Lorraine Hentz, a senior services staff member, told the Sussex County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 10 that recent federal policy discussions and pending grants could expand home- and community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities.
Hentz told the board she attended a federal home- and community-based services conference and described a federal proposal that would create a new Medicaid option to expand access to in-home services without requiring a nursing-home level of care. “This is taking that nursing home level of care out of it and allowing people … the ability to get them and keeping them in their home,” Hentz said.
The presentation emphasized the Older Americans Act and the role of area agencies on aging; Hentz summarized national program outputs she said the Older Americans Act supports, including what she described as 250 million meals and 14.1 million rides provided nationwide through aging programs. She also described the Administration for Community Living’s work and said a shift toward a Department of Children, Families and Community Services could bring aging, disability and family services closer together.
Commissioners asked how the county would notify residents about new or expanded programs. A commissioner asked, “Is this something that we would be able to put out to the public through the county…how is anybody gonna know about this besides if you come to this meeting or listen to our audio or video?” Hentz said the county’s division of senior services would publicize enhanced programming through its office, at town events and at Sussex County Day.
The presentation also noted recent and anticipated federal grant opportunities, including “No Wrong Door” initiatives and a federal rural health-care transformation grant program, and encouraged partnerships among hospitals, CMS, area agencies on aging, nonprofits and faith-based groups to pursue funding. Hentz said the county has used a federal financial partnership to leverage one county dollar into additional Medicaid-related funding since 2016.
Discussion — not a formal action — centered on outreach and program promotion. Commissioners and staff said they would use county channels and in-person events to reach residents; Hentz said senior services maintains outreach tables at county events and partners with other agencies. No formal vote or policy adoption occurred at the meeting.