist but flags staffing and cost pressures","audioSeconds",2874,"startMs",5262000,"endMs",8136000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3843058-9f57ed9d7776bdf32957659a3b0e250f&start=5262&end=8136","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3843058-9f57ed9d7776bdf32957659a3b0e250f/thumbnail_5262000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6627712/Maui-County/Hawaii/Kaunoa-Senior-Services-reports-Meals-on-Wheels-reach-no-waitlist-but-flags-staffing-and-cost-pressures","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627712-c60e764a43d06ed38ee2cb56f7f1aa89/orig.mp4?Expires=1770662926&Signature=aZW7HoKIlXUCkfJ40Q0uBwXiUEHPtSVZ5aXWw6M-5CcQLsEOxAdANhyRCdjbHdDzEt2shxuIEwBs7czIK1zOW0975FBaPrTvpTGMyrlouAeR~NdqnL6VhSLorr9pUPFWqM7PJu2E4mQOMj4xLywG2EL7SGnbpqn8ukmfFH6BeOSFjbx1G8m-E-N8bLQqK07IXKUoNvS4miRm5hSWwc2KCKHqH8UInijxJt8eXhwmCgjwYLeHeyCpubIlQBRaXCpy2hmyagF2ylJzHBaX2znfe6I6h8-tGJBJt5c31IrK8-FdQtOMnFVW0doenU2rRrye-nh9pJE~mwhMnJSmSF4QlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maui County","date","2025-06-16T00:00:00Z","article","Kaunoa Senior Services provided an update on its Meals on Wheels (home‑delivered meals) and congregate nutrition programs during the Maui County Council’s Water Authority, Social Services & Parks Committee meeting on June 16, 2025.

Ruth Griffith, Senior Services Administrator for Kaunoa Senior Services, described two nutrition programs: a congregate nutrition program for people 60 and older and a home‑delivered meals (Meals on Wheels) program for frail, homebound kupuna who qualify through the Maui County Office on Aging. Griffith said the congregate program focuses on nutrition plus socialization and the Meals on Wheels program provides daily delivery and safety checks for people who cannot prepare adequate meals.

Program scale and outcomes
Griffith reported that, in fiscal year 2025 through May, Kaunoa’s congregate program served approximately 650 unduplicated participants (the presentation listed an average participant age — noted in slides as 86) with roughly 46,000 congregate meals served and about 1,000 socialization activities (total attendance reported at about 62,000).

For home‑delivered meals, Kaunoa reported an average participant age of about 80, 760 unduplicated participants and about 105,000 meals delivered through May 2025. The program typically delivers roughly 120,000 meals per year, Griffith said, and reported a 98% satisfaction rate and 100% on‑time delivery. Kaunoa also confirmed there is no wait list for home‑delivered meals at the time of the presentation.

Eligibility, operations and West Maui impacts
Eligibility for Meals on Wheels is determined by the Maui County Office on Aging and includes assessments of ability to perform activities of daily living and other criteria. Griffith emphasized that home‑delivered meals include a face‑to‑face or phone safety check each delivery day; staff said they regularly alert family or emergency services when they observe concerning conditions.

Kaunoa said the West Maui congregate site remains closed following the August 2023 fire; 20 West Maui residents are receiving home‑delivered meals. Griffith said Kaunoa plans to reopen a congregate site in West Maui later in the summer at an alternate location.

Staffing and funding pressures
Committee members and Kaunoa staff discussed recruitment and retention challenges. Kaunoa reported roughly 17–19 vacancies across positions – about 25–30% of some workgroups — and said many direct‑service roles are in bargaining units with limited pay steps. Griffith and Roland Prieto, Kaunoa assistant administrator, said they are working with personnel to explore pay and recruitment options and have used temporary hires where possible, but stressed that higher pay would help retention.

Griffith also warned of an expected mid‑year increase in vendor meal prices (Department of Education meal vendors and packaging costs), and said Kaunoa will reassess budget impacts mid‑year and report back to council if additional funds are needed.

Partnerships and referrals
Griffith described partnerships with Maui County Office on Aging (which manages Title III and Kupuna Care eligibility), Department of Education meal vendors, Habitat for Humanity for minor home retrofits, MEMA and AARP for emergency preparedness, and the Center for Independent Living for ADRC collaboration.

Public comment and committee action
A member of the public thanked Kaunoa staff during oral testimony. Committee members complimented Kaunoa staff and asked to visit Meals on Wheels deliveries; the committee closed public testimony and, with no objections, deferred action on the item.

Clarifying details: Kaunoa reported approximately 760 unduplicated Meals on Wheels participants and about 105,000 meals delivered as of May 2025; congregate program reported about 650 unduplicated participants and 46,000 meals in FY25 to date. Kaunoa reported no waitlist for home‑delivered meals and cited 17–19 staff vacancies (approximately 25–30% of some staff groups). The agency said it typically delivers about 120,000 home‑delivered meals annually and achieved a 98% satisfaction rate in its survey.

The committee did not take a formal vote and deferred the item for further follow‑up and monitoring.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Maui County - Water Authority, Social Services, and Parks Committee (2025-2027) on 2025-06-16 9:00 AM - Jun 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Kaunoa Senior Services told a County Council committee on June 16, 2025 that its Meals on Wheels and congregate nutrition programs serve hundreds of kupuna across Maui County, delivering roughly 105,000 home‑delivered meals through May 2025 and reporting no current waitlist, while warning of staffing vacancies and rising vendor costs.","taxTitle","Maui County, Hawaii","taxId",12846,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":44,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6627717,"Maui County updates 4-year area plan on aging, cites caregiver support, transportation and housing needs",4341,921000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3843058-9f57ed9d7776bdf32957659a3b0e250f&start=921&end=5262","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3843058-9f57ed9d7776bdf32957659a3b0e250f/thumbnail_921000.jpg","/articles/6627717/Maui-County/Hawaii/Maui-County-updates-4-year-area-plan-on-aging-cites-caregiver-support-transportation-and-housing-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627717-fbdc8533c8faf116353519ffeff05df2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770662926&Signature=BqE8IxOz9XblFXaeWNZlCgGkGAiVxUEliT8Y47AGbg~GFmzeXxbOqsol3~Hjt0LrL2DXpvu8fDaluawjLcHy16pKQ64qxwjyuVQmRX04oJP10faUH2zaJ7kwW5kOoRl4qDKQYlm8uMUl-gu~nPqlcJ3azkiokxaQTKJbPnxbl~1xfp6HotUoAsT5noZS~kky3oIndQEbyzcQ-gLS2YqXrtlPHtnAMTqpdMo-jOAQcdW-l0UOSo~EEUodmTh8tZ0LHVA-4g4BuiYnO1BYXSiXvyfMaVjTC6Kz0-aXuycWBnZTQpVvCbRjI~rmF7TRev~N5QNJRO~SnduN7x7xiwMhDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Maui County Office on Aging presented an update on its four‑year Area Plan on Aging during the County Council’s Water Authority, Social Services & Parks Committee meeting on June 16, 2025, outlining the plan’s goals and the county’s approach to funding and service delivery.

The plan, which covers the federal fiscal period Oct. 1, 2023–Sept. 30, 2027, was prepared to align with the State Executive Office on Aging and to support grants and contracts under the Older Americans Act, the county said. Rowena Dagdagandaya, County Executive on Aging, told the committee the plan is intended to guide services for older adults and caregivers and to support contracting with service providers for adult day care, home‑delivered meals and in‑home personal care.

Dagdagandaya said the county’s planning phase included community outreach in 2022 with 470 older adult surveys and 142 caregiver surveys, plus public meetings and stakeholder feedback. The needs assessment identified caregiver support, social isolation, transportation (including inter‑island access), the built environment and accessible senior housing, workforce capacity for in‑home services, nutrition, technology access and fall prevention among the county’s principal priorities.

\"We received 470 older adult surveys, 142 caregiver surveys,\" Dagdagandaya said while reviewing outreach. She told the committee the county is working to grow partnerships with community organizations and to strengthen the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) to offer centralized information and referral services for people 18 and older with disabilities as well as kupuna.

Why it matters: The plan guides how Maui County applies and spends federal, state and county funds to keep older adults living safely and independently. Committee members repeatedly pressed staff about transportation and workforce limits and asked what the county is doing to reach seniors in rural areas and communities affected by recent wildfires.

Funding and federal advocacy
Dagdagandaya provided a breakdown of recurring funding sources used to support services. She said county grants, the State Kupuna Care program and Older Americans Act (Title III) funds together amount to roughly $3,000,000 annually for services, with an approximate split of about $850,000 in state funds, about $890,000 in Title III federal funds and about $1.1 million in county funding. She noted some of those dollars support salaries and administrative costs, reducing the pool for direct services.

The office reported outreach to the congressional delegation earlier in 2025 to describe risks of service disruption if federal funding were cut. Dagdagandaya said area agencies on aging learned the President’s FY26 budget proposed funding Title III programs at FY25 levels nationwide (Title III congregate and home‑delivered meals at about $1.1 billion nationally) and proposed an increase for family caregiver supports. She said federal programs previously discussed for transfer to other agencies will instead be housed under a new Administration for Children, Families and Communities, keeping Title III programs more centralized within the Department of Health and Human Services structure.

Progress, partnerships and next steps
The county said it has advanced central access to ADRC services, strengthened partnerships with more than 30 local and state organizations (including the Center for Independent Living), and continued nutrition, caregiver support and home‑repair partnerships (for example, Habitat for Humanity minor retrofits to reduce fall risk). Staff reported monthly outreach to senior and disability groups and plans for an abilities fair and an annual senior fair.

Dagdagandaya said the plan will be monitored quarterly, with continued collaboration with the Council on Aging, MEMA and AARP on emergency preparedness and with the State Executive Office on Aging for funding flexibility and pilots, such as on‑demand transportation options.

Public comment and committee action
A resident who identified herself as Ella Makule Haole told the committee she had struggled to secure Meals on Wheels service for an ailing relative, describing difficulties with the intake and telephone processes and with cross‑agency navigation. That testimony was entered during the public comment period for the item.

Chair Shane Senensi closed public testimony and, with no objections, deferred the committee’s decision on the item for later consideration.

Clarifying details: The plan period is Oct. 1, 2023–Sept. 30, 2027. Office on Aging reported approximately 470 older adult surveys and 142 caregiver surveys used in drafting the plan. Reported funding sources include roughly $850,000 (state), $890,000 (federal Title III) and $1.1 million (county) for aging services, totaling near $3 million annually. The plan documents quarterly monitoring and named priorities including emergency preparedness, outreach, accessible housing and transportation.

The committee took no formal vote on the plan during the meeting and deferred the item for future consideration.","Maui County Office on Aging told the County Council committee it has completed a community-based 4-year area plan (Oct. 1, 2023–Sept. 30, 2027) identifying caregiver support, social isolation, transportation, housing and workforce capacity as top needs and described funding sources and next steps; the committee deferred formal action.","actionData","errors"]

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Kaunoa Senior Services reports Meals on Wheels reach, no waitlist but flags staffing and cost pressures

Maui County updates 4-year area plan on aging, cites caregiver support, transportation and housing needs