Senior services top up: grants, waitlist hits cap, QR medical bracelets and mural restoration plans

Office for the Aging staff told the Health and Human Services Committee on Aug. 19 that senior services have both growing demand and new small-scale investments.
Staff reported the county is distributing Farmers Market coupons and had 504 coupons remaining as of Aug. 15. At a July senior resource fair staff said they received a $10,000 grant from the Bank of Greene County Trailers Foundation to support senior home-repair funds, plus a $500 donation to a “senior stars” program.
“We are starting the Medicare 101 seminars … tomorrow,” the Office for the Aging staff said, noting outreach in Hillsdale, North Chatham and New Lebanon. Staff also said the senior day meal program has reached capacity and that the wait list has hit 250; they said they are now taking names to a wait list.
Staff demonstrated a medical QR bracelet pilot that, when scanned or read by a phone with NFC capability, notifies a registered emergency contact and displays a photo, name, address, medical conditions and medications. Office staff said they have about 80 bracelets available for targeted distribution and are working with the county attorney on a simple hold-harmless form before wider distribution.
The office also raised plans to document and help restore a mural on the kitchen at the Philmont site after the mural was vandalized: volunteers and Philmont Beautification Inc. are exploring restoration options and historic documentation; county staff will walk the property with Sergeant McMahon to assess security, lighting and camera needs.
Staff asked the committee for guidance on next steps for partnering with community volunteers and potential grant applications for restoration work; supervisors asked staff to work up a proposal and return to committee.
Separately, staff detailed programming logistics for the county’s senior day event at the Clermont County Fairgrounds on Sept. 10 and said they were collecting vendor commitments and entertainment for the event.
Committee members accepted the Office for the Aging’s updates and asked staff to return with proposals if they seek county support for mural restoration or expanded bracelet distribution.