AgeCentral, the area agency on aging for the region, told the Tazewell County Board that an aging population and constrained federal funding are increasing demands for services and asked for county help to expand outreach and local supports.

"We are 1 of 13 area agencies in Illinois...Our mission is to promote dignity, and connection for older adults," said Asa Maroney, whom the presenter identified as executive director of AgeCentral. Maroney described a service area that covers multiple counties, noted gaps in rural transportation and rising caregiver stress, and said roughly 25,000 residents in the presented jurisdiction are 65 or older.

Why it matters: AgeCentral said local dollars multiply the effect of state and federal funds and requested specific supports the county board could provide to reach and assist seniors and caregivers.

Maroney listed current services and partnerships, including information and assistance, person‑centered options counseling, caregiver respite, dementia outreach, ride vouchers, meal referrals to providers such as Neighborhood House in Peoria, and partnerships with local providers including Miller Senior Center and Spoon River Home Health. Maroney said AgeCentral helped certify Eureka and Washington as dementia‑friendly communities.

Requests to the board included sharing AgeCentral’s information with county seniors, hosting outreach events, offering small matching grants and fuel cards for volunteer drivers, promoting age‑friendly zoning and championing Medicare enrollment clinics. "It's 1 call, 1 door. We're a no wrong door system," Maroney said.

During questions, a board member asked about roughly 180 long‑term care residents who were displaced when two buildings were sold; Maroney said AgeCentral connected with the Center for Prevention of Abuse (which runs a long‑term care ombudsman program they fund) and offered to host a resource fair but had not received further updates. A later question confirmed Neighborhood House provides delivered meals and congregate sites that serve residents in the county.

AgeCentral officials said federal grant funding has been flat in recent years and that the agency relies on a mix of federal, state and local dollars to deliver services. They said they will expand outreach, strengthen transportation partnerships and seek sustainable funding while producing an annual scorecard of impact measures.

The presentation concluded with contact information for follow‑up; board members did not take formal action during the meeting on the agency’s requests.