DOS Commission approves grants and contracts to expand home care, nutrition and community living services for older adults

The San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services (DAS) Commission on Wednesday, May 7, voted unanimously to approve four contracts and grants that department staff said will support home-based care, congregate nutrition, emergency residential respite and community living services for older adults and adults with disabilities.

The measures, which passed by roll call vote, authorize: (1) a new short-term home-care grant with Self Help for the Elderly ($842,772, plus 10% contingency); (2) three new nutrition grants with Self Help for the Elderly to continue congregate and CHAMPS restaurant meal services ($12,573,404, plus 10% contingency); (3) a four-year contract with Merced III Residential Care to provide three emergency residential care beds ($810,300, plus 10% contingency); and (4) a modification to an existing Institute on Aging grant to add funds for the Community Living Fund Program (additional $3,886,314, revised total up to $27,630,871). All four items were presented by DAS staff and approved unanimously.

Why it matters: These agreements fund services aimed at keeping older San Franciscans and adults with disabilities safe, fed and housed in the community. Department presenters said the programs address gaps not covered by IHSS (In-Home Supportive Services) and other long-term services, provide short-term stabilization after hospital discharge, and support transitions out of institutional settings.

Short-term home care (Item 11A) Xinqing Li, DAS grants analyst, presented item 11A, a grant with Self Help for the Elderly to provide short-term home care — chore work, homemaker supports and personal care — for clients who are not receiving IHSS or who need urgent help while waiting for IHSS to start. "In short, this program fills a critical gap for our older adults, helping them remain safely at home when they are most vulnerable," Li said. Li told commissioners the program is funded under Title III-B of the Older Americans Act and is not means-tested; people with slightly higher incomes as well as Medi‑Cal beneficiaries may be eligible. The commission approved the grant for the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2029, with a 10% contingency.

Congregate and CHAMPS nutrition services (Item 11B) Tiffany Kearney, DAS lead nutritionist, described three new grants with Self Help for the Elderly to continue nutrition services at 11 congregate meal sites and four restaurant (CHAMPS) sites across seven districts. Kearney said the programs meet federal nutrition standards, provide nutrition education and social connection, and report high consumer satisfaction: "95 percent of traditional congregate meal participants rated the meals as excellent or good," she said, adding strong reported improvements in participants' eating habits and food security. Self Help will operate dine‑in congregate sites and the CHAMPS restaurant option; Kearney noted Self Help no longer offers takeaway meals at these sites. The commission approved the multi-year grants beginning July 1, 2025.

Emergency residential care beds (Item 11C) Ben Cestados, representing Adult Protective Services, asked the commission to approve a four-year contract with Merced III Residential Care for three beds to provide short-term stabilization for APS clients facing unsafe discharges, self-neglect or abuse. Cestados said the beds had diverted more than a dozen clients from emergency rooms during the previous contract cycle and were occupied between roughly two-thirds and 100% of the time during that cycle. "This most frequently reduces the impact of unsafe hospital discharges or temporarily removes the individual from an unsafe living situation," Cestados said. The commission approved the contract for July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2029, with a 10% contingency.

Community Living Fund modification (Item 11D) Zhiqing Li (Office of Community Partnerships) presented a modification to the existing Institute on Aging grant for the Community Living Fund Program (CLFP). The modification adds local funds and clarifies service targets and objectives, including corrected annual target numbers in Appendix A1 (community support services clients revised from 50 to 30; community transition services from 30 to 10). The CLFP, Li said, supports nursing-facility transitions, diversion to assisted living, enhanced care management and community supports; the additional funding will also allow six clients to transition from the state-funded Home Safe program into CLFP when Home Safe funding ends. The commission authorized the modification and additional funding.

Votes at a glance - Item 11A — Authorize new grant agreement with Self Help for the Elderly for short-term home care (07/01/2025–06/30/2029). Amount: $842,772 plus 10% contingency (total not to exceed $927,049). Outcome: approved (6–0). - Item 11B — Authorize three new grants with Self Help for the Elderly for nutrition services (07/01/2025–06/30/2029). Amount: $12,573,404 plus 10% contingency (total not to exceed $15,830,000.744). Outcome: approved (6–0). - Item 11C — Authorize contract with Merced III Residential Care for emergency residential care beds (07/01/2025–06/30/2029). Amount: $810,300 plus 10% contingency (total not to exceed $891,330). Outcome: approved (6–0). - Item 11D — Modify existing Institute on Aging grant for Community Living Fund (07/01/2025–06/30/2027). Additional funds: $3,886,314; revised total not to exceed $27,630,871. Outcome: approved (6–0).

What commissioners asked and next steps Commissioners questioned eligibility and program access, including whether short-term home care is means-tested (staff said it is funded under Title III-B and not means-tested) and whether Self Help’s congregate sites offer takeaway meals (staff said Self Help no longer provides to‑go meals at its sites). Staff said they will provide the corrected Appendix A1 and updated documents to the commission clerk after the meeting. No members of the public spoke on the items during the public-comment periods.

The approvals formalize funding streams DAS staff said are intended to reduce unnecessary institutionalization, address food insecurity and provide immediate stabilization services for older adults and vulnerable adults in San Francisco. The commission adjourned after the vote.