Laurie Veralson, director of the Central Minnesota Council on Aging, told Sherburne County commissioners on Tuesday that demographic changes and reduced funding are forcing the agency and local providers to narrow service priorities.

Veralson, whose agency is the designated area agency on aging for 14 counties including Sherburne, said Older Americans Act funding touches “about 1 in every 6 older adults” in the region but that recent reductions are straining services. “Minnesota receives about $22,000,000 of federal Older Americans Act funding. That equates to $17.31 per older adult per year in the State of Minnesota,” she said.

Nut graf: Veralson summarized program activity supported by Older Americans Act dollars in Sherburne County — nutrition, transport, caregiver consultation and legal aid — and said changes such as the sunsetting of ARPA funds and a new federal funding formula have reduced allocations and required provider prioritization.

Veralson described county‑level figures from 2023: Older Americans Act funding that served Sherburne County totaled about $284,143 in 2023 and $314,607 the prior year, reaching just over 2,000 older adults and family caregivers in the most recent year reported. She said the region funded about $4.6 million to 24 organizations in 2024, delivering roughly 450,000 meals regionwide, 20,000 rides to medical appointments and more than 10,000 hours of homemaker services.

Veralson explained specific local responses to demand: Catholic Charities partnered with food shelves to distribute up to 30 frozen meals monthly at some sites; congregate dining sites operate in Elk River and Princeton; and RSVP volunteers are key partners for home‑ and community‑based services. She also described a pilot to supplement food‑shelf clients with frozen meals.

Commissioners raised concern about closing local congregate sites and the loss of ARPA funding. “If you look at the line that's going upwards — the amount of senior population — but you have the revenue going this way,” one commissioner said, summarizing the problem. Veralson said the agency will work with providers to prioritize services and noted the state nutrition allocation for 2026 will be $35,000, down from prior levels.

Ending: Veralson asked county officials to continue supporting older‑adult services and administrative match contributions; the board acknowledged the demographic trends and commended county housing and aging‑in‑place planning efforts.